Earlier this year I asked two places, got a question "what if that cow get lead poisoning?" And here I ended surching furthere because pretty much all these farm lands haying for sell to horse farms, horse riding clubs and academies...
I am @ the NE corner of aurora a very last sideroad,
Sharon would be perfect about 15 minutes ride but leasing/borrowing a share is mandatory (about $700 for a share + a membership +,+,+) there is putting the pricetag way high.
I am pretty much ready even to pay for access to a remote farmland/spot.
And I have no powderburners, only one air rifle and one pistol both set for shooting paper- but longer ranges. I don't hunt (last time I finished hunting back in early 90's), nobody in the house have any interest to eat that.
Can't say I've ever had a farmer ask me that question, as in, ever. However, it sounds like a function of where you're asking, and farmers who have no interest/understanding of guns. I'be been shooting/hunting on hay fields for over a decade. I never leave shell casings, especially shogun hulls, etc.
My comment about air guns when asking had more to do with adding another layer of explanation, and I'm not sure that's in your favour. Your call. If you ask if you can simply do some target shooting, and say the gun isn't that loud...it ought to leave you the option of moving up to a 22LR if you choose to...and still be honest about the original request for permission. I don't think it's dishonest, it's more that you're leaving unnecessary details out of the conversation. A firearm=farmers will know what you're talking about. A PCP airgun-expect to offer a longer explanation, and prepare for that explanation to not help your cause.
I wouldn't offer to pay $ for the privilege, but once granted permission...on the first visit, bring something as a token of appreciation. Not booze until/unless you know for sure the land owner has the odd drink. I like to bring something like a nice pie (Pecan or blueberry from the Hurst Bakery in Aurora). Not on every visit, but definitely the first...and drop by @ Christmas to do the same. I think it's best to be prepared for a (social) chat on every visit, my experience has shown that I'm often the first person to roll up the driveway in some time. Small price to pay, and allot of those conversations yield valuable information (to me) re: animals on the property (wild and otherwise), time of day the farmer is seeing game, learning who his neighbours are, how receptive they might/might not be to granting the same permission, etc.
One farm I visit, I'm almost guaranteed to hear about how much of an a-hole Trudeau is. I mean, he is an a-hole through and through...but it can be tough hearing all the same talking points while I see groundhogs out in the hay...looking nervous.
