Author Topic: A good relationship (hunting version)  (Read 157 times)

Kingcreek

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A good relationship (hunting version)
« on: February 13, 2023, 10:27:30 AM »
In many parts of the country (maybe most parts) if you want to hunt on prime private land, you have to pay. Buy a lease or join a club etc.
Fortunately for me, there are some areas that haven't caught up with this practice. It can be hard to get permission, you have to have a connection, but money isn't necessarily part of it. It is changing but thankfully slowly.
Here in Illinois, in the land between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, we are known for some of the best whitetail deer hunting and a generous archery season and inexpensive over the counter tags.
I have 40 acres of my own and exclusive access to 2 other farms with creeks and woods and crop ground with lots of deer. As of now, both farms are under the same renter. I visited him this weekend and delivered a shopping bag of deer breakfast sausage, my own smoked summer sausage, and some sticks. (Just in time for his superbowl party)
I also told him about a tree that came down on the crop ground and the previous tenant farmer just picked around it. I offered to clean it up for him and take the firewood home for me. Finished that job yesterday afternoon.
The owner is a 90 year old widow that told him I have hunted that farm since her father lived there (40 years ago) and that No One but yours truly should hunt it.
I shot a deer there in November and counted 22 including the one I arrowed. The previous farmer's son and his beer buddies have been a pain in my plans but they are now out.
Owner is happy, new tenant farmer is happy as long as I keep trying to control the deer population, and needless to say I am very happy. 2023 deer season is looking promising.
What we have here is failure to communicate.

sumpnz

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Re: A good relationship (hunting version)
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2023, 11:18:07 AM »
Awesome for you!  Wish I had access to deer hunting like that.  But out here it’s public land or pay to buy your own, or pay a trespass fee to the timber companies.  Virtually no farmers will let you hunt like that, but that’s more a factor of the special permit basis for getting tags than anything else.  I suppose if I were a neighbor to a farm for which general season tags were available I’d try to work a deal for access like you have.