What would you do to get hunting access to 500+ acres of land ??

Would you trade labor for hunting access

  • Yes.

    Votes: 110 78.6%

  • No.

    Votes: 24 17.1%

  • Never

    Votes: 6 4.3%
  • Total voters
    140
  • Poll closed .
jtoews80

jtoews80

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
114   0   0
Location
Bonnyville, Alberta
Just curious as to how many hunters would trade labor (15-30 hours) for hunting access. Alot of hunters haven't got access to any land except the same public land everybody else does and it can get crowded. While alot of farm land is great hunting land and is often closed to hunting.

Would you trade a couple days of fencing, picking rocks or picking bales for permission or hunting access??

I don't own alot of land, just a 1/4 section, but have not given permission recently because my family uses it to hunt and it gets as much use as it would sustain. However, there are alot of farmers that don't give permission and nobody hunts that land. If somebody showed up in the summer and was willing to trade work for hunting access it could be beneficial to both parties.

I'd try advertising in the "Western Producer" publication or advertising during the summer in the local UFA or CooP farm store in the area you want to hunt.
 
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So trade an entire summer of work for one deer?

I will pass on that. However if it was helping stack firewood for an afternoon or something of the sorts then I would think more about it.
 
I wouldn't trade labour for land access, I would offer though, as a favour to the landowner, to rid him of any and all coyotes on his property.....crows too.
 
Not a whole summer!!! A couple days, something reasonable in the 15-30 hour range at most. It would give the farmer a chance to get to know you and give you a chance to figure out where you want to hunt.

Remember, the farming community in general is becoming an older demographic.

JT.
 
Yeah the older demographic is weary of us whipper snappers. I asked one farmer for access to a river that was on his property, he said no cause he didn't want us to get killed by the cows. They were on another field at the time.

I don't think most farmers want anyone on their fields. However there are nicer ones, one friend of mine trapped beavers on a farm so he can get access to it for migratory bird hunting.
 
Alot of them are closed to it if you ask this time of year, unless they know you. Trapping beavers in alot of work too, that is along the idea of what I was talking about. The thing is that the hunters that have the most trouble getting permission are the new and younger hunters.

JT.
 
"...trade labor..." Wouldn't do foreign work, but I'd do labour. Likely put me in traction for a few months though.
"...didn't want us to get killed by the cows..." I wouldn't worry too much about the cows. The bull, on the other hand, I would. Had one express his dislike of a buddy and myself being in his field. We got over a fence about a minute before Ferdinand got close. He came right through a wire fence to tell us how much he wanted us out of his field. The owner told us, the bull took offense to his tractor one day. The bull pushed it sideways about 10 feet. Tore the barn door off one day and stood there with the door around his neck.
 
The guy who wouldn't let me fish on the river was mad at others who trespassed and left garbage and stuff all over the place.

I think the cow excuse was just some polite way to say no. This guy had huge hands though, his fingers were the size of most emo kids arms.
 
I'm not that keen on the idea of a straight work for access deal, on a formalized basis, but I could see it working a bit, for some folk.
IIRC from SK, it would not be legal at all, as it would essentially be selling access to the land, not allowed in their regs (or wasn't, someone up to date may correct me). Not that it doesn't happen, just that it's against the rules.

I actually got involved in the community, met some of these folks, and did some of them favors, like clearing out gophers off horse pasture, a real arm twist to get me to help! :D That got me pretty much an exclusive on 3 quarters of land that was surrounded by posted, had lots of white tail's and no worries about running into other folks. But that's a whole story in itself.

Never heard of a farmer turning down a genuine offer of help though. You never know whether the guy you meet today, will turn out to be a life long friend. Being generally polite and respectful when dealing with the folks that you are dealing with, has served well, and will in the future, too.


Cheers
Trev
 
Just curious as to how many hunters would trade labor (15-30 hours) for hunting access. Alot of hunters haven't got access to any land except the same public land everybody else does and it can get crowded. While alot of farm land is great hunting land and is often closed to hunting.

Would you trade a couple days of fencing, picking rocks or picking bales for permission or hunting access??

I don't own alot of land, just a 1/4 section, but have not given permission recently because my family uses it to hunt and it gets as much use as it would sustain. However, there are alot of farmers that don't give permission and nobody hunts that land. If somebody showed up in the summer and was willing to trade work for hunting access it could be beneficial to both parties.

I'd try advertising in the "Western Producer" publication or advertising during the summer in the local UFA or CooP farm store in the area you want to hunt.
Click to expand...

I live in Alberta where it is illegal to receive any kind of compensation for allowing access for the purpose of hunting,so my answer is no for the circumstances as posted.So here in Alberta,what you are proposing is illegal.I do however help out friends that do allow me to hunt on their land.However,I help out because we are friends,not because they let me hunt on their land.
 
Personally I would hate to see the day when the highest bidder wins for hunting rights on Canadian land. Just ask any American who comes up here hunting what it is like to get permission and what it is worth $$ down there.
It is happening in some areas here now and I fear will only get worse.
You are right... It is illegal in Sask, but it is still happening in some areas.
 
I agree with millertime but I know it happens.
Legal issues aside.
I hunt 400 acres of Private, 300 of our own ( overgrown farm w/bush) & 7-800 limited access crown. We always offer to share the harvest with landowner, we keep the ATV trails clear, or offer to help in any way we can. Maybe we're just lucky but paying for hunting privaleges sounds like a slippery slope to an expensive end. Kindness & courtiousness has always worked for us..hopefully will continue.
 
15 hours? A couple days work. Oh no, it's illegal! Bulls**t. This is the excuse used by freeloaders who aren't willing to break a sweat in return for hunting access.

No wonder so many landowners just say no.
 
If I were to trade labor for hunting 500 acres it would be at the cost of the 10,000 square miles I have access to now. However, from the point of view of the urban/suburban hunter, shared access to large a tract of land for a bit of muscle and time should quite attractive.
 
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