Asking Permission

[panelman]

Happy New Year to all,
As I sit here in northern WI. I look out the window and prepare for spring. My first move has been to get the needed shoulder surgery which was on the 30th and I am now in a sling for the next 6 weeks. My next thought was what are some of the lines or methods of getting permission to hunt on private properties. Aside from already knowing the people, are there some particularly good cold calling techniques any of you have used.
Looking forward to spring.
Panelman

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

panelman,

you may want to check out:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,69954.0.html

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,43263.msg307899.html#msg307899

Some of the items mentioned in the letters would be
good talking points when you visit the owner(s).

have a good un................
SHERMANVILLE

 

[RELICDUDE07]

I look for vacant land,and then look up the owners on court records.Tell them you , if you know its a great area, are willing to keep the property cut and clean of all trash for them Works good ,most i find the owners are out of town and the property could use some help....Goodluck,relic

 

[seger98]

Where are ya at up there? I'm up in the Vilas county area for the summers. I have all the local plat books even for the U.P. I just look the books when I want to see if it's private or not, there is so much public land up there I don't bother with the land owners,

Chris

 

[crazyjarhead]

I have the luxury of living in a small town and know a lot of people. My Grandmother has a lot of leverage because she has lived around here for 94 years. I just go to peoples door and try to sell the idea like a salesman.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

To the links written above, I would caution about writing cold-call letters to perfect strangers. You'll most likely get no answer, or a "no" if anything at all. I mean ...... think of it ..... what do YOU do with junk-mail from perfect strangers? Throw it away, right?

Your best bet is to "bump into them" on their front porch somehow and break the ice with a friendly smile. Ie. about how "you've been researching a historical such & such story in the area, and heard that their property has the site of such & such on it" and "do you know anything about this?" Have something in your apron/pocket you found "down the street" or whatever (a buffalo nickel, barber dime, etc...) and were wondering if you could check their back-40, cow pasture, front yard, (or whatever it is).

 

[RELICDUDE07]

I guess that was me Whatever works best i do..I would love to talk to them, but no houses in the area Most were gone by the 1800s from hurricanes.... It does work

 

[Huck Mucus]

I'm wierd, but as a land owner, I'd appreciate a letter. Something with a line about how I could call X number, or reply with the enclosed, self addressed stamped envelope, and that if they didn't hear back from me they would assume the answer was "no."

I know many property owners who would not like the letter, but who would rather hear from you directly, face to face. As Pat McMannis would say, you have to learn how to "hunker". You walk up with a smile and ask how the person is. If they are working, you ask if they need some help. Buck a few bales, hand him the wrench under the tractor, close the squeeze chute on the hiefer. Then you get straight to the point, politely, while hunkering down on your haunches, with a stick in the dirt, drawing out where you wanted to go and what you wanted to do there. Try to pretend it's 1948, and remember the guy has had a slew of morons shoot his windmill, leave the gate open so's his cattle could get out, left beer cans around the stock pond and on and on. You must set yourself apart from the slime.

The problem with the face to face method is that sometimes Fido is running interference, making the place un-approachable, and Farmer Brown is not in ear shot.

P.S. If you find the wedding ring his wife lost while slopping hogs twelve years ago during that down pour, it might be nice to return it to him.

 

[RELICDUDE07]

Your right if you dont hear back the answer is no...In my area you better get it in writing,or you will go to jail.The old hand shake wont work ,if the owners are 1000 miles away

 

[panelman]

Thanks to all
Shermansville thanks for the links.
Panelman

panelman,

you may want to check out:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,69954.0.html

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,43263.msg307899.html#msg307899

Some of the items mentioned in the letters would be
good talking points when you visit the owner(s).

have a good un................
SHERMANVILLE

 

[Lowbatts]

Cold calls always work worst. A couple properties interested me and knowing the busy lives the holders had and their apparent beliefs in more productive pursuits, I found it easier to do as Tom in Cal suggested. Stalking might be a better term.

But on the occasion where they were somewhere less formal and the opportunity presented itself, went md'ing in their presence. Not under their feet or in their space, just in a noticeable way. This worked for one site where the developer as it turned out had a relative who was a glass collector and he thought our interests had some crossover. He let me hunt a site that was off limits to everyone in the hope I could return with something he could have fun with. Worked out well.

On most occasions, I've gotten invites from homeowners while doing the sidewalk/curb work that was going on in their neighborhood. If they get curious, I get talkative and informative. As far as company lands or corporate locations, get to know someone well. Most "no's" are forever so make sure you know when to ask.

That said we have two large sites nearby, a Santa's Village amusement park, now closed down included. I've done all I can there so it's wait until there's a new owner and hope it's a local interest I can work with.