3 Steps to Finding Hunting Land Lease

3 Steps to Finding Hunting Land Lease

This method of finding an affordable hunting land lease will give you the steps and tools you need to find a hunting lease in your state. The tools are all public access. It’s the method and approach that will land you a place to hunt next hunting season. If you are willing to put in the work fo find a gem of land near you. ***please read this guide from start to finish***

I have used this method for years to gain access to private hunting grounds. It has been modified over the years as technology has come out. This guide will help you to approach more private landowners, quickly and increase your odds of landing a hunting lease. See examples of how to approach landowners.

Step 1 in Finding a Hunting Lease

Get the landowner’s information. Find your state’s online GIS (geographical information system) system. You may have purchased a Platt book in the past to find out who owns what land. This information is all public with the county by county mapping software. The GIS maps (sometimes called iMaps or something similar) allows you to zoom in on properties, click and see who owns it. Simply do an online search for “your state GIS maps”. There are also a few hunting map software out there that have similar information. I use the OnX App.

Step 2 – Finding a Hunting Lease and a way to contact the Landowner

Lookup the landowner’s phone number through any online phonebook. Whitpages.com for example. Just enter the name and city to find their number. Be sure to enter the city and verify the address if one shows up to be certain you have the right person.  **I pay attention to business properties and owners as well. I can often find a business phone number on a business website to call. Here you are really trying to find a way to communicate with the landowner.

**Note not all people today have a public phone number or landline. This is OK to see the next step. 

Step 3 – How to Contact a Landowner for a Hunting Lease Request

*Note be sure to read the approach section after this.

Contact the landowner. There are 3 ways to do this and they are listed in order of how effective they are in gaining access in my experience. They work it’s just a matter of how confident you are to approach the landowner and how you present yourself. 

Call the Landowner: This is the fastest way to contact a lot of different landowners. From Step 1 to calling the landowner the time is short. You can contact multiple landowners in just a few minutes. ***TIP – call when you think the person will be home. Most people are not home Monday thru Friday 8-4 pm. Try and call around 6 or 7 at night, but respectful and don’t call late in the night. Your goal is to become friends with the landowner. Introduce yourself calmly and try and put them at ease quickly. Always leave a message if you get an answering machine and ask that they call back. You want to get the conversation going.

Send a letter to the Landowner: This is an old school method, but you will get a response. You have their address, so it’s another approach if they happen to not be local or you not sure about knocking on the door yet. Explain where you got their information and what you are looking for. See the example below. Leave your contact information and ask them to call you back either way.

Knock on Doors: You have heard this before…It works. It’s a lot harder to turn you down in person. Once you do this a couple of times you will become comfortable. It’s not easy, but it is the most effective. Your goal is to develop a relationship with the landowner. Be respectful and honest – Landowners will be on guard right away looking for reasons why they would allow some random hunter on their property to hunt. Remember who owns the property – respect the landowner and the property. 

The Approach to asking for Hunting Lease Permission

Here are a couple of rules to live by when asking for permission to hunt a property: 

• Be respectful and try to build a relationship with the landowner. 
• They set the rules – offer to call them every time you are out hunting. 
• Offer up your time to help them out on the property – cutting trees, cutting lanes…
• Offer to get hunter’s insurance to make the landowner less liable if you would happen to get hurt while on their property. It’s actually fairly affordable. American Hunting Lease Association makes this so easy and affordable – Hunting Lease Insurance HERE.
• It is sometimes easier to gain access for not so popular hunting like turkeys and show them you are a respectful hunter. Then once you have a good relationship ask them to hunt deer or another animal. 

I found this video a few weeks ago and thought it fit right in with the approach to asking a landowner for permission. It walks you through a method of using a service as a bowhunter to remove deer from a property. It works well in Urban places and for farmers. I have used this technique and it works. I was able to gain access to a property that eventually landed my biggest buck. Here is the hunt… http://diybowhunting.com/why-i-pursue-bowhunting-adrenaline-and-gratitude/

Calling or Mailing a letter example. 

I live here in ENTER YOUR CITY and noticed many turkeys in your fields while driving by. I found your address in the county public records. 

I have a couple of weeks to turkey hunt in May and was wondering if I could hunt your property for turkeys. I would be bow hunting only. My daughter may tag along a couple of afternoons, but it will be just myself asking for permission to hunt. I will not use firearms and will respect all landowner rules. You set the rules – I follow them no questions asked. 

I simply like the outdoors and looking to build a trusting relationship for access to a property. Call me, I would like to earn your trust and discuss any details. 

I am willing to volunteer some of my time to help with any property maintenance you might have, like cutting trees, mowing, etc.…

Turkey hunting permission for these dates: May 4-10 and May 18-24

YOUR NAME/Signature

Call or email me if you would like to work something out. 

If you are not interested but may know a neighbor willing to lease – please feel free to show them this letter. Thanks!

LEAVE YOUR NUMBER AND EMAIL

WHY I DO THIS

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To understand why see my Focus and Vision Page!  http://diybowhunting.com/vision-and-focus/