People who have successfully been granted permission to hunt a strangers land, how did you do it?

I have spent days through the summer and fall working on ranches just for permission to fish the river running through their property. If you have the time, the hard work is the easy part. And then you become part of the family.
 
Most people have it covered. I start February trying to find new places. In the east I’m in western NC, I’ve found that offering you’d be willing to get insurance to cover yourself on the property is a plus on your side. I try to go in person between 5:30-6:45 pm, that typically gives me the best chance to catch someone at home but not having dinner and interrupting them, I’m also leaving work so I’m in at least a collared shirt and leave my business card. If they are outta town send a letter. The letters aren’t as successful as speaking in person. Also make a binder and keep all your info in it, permission slips. I also keep up with everyone I contact info. I got a property this year after he had been trespassed on 5 times last year. Only requirement was to post all his land and be “active” on it to try and keep people off.
 
The best way to get access is to get your son to marry the farmers daughter. Working for me. I have a new farm to hunt next year. They grow corn and soybean and don't like deer......perfect.
 
The best way to get access is to get your son to marry the farmers daughter. Working for me. I have a new farm to hunt next year. They grow corn and soybean and don't like deer......perfect.
I was going to say Farmers Only and filter over 38 and rural zip codes.
 
If its close to home, the best way to get spots is to get to know people. I moved to a new area and within a year had access to 6 different farms. Hunting is always on my mind, and when I meet people that I think have some land, Im instantly forming a plan or trying to find a mutual connection.

If it is away from home, just have to keep knocking on doors and something will eventually pan out. Its a numbers game at that point.


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Most people have it covered. I start February trying to find new places. In the east I’m in western NC, I’ve found that offering you’d be willing to get insurance to cover yourself on the property is a plus on your side. I try to go in person between 5:30-6:45 pm, that typically gives me the best chance to catch someone at home but not having dinner and interrupting them, I’m also leaving work so I’m in at least a collared shirt and leave my business card. If they are outta town send a letter. The letters aren’t as successful as speaking in person. Also make a binder and keep all your info in it, permission slips. I also keep up with everyone I contact info. I got a property this year after he had been trespassed on 5 times last year. Only requirement was to post all his land and be “active” on it to try and keep people off.
Don’t I know you from somewhere? No really you’re spot on. I show up presentable, out of season, offer to help in any way I can, and be the most humble and polite that I can be. I’ve even been cussed out for asking and interrupting dinner just to turn it around by taking it with a smile.
 
I do it differently. I use OnX to get their name. I Google the name and get a phone number. I call the number at a reasonable time of day usually late afternoon. I say

“Hi I’m Jimbo from ____insert where you live____ and I’m calling because I have a tag and I’m wondering if you have a moment of time for me to ask about permission to hunt on foot on your property.”

That right there they have your name, they know you are local, and they know you aren’t driving on their place.
 
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I call or knock on the door. Waterfowl is very time sensitive so getting permission before season is pretty useless.
 
I've been pretty lucky with finding property to hunt. This year on my Wyoming antelope trip, one of the locals saw me on the side of the road next to a blm parcel and stopped to chat. After talking for 10 or 15 minutes he mentioned that he lived down the road and had seen just seen a nice antelope buck on his place and said I was welcome to go after it. Just my luck that I had only drawn doe/fawn tags this year.

One of my neighbors lets me hunt his property, but it took a few years of getting to know me first. Now I help him with his cattle or whatever other projects he has and I get to hunt turkeys and deer next door.
 
I offered to help a farmer here in Az post his land. It was very poorly posted, so legally I think I could have hunted it without his permission. Instead, I saw a farm vehicle approached him and asked if I could hunt his land. I told him I would be willing to help burn some cattail sloughs and that I would personally purchase T- posts with no trespassing signs on them. I would put them up all over his land. I have hunted that land for over 10 years.
 
I used letters and it has been successful.

Scouted up 20+ properties within a 30 minute drive from the house using GE and our local CAD office. Sent out letters to owners with introduction, what I was looking for, and what I could offer in return. Probably got 7 responses, including 1 yes. Met the owner at the property, he lives in town, and discussed the arrangements.

Now I have a honey hole 5 mins down the road and he doesn’t charge me. He is very active in restoring native vegetation, and doesn’t like all the deer eating their share of his hard work, hence, he uses me as his deer management tool. Win Win.

Full disclosure, I got the idea from an old MeatEater podcast several years ago and tracked down the template. Happy to share if interested, shoot me a message.
Can I get the template that you used? Looking to send out some letters asking for permission this fall to land owners in Montana.
 
Wrote them a letter. Worked great! The guy said he appreciated the initiative to track him down. I now have access to 160 acres that buts up to FS
 
I don't do it a ton but have secured some permissions before.

I generally knock on the door, middle of the day. I try not to be wearing camo if at all possible. Lighter colors are less threatening. Once I knock I step back 10 or 15 feet off the porch and wait for them to come to the door. Start with a strong introduction, "Hi! I'm so and so and I'm from xx." Smile! I try to compliment their ground, how good it looks, how they must have worked hard to have it in that shape, stuff like that. I tend to avoid asking questions about how good harvest was or the price of corn, just always seems like more bad news than good. When I do ask I tend to head off questions by saying I'm a safe, legal, and responsible hunter. I leave gates the way I found them, I don't climb fences where I shouldn't, I don't litter, I'm aware of and steer clear of livestock, etc. And then after the hunt I send a thank you card.
 
I've tried knocking on doors and that didn't work too well. A nice fellow told us how to hunt his land and when it seemed like we understood, he gave us access. Go figure.

Someone on here said if it isn't posted, you can hunt. Be very careful following that advice as diff states have diff rules about posting.
 
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