Every well-rounded group of hunting buddies should have at least one qualified permissions man. I’m talking about the guy who doesn’t feel nervous walking up to a strange house and asking to hunt their ground. The reality is that anyone can cruise dirt or gravel rounds for hundreds of miles over a couple of hours in a pickup looking for birds- but the fact is even though when it comes down to it, permissions really just means speaking with another person, not everyone is qualified for the job. Here are a few tips and things to keep in mind when working to lock down that feed.
#1 Human to Human
Be personal. When you knock on someone’s door to hunt their land. Don’t just immediately ask for permission. Talk to them. Get to know them and tell them a little about yourself’; who you are, where you are from, etc. Quite often a little small talk before getting to the point can go a long way. A lot of times farmers are actually really excited to chat with someone they’ve never met before. Hell, you might even be invited inside for a cold beer if you play your cards right. The point is to keep it real casual and allow the landowner to see you as a regular person, who happens to hope to spend a morning in one of their fields or over some water on their property.
#2. Respectability
This might seem obvious, but a firm handshake and eye contact when introducing yourself are critical. If you give a farmer a dead fish handshake and are looking at the ground- go ahead and kiss that feed goodbye. Be clear that you will leave any gates as you find them, you won’t rut up any wet fields or drive where you shouldn’t, and that you clean up all shells and leave the ground as you found it. Respect goes both ways- let them know you respect them and their land and you’re one step closer to them showing you some respect and hopefully giving you a chance to hunt on their property.
#3 Land Ownership
Use landownership maps or apps to your full advantage. Sometimes it’s a race against the clock and other hunters, to see who gets to the farmer first. Have all your shit in order so you don’t have to knock on 6 doors in order to find the landowner. As the sun starts setting over a good feed, getting permission to your number 1 pick of fields is your biggest concern- especially when you see another pickup glassing from the road- so every minute matters. You don’t want to finally find the house at 10pm and have to bother the landowner then. #5 eludes to keeping in touch and that’s a very useful tool to have, to be able to contact a landowner you’ve already met.
#4 Party Favors
Keep a bottle of nice liquor or wine in your truck at all times. You never know how far a little extra “persuasion” will go with some of these farmers. Chewing Tobacco if you are in Canada can go a long way as well, but make sure you only bring you legal limits across the border if that’s part of your plan. Some of the fields we have permission on in the states are non-exclusive, but we have easy exchanges set up with many landowners. Often when we hunt their fields they just want to know ahead of time to avoid any interference with other hunters or any fieldwork theyre going to do, and in exchange for permission, we leave them a case of beer or a bottle of whiskey. Make it a win-win. If you have experience running machinery, offer to do some Spring, Summer or Fall work for them in exchange for access. Like a good conversation can go a long way, so can the offer of some good old fashioned labor.
#5 Keep In-Touch
Get their phone number if they let you have access, that way when another feed builds upon that farmers ground later in the season, you don’t have to chase the owner down for permission again. Boom- a quick phone call straight to the source and you should be first in line for access. It also never hurts to swing by their place in the offseason and drop off a case of beer or anything else you’ve given them in exchange for permission and have a little talk to see how things are going. Keeping in touch and not just swinging by when you want something is a great way to show your appreciation for the access they’ve given you. Think of them as more than just gatekeepers and you may even end up with a friend.
Duncan MacLeod for SPLIT REED
