If you’re hunting near or on private land this season, make sure you get permission from all the relevant owners before you venture out into the field. It’s really easy to do — Just ask! Politely knock on their door(s), buzz their cell phone or shoot ’em an email — and it covers your behind in case something unexpected happens.
Where I live, in New York, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has little permission slips for both the landowner and the hunter. On that slip there is space for the following:
- Name of Hunter/Landowner
- Dates for Access
- Hunter Vehicle Information
- Tag Information
- Limitations
- Address
- Signatures
Not getting consent is not an option. Because trespassing or hunting without permission is a crime in most states. In the Empire State, violators can be slapped with a stiff fine — up to $250 — and even spend up to 15 days in jail.
Laws differ from state to state and while written permission may not be required, it’s still a good idea anyhow. You don’t want your hunt to be marred because of a miscommunication with an angry landowner.
Landowner: “What the heck are you doing on my property?”
Hunter: “Hunting, sir.”
Landowner: “What?! I never gave you permission! You’re trespassing you no good sonofa*$#*@*!”
Hunter: “Yes you did. Remember? You signed my slip a few months back. See, (shows the landowner the slip).”
Landowner: “Oh, right. My apologies. I forgot.”
Of course, this is true regardless of whether you’re hunting in your home state or visiting someone else’s. One Idaho farmer was candid about his run-ins with out-of-state hunters who never took the time to do the right thing.
“Mostly out of area hunters come out here, they run over your private land, they have no respect for private property rights,” Kraig Bare told Jilliana Colina from Local 8 News.
“Would be no different than me going into their house in town and grabbing $500 off the counter every once in a while and walking out, and you know they’d be mad if you did that, but they think it’s alright to come out and run all over your land without permission and traipse around in your crops or chase wildlife that they’re shooting across your fields,” he added.
Bare said that he normally has no problem granting access to those who ask, provided they follow his rules and are careful around his crops. Like Bare, most landowners are agreeable and are welcome responsible hunters.
Besides getting the slip signed, remember to clean up after yourself, avoid disturbing livestock and damaging crops, respect other hunters in the area, be safe and follow all local, state and federal laws. Happy hunting!
Trying to find a place or we’re to get slips to permission to hunt anything on Cousin lands, can’t find nothing in we’re I live except hunting book made out of paper, need something thicker!