By Greg Wagner
One of the biggest obstacles to hunters these days is getting permission to hunt private land. It certainly is not an easy task. In fact, it can be downright daunting. The good ole’ days are a distant memory when the ends of weedy fence rows did not have “No Hunting” signs posted and the leasing of property for hunting rights wasn’t considered, other than for waterfowl.
Though quite challenging, it is not impossible to find a place to hunt game animals and birds on private property. Expect to put forth a great deal of time and effort! When analyzed, nearly all the methods to obtain permission to hunt private land are based on one factor: you, and more specifically, your character and personality. YOU are going to have to make a good initial impression and genuinely sell what you want to do.
So, here is an array of tips to greatly assist you with attempting to get permission to hunt on private land:
Acquire connections to landowners.
Knocking on doors randomly is a hard way to accomplish getting permission to hunt on private land. It is best to have some leads and references. Chances are that someone in your family, among your friend group, in your circle of co-workers or within the conservation organization of which you belong, knows a rural Nebraska landowner and can call ahead to tell them that you will be contacting them. Begin with the folks you know or with whom you share a mutual connection. I would not rule out participating in online message boards or Facebook groups where sometimes hunting access can be acquired if you’ve put out the call for it. The bottom line here: Network within your networks!
Get off the beaten path.
Usually, the further away you travel from major towns and cities in Nebraska, the better chances you’ll have at getting onto private land to hunt. This is especially true in eastern Nebraska, where most of the population resides. In addition, make it a point to get off the paved main highways and take to the gravel county roads, plus the rugged minimum maintenance roads, to increase your odds of finding private land to hunt.
Stop by the convenience store with a small restaurant.
Many farmers and ranchers go to the same convenience stores with small restaurants in their respective towns to grab a big cup of coffee or a bite to eat before they start their day, and it isn’t hard to swing by these places early in the morning, and “chew the fat” with these folks. They’ll get to know you and you’ll get to know them. A landowner may be more likely to let you hunt their property if they’ve talked with you a few times and established favorable opinion of you in a pretty comfortable environment.
Contact landowners in person.
Generally, phone calls, text messages, emails, social media messages, etc. are normally not good to do when making initial contact with landowners. Face-to-face visits are always best! Start the search for a rural landowner, farmer or rancher by finding out who owns a piece of property at the county courthouse from the assessor’s office, or by looking through a plat book at the register of deeds office. Some of these are now digitized. Plat books can provide the name of the landowner, or the assessor’s office can provide the landowner’s address. Note if they’re absentee landowners. The OnX Hunt app or a similar app, or Google Maps/Earth, may also be very helpful.
Remember, our landowners in Nebraska are “salt of the earth” people that want to meet and get to know you in person! Be aware of the image you project. Shake hands. A firm handshake, along with good eye contact and an authentic smile, is a vital part of making a positive impression. Make certain you step back and give the landowner some physical space before talking, so as not to appear demanding. Consider it like a job interview, but without the suit and tie.
Take youth along to be part of the experience, but do not show up with a several people, multiple trucks and a bunch of dogs and expect to gain hunting access. Most landowners dislike more than a couple hunters in one vehicle arriving on their property. And don’t forget, permission to hunt on land one year does not automatically allow you to hunt there the following year.
Provide a good reference.
I also would not rule out providing a good character reference to a landowner when you knock on their door. If you have a strong connection to a nearby neighbor that gets along with the landowner, or perhaps a prominent leader in the county or a nearby community, see if that person can make a quick phone call or write a short text message or letter of reference for you.
Approach landowners at appropriate times.
Do not bother landowners during mealtimes, Sunday morning church services, haying sessions, crop harvest, cattle sorting or during a Husker football game. Approach landowners when they are easily accessible (e.g. maybe mending fence along a field edge near a road) on nice, sunny days. These folks may be more receptive to letting you hunt their land when the sun is shining. Allow enough time to chat. A good conversation can help you learn a lot about the surrounding area as well as wild game numbers and movements.
Dress and drive for success.
Shower, dress in clean clothing (not faded), and look presentable and relatable, but not formal. My dad always used to say, “Look like someone you would let hunt your ground if things were reversed.” First impressions before you speak mean everything! Showing up in a clean vehicle is crucial, too! To a landowner, a truck covered in mud means, “This guy is going to be off-road tearing up my fields!” A negative impression can be formed before you ever turn off the engine of your vehicle.
Bring your ID card/Hunter Ed certification.
arry homemade index cards with your personal information on them to show or perhaps give to the landowner as well as proof that you’ve successfully completed a firearm hunter or bowhunter education course. Landowners want to know who is on their property, if they are safe hunters and how to contact them if necessary. This is also important if the landowner initially declines your request to hunt but reconsiders later or knows of another landowner, perhaps a neighbor, to whom they can provide your information.
Bring up topics of interest.
When discussing things with our large acreage owners, farmers and ranchers in Nebraska, be prepared to talk about topics such as weather, hay, crops, grain commodities, livestock prices, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), wildlife, land goals and yes, even some local issues and politics. Remind yourself that it is most important to be an active listener during these discussions. In addition, after gaining permission and opposite the hunting seasons, make it a point to stop by their place for an occasional visit! It is important to communicate with your landowner throughout the year.
Be yourself, be courteous and don’t fear rejection.
When conversing with the landowner, always be friendly, polite, respectful, honest, confident and forthright with information, but most of all BE YOURSELF (don’t sugar coat things because Nebraska farmers and, ranchers can smell “bull” from a mile away!). Be clear and concise with your hunting intentions. If landowners say “no,” thank them for their time, and be on your way! Rejection is part of this process, and the point is nothing ventured in life is nothing gained! Keep in mind also that first meetings matter! You may have only a couple of minutes to visit, so know what you are going to say before the conversation starts. Oftentimes all it takes is for one landowner to say “yes.”
Be flexible.
The more flexible you are, the more flexible a rural landowner will be with allowing you to hunt. Perhaps you cannot hunt certain weekends when the landowner’s relatives will be in the field. Perhaps you cannot go in a certain area of the property because others already have permission to hunt it. Perhaps it is archery hunting only. Honor the landowner’s rules and be prepared to adapt to them.
Offer to hunt other species.
It is often better to ask a landowner to hunt predators such as coyotes or furbearers (e.g. raccoons) or even abundant small game animals like cottontail rabbits and fox squirrels. Most landowners do not have the time to thin out dense populations of these animals that may be causing problems but are eager to have their numbers reduced. Chances are, if you are effective, they’ll extend the privilege to hunt desired game animals and birds. Furthermore, where white-tailed deer numbers are effecting crop damage, another way to be esteemed by landowners is to ask to hunt white-tailed does.
Carefully consider paying for access.
I personally do not pay to hunt, except for taking youth and physically challenged individuals on licensed Controlled Shooting Areas (hunting preserves) to pursue pheasants and chukars. However, some hunters or groups of hunters that I know do pay money to lease the hunting rights from a private landowner for free ranging game species. Still, others I know use hunting outfitters and guides.
Realize when money is exchanged, the dynamics change. They can become more complicated. Before you reserve a hunt or enter into an agreement, carefully examine all aspects of it, or have an attorney friend look it over. The Recreation Liability Act needs to be addressed when considering leasing property for hunting and most likely you will need the services of an attorney regarding a contract.
Leave the ATV/UTV/golf cart at home.
Never show up pulling an ATV, a UTV or a golf cart on a trailer, because many farmers and ranchers may not want them on their property. Once you earn a landowner’s trust and confidence you might investigate the use of one of these machines.
Share your contact information.
After acquiring permission to hunt from the landowner, find out the best way to get a hold of him or her for future reference. Will it be a phone call or a text message?
Always show your appreciation.
In many cases hunters may want to offer a service or assistance with farm or ranch chores. You could help a farmer or rancher fix fence, put up hay, separate cattle, work on buildings, paint sheds, split firewood, pick up trash, etc. Suggest the use of skill sets you possess. Let them know you’ll report any things you see damaged or that need of repair on the property. Show up after an inclement weather event to see if the landowner needs help with anything on their place. It may be cleanup or assistance with fixing something.
A gift card to a farm and ranch supply store, colorful fruit basket, box of thick, lean Nebraska beef steaks (Never feed someone who raises cattle any chicken, HA!) or even a subscription Nebraskaland Magazine are wonderful gestures that many rural Nebraska landowners appreciate. Also, consider sharing some of your wild game harvested. Bring a roll or two of venison summer sausage, goose sausage or a package of wild game jerky to give to the landowner. By the way, always include a handwritten a note of thanks and maybe a nice, framed digital photo of their rural property for granting you a special day on their land.
Final Thoughts
If you’re complaining about not having any private land to hunt, ask yourself a few questions: What am I going to do to improve the likelihood of me being able to hunt a piece of ground? How can I do a better job of selling myself? Am I always on the lookout for potential hunting access opportunities?
I believe within each of us there is a salesperson, and we need to harness that part of ourselves and continue to keep an eye out for any possibilities to hunt private land.
If reaching out to numerous landowners means that I could make tremendous memories, create lasting friendships and have an opportunity to harvest game for the dinner table on a good piece of ground, why wouldn’t I do it? A famous quote by American inventor, Thomas Edison, comes to mind, which reads: “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
-GW