Over the years, I’ve read a multitude of articles describing how to request hunting access from landowners. I’ve written a couple on the subject myself. It’s a worthy topic, for sure. In the spirit of turning the tables, I got to thinking about the subject from the perspective of said landowners.
As my father describes it, there was once a time when hunters could move freely across multiple property boundaries in search of small and large game. The concept reminds me of my childhood where, in rural Texas, you could freely fish a multitude of area ponds of various owners. In some cases, an initial tap on the door or phone call was in order for permission, sometimes not. It was the original pond hopping. To a lesser degree, deer hunting was the same. Those were different times for sportsmen in many rural spaces of North America.
There are several reasons for declining hunter numbers, including an aging out of the baby boomer bunch, urban migration, and a hunting demographic comprised mainly of white males. There are also a variety of recruitment and retention issues and of course, the tried-and-true anti-hunting sentiment. Make no mistake, the declining hunter numbers issue is tenuous.
So, what about hunting access and hunter retention? Hunters can always take to public spaces to start their hunting journey. A lot of people have done just that during the pandemic. Nonetheless, despite the resurgence of public land hunting in recent years, most hunting takes place on private hunting grounds. This is particularly pervasive in states such as Texas and Iowa where over 90-percent of the land is privately owned. That’s a lot of farmers, ranchers, and folks simply wanting to live the rural life.
What if more of them offered a portion of their acreage to hunters, particularly newer ones? Admittedly, on its own, it wouldn’t solve the problem. That doesn’t change the fact that there are gobs of idle acres that are ripe for hosting one of the most cherished American pastimes; legally chasing and harvesting wild game.
As a landowner, what’s in it for you?
Here are a few benefits and justifications for sharing at least a sliver of your outdoor paradise with a seasoned, or better yet, aspiring hunter.
Hunter Recruitment and Retention
As the main crux of the article, I’ll get this one out of the way from the start. Let me appeal to what I hope is your sensitivity toward our declining hunter trend. Consider granting permission to a family member, friend, or friend of a friend. Heck, have an annual hunting event such as a youth hunt. There are many ways to open your gates. Remember, you call the shots. You make the rules. Sharing your land also can mean needed repetition for new hunters that have already dipped their toe in the water and just need reinforcement.
Game and Crop Management
Guest hunters can put a dent in the population of invasive species.
There are those that love deer and those that abhor the destruction they leave in their wake. While destruction may be a little dramatic, there are members of both camps that don’t think highly of whitetails eating their crops or worse yet, their gardens. Of course, there are also the gaggles of hogs rooting up sections of turf nationwide. Hunting deer or hogs won’t eliminate these problems, but it won’t hurt either.
Fresh Venison
Okay, I know some people just don’t like venison. Many do though and a hunter or two on your property can be the ticket to free deer meat. I don’t know a hunter that wouldn’t love to share some venison with their host. I know a guy that gives bowhunting permission on his property but stipulates that his hunter shoot and process a deer for him every season. That’s a great price of admission.
Absentee Ownership
Grant access to a hunter and get a little help with chores such as fence work or brush clearing.
Particularly for those that don’t live on their country property, having a trustworthy set of eyes on the place is a real benefit. For example, your guests can report back any suspicious or intrusive behavior. Depending on the size of the tract, this goes for owners inhabiting the property too. You can’t be everywhere.
Guest hunters will also be on the lookout for other issues such as downed fences. A separate set of eyes or two can be invaluable when it comes to your precious property.
A Dent in the Chore List
There is always a plethora of odds and ends to take care of on rural properties, including fence work, mowing, and livestock care. Not only can some of your chores be passed on to a front. Hunters are typically a grateful lot, have respect for the land they hunt, and love being in the outdoors in the first place. Sharing chore duty makes sense on a few levels.
Income
If you need the income, obviously you can charge the going rate for hunting land. Nobody can blame you for doing it. If you go this route, do a little research to determine the going rate in the area and charge a fair price. Even better, consider donating hunting rights or do so at a reduced rate. The fact is, the price tag of hunting land these days is one of the biggest impediments to new hunter recruitment. If you can afford it, remember that your land is already sitting idle.
What Property Taxes?
On the subject of charging for hunting rights, there is another approach. I’ve got a good friend who, along with a couple of family members, hunts a beautiful chunk of dirt in the Texas Hill Country. While the landowner doesn’t grant permission for free, he annually charges them the cost of his property taxes. That way, he breaks even on that inevitable part of his budget. Believe me, his property taxes are a small fraction of the going rate for a deer lease in those parts. As it turns out, the daughters of this friend cut their teeth on hunting this place. They’re die-hard deer hunters today. See how that worked?
Landowners leery about firearms use on their property can restrict permissions to bowhunting.
Other Thoughts
When it comes to granting a hunter or hunters access to all or part of your land, there are a few other considerations. For one, if you’ve been approached, take into account the courage it took for them to ask. It should be worth something, at least in my book.
Further, if you have hunting experience, you have the opportunity for mentorship. For example, you can teach them basic and advanced skills alike. Finally, if you’re concerned about liability, consider obtaining hunting lease liability insurance. If cost is a concern, pass it on to the hunter. For most sportsmen, this won’t be necessary. Their gratitude will far outweigh any such issues. Similarly, If you don’t like the idea of firearm use on your property, limit your permissions to archery hunters. Again, you’re in charge and have the right to predetermine all parameters.
Conclusion
The great majority of hunters don’t personally have a farm, ranch, or recreational property. Short of hunting public land, they must seek it out. Some lease land, is part of a hunting club, or, if they’re lucky, get invited to a friend’s property to hunt. The others depend on receiving the opportunity to hunt on someone else’s land by receiving permission from landowners. If approached, consider granting hunting access to your land. Further, if you know an interested party, consider the benefits to you and them and offer permissions. When you do, you’ll be setting in motion one of the most productive uses for unused fields and woodlots, hunting.