Asking permission

[Buckskinbob]

Do any of you guys have success stories asking permission to hunt or trap private property? Maybe I'm just a sissy but I have a hard time driving onto someone's place and knocking. I recently wrote a couple letters and am hoping I get a call back.

 

[Straight Arrow]

I once wanted to cross private to get to a state section that bordered a BLM section, so I contacted the private land owner and provided all pertinent information about my son and me and even included a permission slip. I also sent a reference from a nearby neighboring land owner. Then I set him up with a five year subscription to MONTANA OUTDOORS.
One cold winter day I crossed his land, hiked up the state land and shot a nice cow elk, which I could then sled down through his property right to the road ... after a long day, that is.

 

[406dn]

I have gained permission to hunt deer, antelope, and birds on private land. To be honest, I've never tried with elk, I have assumed that is a bridge too far.

Many years ago now, before the Broadus area went entirely into private land being leased up, I had a couple of places that let me hunt. When the posters inviting hunters to shoot does, but not bucks started showing up in gas stations or the grocery store, I quit hunting down there.

 

[Buckskinbob]

That's a great story!

 

[Buckskinbob]

I have gained permission to hunt deer, antelope, and birds on private land. To be honest, I've never tried with elk, I have assumed that is a bridge too far.

Many years ago now, before the Broadus area went entirely into private land being leased up, I had a couple of places that let me hunt. When the posters inviting hunters to shoot does, but not bucks started showing up in gas stations or the grocery store, I quit hunting down there.

Elk are definitely a polarizing game animal when it comes to access

 

[brian flatlander]

Do any of you guys have success stories asking permission to hunt or trap private property? Maybe I'm just a sissy but I have a hard time driving onto someone's place and knocking. I recently wrote a couple letters and am hoping I get a call back.

I'm always the one in our group to ask permission ,tell them who you are be polite weather it is yes or no. Do it in the off season i think is huge. Most farmers and ranchers are busy in the fall. Offer to help them with chores if your able to do things like that, and if you get permission dont be a stranger and just show up in the fall develop a year round relationship with them.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Repair of any tweaked gate or fence line, chokecherry jelly & syrup, meat sticks, and jerky are also valuable tokens of "Thank-you"!

 

[Buckskinbob]

I'm always the one in our group to ask permission ,tell them who you are be polite weather it is yes or no. Do it in the off season i think is huge. Most farmers and ranchers are busy in the fall. Offer to help them with chores if your able to do things like that, and if you get permission dont be a stranger and just show up in the fall develop a year round relationship with them.

I made sure to mention in my letters I do construction. Maybe I need to be more specific and say I'd be willing to do labor in exchange for access

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Just go ask. Worst that can happen is they say no. Do it a few times and it gets easier.

 

[Buckskinbob]

Just go ask. Worst that can happen is they say no. Do it a few times and it gets easier.

I'm sure you are right. Some things you just gotta do

 

[brian flatlander]

I'm always the one in our group to ask permission ,tell them who you are be polite weather it is yes or no. Do it in the off season i think is huge. Most farmers and ranchers are busy in the fall. Offer to help them with chores if your able to do things like that, and if you get permission dont be a stranger and just show up in the fall develop a year round relationship with them.

I also believe in person would be better then a letter trust me they will want to meet you before they trust you to hunt there property

 

[Straight Arrow]

I agree. Unfortunately, some of the desirable places in central Montana might be owned by someone in Missoula, Bozeman, or Houston, TX!

 

[CorkyM]

I’ve been hunting the same farm field which leads to a swamp and woods, since 1969, with much success, for deer. They let me cross their field on a dirt road with the AWD to get to the edge of the woods. it used to be about 45 minutes from my home. Now it’s 2hrs. and 15 minutes since I moved. I always take them a ham and a case of beer. In the past I have given them a decorative milk can and a diecast 1:16 scale Oliver tractor.

 

[brian flatlander]

I agree. Unfortunately, some of the desirable places in central Montana might be owned by someone in Missoula, Bozeman, or Houston, TX!

Dont want to be negative but absentee landowners are almost always no

 

[ashersdad]

I have places in both Kansas and Wyoming that I have asked over the years. Once they give permission I make it a habit of dropping off stuff like salmon and halibut from Alaska, 50lb bag of Idaho potatoes, case of local chocolate milk, etc. I do this every year whether I have a tag or not. If someone is friendly and says no, I'll put them on the list to get goodies the next year regardless. I've had no's turn into yes years later by dropping off stuff and just being friendly.

My son drew an antelope tag in Utah several years ago and sent probably a dozen letters to landowners. Heard back from only one landowner, but he said yes and my son killed a nice buck on his property. Super nice guy and when we dropped off several packs of halibut and salmon he was very appreciative.

It can never hurt to ask. Just be respectful and friendly even if the answer is no.

 

[devon deer]

Do any of you guys have success stories asking permission to hunt or trap private property? Maybe I'm just a sissy but I have a hard time driving onto someone's place and knocking. I recently wrote a couple letters and am hoping I get a call back.

Letters are a waste of paper.
Just loiter around their ranch when they are working, they will find you, and not vice-versa, that is better way to make the initial contact, works for me, has to, we don't have any public land, politeness goes a long way.

 

[phutch30]

Man up and go ask. Its part of the game. Like was posted above worst they can do is say no.... Well, they can say no in a really nasty and long-winded rant, but so what, you don't know them so whatever they say is water over the bridge so to say.

I find being short and direct is the best, dont waste their time...Just go with ...Hi Im your name. Im in the area from town and state and was wondering if you would allow me to hunt species.

Ive been using the same speal for 35+ yrs. Ive found trying to chit chat on the front steps usually doesn't work. Sometimes it does and sometimes you get sucked into a 2hr conversation that makes you think you're going to get access and then you don't. I gotten around to the point where Ill ask pretty much anywhere. Ive gotten access to some spots that I was positive I was gunna get chewed out for asking....ive also gotten chewed out for asking LOL but the takeaway is its almost always worth asking. I dont ask at places that have posted signs that say no hunting please don't ask or such but pretty much everything else is free game.

I drove past a gem of a turkey spot for about 4 or 5 yrs because it had all kinds of weird animal friendly signs and no trespassing ect signs. There was some public up behind the house and every time I called near the property toms would pop up on the ridge on the private. I had my kids with me one trip and we were struggling to get into birds so I said screw it and drove down a long access drive through 20 different touchy feely animal crossing ect signs. I walked up to the house and knocked.. the whole time knowing I was wasting my time. The owner walked to the door looked at my camo and started shaking her head. Before I could even ask she said we dont allow hunting. So I said oh ok sorry to bother you, I just heard some turkeys on the ridge above the house and thought Id ask and I turned and started to leave. She said Turkeys!?? you want to go after turkeys? I said yes I have my kids and was looking for a spot. She said well thats different, I hate those dam things they wake me up every morning and crap all over the place....that was 12yrs ago. We take at least on tom off her land every spring we hunt up there.

 

[huntin24/7]

I have lots of times, many just cold calling. I prefer to call first because I don’t want to just show up at someone’s place unannounced and interrupt what they’re doing. I call and let them know I’d be happy to stop by and introduce myself. I always first ask if I caught them at a good time. If not, I’ll tell them I’ll call at another time. Maybe not the best way but works for me fairly often.

 

[Sask hunter]

Be a good beaver/coyote trapper and you’ll have more places to hunt than you can tackle lol. I also bring them by some jerky in the off season. Especially one really great landowner who lets me hunt anything, trap and I do most of my waterfowl on his land

 

[Brad W]

I spend a fair amount of time asking for permission. I hate doing it but where I live it is necessary to find less pressured areas. Often times I am only looking for permission to cross their property and that is often a much easier sell than asking permission to hunt. I go in the off season on the weekends in the late morning or afternoon. I never go when it is dark out because I want them to see me and my vehicle clearly so they can identify both easily. I never call ahead. Dress nicely, be nice and explain yourself clearly. I typically have a plan for each property I am asking about, ie “can I park there, walk in that way, etc” and try to lay out specifics for them. If I am asking permission to bring my son I also bring him or specifically state that it would be both of us. Landowners in my area are generally surprised to be asked and say yes more often than I expect. I still hate doing it because it is time consuming and stressful but finding an unconventional way to access public land helped me shoot a nice buck this year. I’ve been rejected plenty of times but I’ve never really had a bad experience. I’m not asking to hunt elk in MT though.