Any advice for getting permission from land owners? UPDATED

Sept 15/15 Update:

Just thought I would share some of my experience for those just starting out, for what it is worth. I am a long time shooter that has been away from any serious hunting for a while, and never really had to "cold call" for hunting spots. I am taking up coyote hunting this winter and realize that having multiple locations will be beneficial.

Armed with much of the advice received here, I used a free topographical map app and identified areas I wanted to inquire about. I made a list in my phone and headed out. I drove sensibly in the lane and tried to park out of the way. I haven't encountered any aggressive dogs yet but I checked them out before hopping out of the truck, and spent a minute with them if they were friendly, which all have been. Farmers seem to appreciate it when you are nice to their pets, and I like dogs anyway, which also helped as an ice breaker in a couple of instances.

When making inquiries, I have been brief and to the point once pleasantries have been exchanged. I apologize for the interruption, introduce myself and ask who I should talk to about coyote hunting. I Iet them know I am from the area, and mention other nearby farms that I will be hunting on which seems to help. I explain that I will be hunting by myself and likely drop by every couple of weeks for around an hour, and will still hunt using an electronic call, in order to give them an idea of what I'll be doing. I offered my contact information (only one farmer has wanted it, to call me if he sees anything :) ). I made sure to record everyone's name, told them what vehicle I would be driving, asked where it would be best to park, asked about livestock locations, property boundaries, and asked if they wanted me to let them know when I was coming.

I think that being organized and thorough with my approach was key to my success, proof being that when I offered the same explanation to those that declined, I could see a change in attitude, even to the point that they were apologetic! My response was always "no problem, I have lots of places to hunt. Do you mind if I check back later in the year?" I have about a dozen spots so far (7 total cold calls) with three refusals. Of those that refused, all three said they already had enough hunters on the land, one said to check back later on (which gave me the idea to ask the other two), and seemed on the verge of changing his mind at the time. Before I started, I was a little aprehensive about being refused, but it was no big deal at all, and I did not feel it was anything personal.

What did surprise me was how friendly people were! I had several nice "visits", and got a lot of useful intel from the land owners. They have let me know where I can drive on the land for faster access, where / when coyotes have been spotted, and have told me who owns adjoining land, and what they are like. I actually kind of enjoy the experience now, which is interesting, since I was dreading it before I started.

I still have about 6 places on my list, and I keep looking / adding all the time. Depending on how things go I have two goals in mind, one: to harvest at least one coyote from each location, and two: to harvest at least one coyote with each of my .222, .243, and 25/06 rifles. Might as well dream big! ;)
 
Awesome that it is working out for you, Mark.

There's a nagging little voice in the back of my mind saying "all that for yotes?" but hey, all the same principles and actions could be used for permission to hunt other game, too.
 
Excellent. You did so well because people liked you. Anyone taking training for any type of sales person finds out that one of the first things taught you will be to sell yourself. People have to like the person they are dealing with.
The dogs certainly helped you out. I too, like dogs and a dog very quickly knows if the stranger coming to them is friend or foe and without doubt the owners are noticing the reaction of their pet.
Those of us with rural back grounds also have a great built in advantage in asking for hunting access, because we speak the land owners language.
 
I used to do some shotgun hunting, but have had more fun with rifles in the last few years. Around here the only game we can hunt with rifle are varmints, coyotes being the largest, smartest, and most plentiful, (not to mention pretty much the only) ones around.

With them being considered a pest by many farmers, permission is easier to get, so I have also considered it a possible "gateway" to other game if I get another itch later.

I agree, I think the same approach would work for most any game.
 
Mattones said:
Congrats buddy! If always thought about knocking on a few doors but something keeps holding me back
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I was the same and that's pretty much why I thought I should provide the update. The whole experience was much more pleasant than I expected it to be, so I figured if anyone else felt like I did, maybe I could convince them it's not as bad as they think. I honestly met a couple of really nice older farmers that were fun to talk to and even the people that said no were nice!
 
H4831 said:
Excellent. You did so well because people liked you. Anyone taking training for any type of sales person finds out that one of the first things taught you will be to sell yourself. People have to like the person they are dealing with.
The dogs certainly helped you out. I too, like dogs and a dog very quickly knows if the stranger coming to them is friend or foe and without doubt the owners are noticing the reaction of their pet.
Those of us with rural back grounds also have a great built in advantage in asking for hunting access, because we speak the land owners language.
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I was in sales until last year when I decided I had had enough (now I'm in coyotes). I totally agree that you have to sell yourself. Two of the dogs were puppies, which were a riot, one was all excited and peed all over my leg. :) Now I want a dog. (Not because of the pee.)
 
For the most part over the last 30 years I have hunted public land almost exclusively in Manitoba for big game. It seems whenever I got permission for deer that was supposedly exclusive on private land (and obtained using methods outlined above) there would be locals pushing bush or guys just randomly walking by or a truck full of guys sighting in their rifles on opening morning 100m from my treestand. Add that to the difficulty of having a hit animal get onto neighboring property and the politics associated with locals and I decided to stick with public land which BTW has been very good hunting over the years.
 
rsp1761 said:
For the most part over the last 30 years I have hunted public land almost exclusively in Manitoba for big game. It seems whenever I got permission for deer that was supposedly exclusive on private land (and obtained using methods outlined above) there would be locals pushing bush or guys just randomly walking by or a truck full of guys sighting in their rifles on opening morning 100m from my treestand. Add that to the difficulty of having a hit animal get onto neighboring property and the politics associated with locals and I decided to stick with public land which BTW has been very good hunting over the years.
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Unfortunately in southern Ontario it is pretty much the opposite. There is almost zero public land to hunt on, and what little there is, is full, of hikers and other hunters. I would love to have public land as an option.
 
mark222 said:
Unfortunately in southern Ontario it is pretty much the opposite. There is almost zero public land to hunt on, and what little there is, is full, of hikers and other hunters. I would love to have public land as an option.
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Yes we are fortunate here in Manitoba.....
 
I have had real good luck using the exact same approach you did. I have been asking permission to go goose hunting. I always keep business cards with me and have my home phone number written on the back. I always tell them that if for some reason things change to give me a call and it will be no problem. I also have been dropping off some sausage or a 26 oz bottle after the fact and check with them if it is OK to ask permission in the future. I always give them the "If you would rather not be bothered I understand". People seem to really appreciate the soft sell. There is a bit of competition around for hunting permission for geese so I'm trying to set up long term relationships.
 
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