Obtaining Hunting Permission in SW ON: A Comprehensive Study.

ABSTRACT
In this study three methods were used over the course of 3 years. Letter by mailbox, door-to-door, and by phone. The results? Nada, zero, zip. Don't even try it. You'll have more luck winning the lottery and buying a property.

METHODS
All properties were pre-selected by surveying property lines using the iHunter app. Admission criteria included properties that housed >3 acres of bush and/or an agriculture field neighbouring a favourable bush. Properties selected were in WMUs 94A, 94B, 93B, and 92B, but mostly in 94A. Permissions asked were mostly for Archery Spring Turkey but also Archery Deer.
Attachment 41642

By letter. The Letter method consisted of a typed out one page letter that gave contact information, address, my reasons for hunting, what I can offer in exchange, photo identification, and a promise to respect their property (picture below).
Attachment 41641
By phone. The phone method consisted of locating phone numbers available for properties using reverse-address search via Yellow Pages. And double checking the property on iHunter. In the conversation, I mentioned my reason for calling, my method for hunting, and what I can offer.
Door-to-door. Door to door methods were executed before the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2019. Methods for door-to-door were similar to conversation by phone.

RESULTS
By Letter. A total of 100 letters were handed out. Responses totalled at 15, permission was denied in all responses. 0/100, 0% success rate.

By phone. A total of 212 properties were called. All properties that did not answer the phone, a voicemail was left. A total of 124 properties answered the phone or responded to a voicemail. A total of 1 property owners granted permission. 1/212, 0.47% success rate.

Door-to-door. A total of 61 properties were approached. Out of these 61 properties, a total of 40 answered the door or were present on the property. Out of those 40, no permission was granted. 0/40, 0% success rate.

CONCLUSION
In total, 342 property owners were inquired about permission to archery hunt, a total of 1 property owner provided permission to hunt. This leaves a considerably low success rate at 0.29%. It appears the statistical chances of obtaining permission to hunt are either 0% or negligible at best. In the chances you do obtain hunting permission, there is an extreme likelyhood that there are several other hunters already utilizing the property as well.

This is very interesting, thanks for posting. But I can say 1 thing because I do hunt in sw ontario on private land. 1 big thing is alot of people have had the same group of hunters hunting on their properties for decades and have become more close friends than just someone hunting on their land they've become someone who they've gained a amazing amount of trust towards over the years. which has sometimes gained us access to neighboring properties or properties the land owner knows of (friends of the land owner), It almost seems like he likes when we go to hunt because we keep an eye on his land while he's not around. again this is my look at it tho and my experience.


If I owned land and already had people hunting on it who knew eachother, I would be skeptical of allowing others on the land as well, whenever our group goes we text eachother to know who's going when and if we are going the same day everyone knows exactly where others are hunting.


None the less this is really a interesting post and statistics.

Wish you luck on finding some land to bow hunt on :)

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Originally Posted by Bowjob

This is very interesting, thanks for posting. But I can say 1 thing because I do hunt in sw ontario on private land. 1 big thing is alot of people have had the same group of hunters hunting on their properties for decades and have become more close friends than just someone hunting on their land they've become someone who they've gained a amazing amount of trust towards over the years. which has sometimes gained us access to neighboring properties or properties the land owner knows of (friends of the land owner), It almost seems like he likes when we go to hunt because we keep an eye on his land while he's not around. again this is my look at it tho and my experience.


If I owned land and already had people hunting on it who knew eachother, I would be skeptical of allowing others on the land as well, whenever our group goes we text eachother to know who's going when and if we are going the same day everyone knows exactly where others are hunting.


None the less this is really a interesting post and statistics.

Wish you luck on finding some land to bow hunt on :)

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Thanks for the story and wishes! I can totally understand someone denying permission because they or someone else is hunting. I don't even see that as a loss for me, because I'm happy knowing someone is using and appreciating that land. But SW Ontario is just full of people that own forests that don't hunt, sell it for lumber, or even bird watch. As well as people that own waterfront property that don't fish, swim, or do boating.

People down here have a very scrooge like mentality, they own something for the pure purpose of someone else not using it. Bush in SW Ontario is some of the most useless property you can own monetarily speaking. Pretty much useless for lumber (nothing but a few maples or an oak if you're lucky), it's always never maintained so even the good hardwoods you do find are dead, rotting, or stunted. The foliage is super thick and dead, and it'd cost a fortune to clear just a couple acres. Plus it's usually on low ground so it'd be useless for farming even if you do clear it.

People would rather shoot themselves in the foot than give a hunter (that can get rid of nuissance animals and tresspassers) the time of day. I've literally had some sad people take their time to angrily call me in response to the respectful letter attached in my post lmao.

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Originally Posted by MihajloSimsic

Thanks for the story and wishes! I can totally understand someone denying permission because they or someone else is hunting. I don't even see that as a loss for me, because I'm happy knowing someone is using and appreciating that land. But SW Ontario is just full of people that own forests that don't hunt, sell it for lumber, or even bird watch. As well as people that own waterfront property that don't fish, swim, or do boating.

People down here have a very scrooge like mentality, they own something for the pure purpose of someone else not using it. Bush in SW Ontario is some of the most useless property you can own monetarily speaking. Pretty much useless for lumber (nothing but a few maples or an oak if you're lucky), it's always never maintained so even the good hardwoods you do find are dead, rotting, or stunted. The foliage is super thick and dead, and it'd cost a fortune to clear just a couple acres. Plus it's usually on low ground so it'd be useless for farming even if you do clear it.

People would rather shoot themselves in the foot than give a hunter (that can get rid of nuissance animals and tresspassers) the time of day. I've literally had some sad people take their time to angrily call me in response to the respectful letter attached in my post lmao.

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Oh jeehz totally get where your coming from then, alot of the land in the areas you posted have went up in value big time over the years, has become a big investment opportunity for alot of people. My father was going to purchase land when he was younger a bunch of years ago kicks himself everyday that he didn't. Prices have gone way way up. I wonder how many properties don't get hunted on or used at all and are just being sat on waiting to be flipped.



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Originally Posted by MihajloSimsic

Thanks for the story and wishes! I can totally understand someone denying permission because they or someone else is hunting. I don't even see that as a loss for me, because I'm happy knowing someone is using and appreciating that land. But SW Ontario is just full of people that own forests that don't hunt, sell it for lumber, or even bird watch. As well as people that own waterfront property that don't fish, swim, or do boating.

People down here have a very scrooge like mentality, they own something for the pure purpose of someone else not using it. Bush in SW Ontario is some of the most useless property you can own monetarily speaking. Pretty much useless for lumber (nothing but a few maples or an oak if you're lucky), it's always never maintained so even the good hardwoods you do find are dead, rotting, or stunted. The foliage is super thick and dead, and it'd cost a fortune to clear just a couple acres. Plus it's usually on low ground so it'd be useless for farming even if you do clear it.

People would rather shoot themselves in the foot than give a hunter (that can get rid of nuissance animals and tresspassers) the time of day. I've literally had some sad people take their time to angrily call me in response to the respectful letter attached in my post lmao.

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I guess I'm one of those with a "scrooge mentality." We have owned 40 acres of bushlot in South Western Ontario for 23 years. I hunted it more frequently in the past although now perhaps once a year for turkey.

I did not save the money to buy the land, pay the taxes and keep it up to let complete strangers hunt on it. Over the years I have received letters, calls, even had hunters knock on the door to ask. I've had casual acquaintances ask too. All have been politely turned down.

Your post has not convinced me to change my approach. I'm hardly "shooting myself in the foot" by not letting you "get rid of nuisance animals and trespassers." I can quite capably look after them myself and don't need your help.

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Originally Posted by Badenoch

I guess I'm one of those with a "scrooge mentality." We have owned 40 acres of bushlot in South Western Ontario for 23 years. I hunted it more frequently in the past although now perhaps once a year for turkey.

I did not save the money to buy the land, pay the taxes and keep it up to let complete strangers hunt on it. Over the years I have received letters, calls, even had hunters knock on the door to ask. I've had casual acquaintances ask too. All have been politely turned down.

Your post has not convinced me to change my approach. I'm hardly "shooting myself in the foot" by not letting you "get rid of nuisance animals and trespassers." I can quite capably look after them myself and don't need your help.

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I have to agree 100% with this
Say I give you permission
how many people are going to roll out of your car or truck.
It’s the 13th bad day to talk to me.
But if your stuck we can talk

Thank you for sharing your experiences

I thought maybe people just don't like me.lol. I guess am not alone getting rejected
I am also driving around door knocking for turkey hunt permissions in Simcoe county.
Visited close to 30 properties and got all "No" except for 1 yes, but unfortunately the person who was kind enough to accept were renting the property thus technically not a legal permission (land owner permission is required, if I read the bylaws correctly). They would not share owners info (definitely understandable) and I did not want to be rude/pushy hence thanked them for their time and moved on.

I had a bit more success with getting geese hunt permission last year. Probably because geese are considered nuisance species in farmers eyes.

How are you finding the owners contract info for fields that have no houses on them ?

Thank you

"People down here have a very scrooge like mentality, they own something for the pure purpose of someone else not using it"

This statement doesn't sound right to me. Makes it sound like people who own property are obligated to allow you to use it. My brother informed me last week that he sold the 2 farms(300 acres total) that I grew up on and hunted for the last 40 years. He retained sole hunting rights to them for the next 50 years. But I fear my time hunting those farms has come to an end. I don't want to take an ATV across a stranger's farmland the 1000 or so yards to get to the bush to check cameras and mineral plots and my bad hips won't allow me to walk it. Technically I could still hunt the property but with no prep or scouting involved. Just show up to hunt once the crops are off. But maintaining mineral fountains and checking cameras is something I've grown to enjoy over the last decade or more.

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Originally Posted by js4fn

I have to agree 100% with this
Say I give you permission
how many people are going to roll out of your car or truck.
It’s the 13th bad day to talk to me.
But if your stuck we can talk

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Your opinion on it makes sense.
I guess in the past a lot of hunters took permissions for granted and got a bad rep; however nowdays they very hard to come by thus
a hunter who is responsible should discuss these things in advance with property owner. My personal check list for discussion usually is:

Describe everything that I will do
clearly state that I will be alone
where I am going to hunt
Text a day before arriving
Ask where the owner would like me to park
which route to walk to hunting spot (so I don't walk anywhere they would not want )
Find down any other details from the owner
Research the neighbors houses locations, to make sure if you not too close etc..

The overall idea is make no assumptions about anything that you can or cannot do while on someones property -ask first

What did you offer in return for permission to hunt?

well I always make sure to offer something. specially something that would make me known to the owner. noone wants a stranger with a gun on their property.

but in general, my return has been very very low as well, except for cases where we know the ppl / owners through other means.

Sad but true. I'm lucky enough to live/rent the property ( 100 acres total) of a family friend that I've hunted on all my life and posted it as Private/No Trespassing to keep the locals from going through it. The owner has given me carte blanche. I do have a deal where the nieghbour can hunt mine in December and I can hunt his in the November Controlled Deer Hunt and a fellow down the road had an existing deal to Bow hunt the 50 acres behind the house in lieu of favours as he owns a landscaping business. I have turned people away because of these reasons and have had to ask people to leave because I've caught them trespassing. I get a kick out of some of the excuses they come up with. LoL ! Unfortunately there are a lot of people from the big urban areas that will buy up land and think by leaving it alone they are doing Mother Nature a good turn but they have been fed too much of a Disney diet and are out of touch with good farming/woodlot practices . Those are the good ones , the worst are the glassy eyed , tree hugging, squirrel kissing , leaf lickers ! There are still a lot of conservation areas to hunt and the NCC ( Nature Conservancy Canada) has purchased huge tracts of land in the area and allow hunting on at least half of it.

I admire your tenacity! It difficult putting yourself out there to the extent that you did. I’m discouraged by your results and I would be interested in learning more about the responses that you received e.g. reasons for denial.

If I may suggest, contact Ray Blades (editor of Ontario Out of Doors) and share your story. He might be interested to publish your story.

I gave up asking for permission. I’ve offered my services but with no luck. One farmer asked if I knew how to build decks and when I told him I did it for a living he agreed and later changed his mind. I found unless you really know someone or have someone in the family then it’s next to impossible.
I just stick to crown land now and only have limited success but that’s why it’s called hunting.


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Originally Posted by longpointer

Sad but true. I'm lucky enough to live/rent the property ( 100 acres total) of a family friend that I've hunted on all my life and posted it as Private/No Trespassing to keep the locals from going through it. The owner has given me carte blanche. I do have a deal where the nieghbour can hunt mine in December and I can hunt his in the November Controlled Deer Hunt and a fellow down the road had an existing deal to Bow hunt the 50 acres behind the house in lieu of favours as he owns a landscaping business. I have turned people away because of these reasons and have had to ask people to leave because I've caught them trespassing. I get a kick out of some of the excuses they come up with. LoL ! Unfortunately there are a lot of people from the big urban areas that will buy up land and think by leaving it alone they are doing Mother Nature a good turn but they have been fed too much of a Disney diet and are out of touch with good farming/woodlot practices . Those are the good ones , the worst are the glassy eyed , tree hugging, squirrel kissing , leaf lickers ! There are still a lot of conservation areas to hunt and the NCC ( Nature Conservancy Canada) has purchased huge tracts of land in the area and allow hunting on at least half of it.

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well said, i stay at a airbnb when we go for the controlled hunt. just some older ladies basement, when she realized we were there for hunting the first year, she was a little skeptical. we got to the airbnb to see she was a wild life LOVER, pictures of wildlife everywhere duck coasters bird feeders everywhere etc. i ended up talking to her for a hour or so just about the wild life around, how beautiful her property is and why we hunt and we seem to have a great understanding now of where we both come from. ill say we have become good friends over the past few years and she books us automatically for the hunt every year now, she even texts me when she sees turkeys walking through her hardwoods now and she seems to enjoy when we come for the November hunt and smell her house up at 4am with bacon LOL , she did come check out the deer in the back of the truck when we were leaving she was struck by how big one of the bucks were hahah.

This issue comes up every year. It has taken me literally decades to develop the places I hunt - building relationships, caring for the land, food plots and cameras. All it takes is ONE goof to screw it up and upset a landowner and have him stop hunting for his lifetime. Have heard of guys rutting up laneways with trucks or ATV's, target shooting, leaving garbage, and generally not treating the land like it was your own.

My main farm is a 300 acres (poultry farmer) who I have been friends with for close to 20 years (we met working for the same company). I help him out whenever I can (electrical work, or when building something) but that is because he is a good friend. He had locals that used to hunt coyote on his farm and the last couple of years this group of guys started taking liberties because they are locals and have been hunting this area for the last 15years. The farmer finally had enough and 3 years ago told them he does not want to see them on his property ever again - for ANYTHING.

My other 3 farms were obtained by knocking on doors and by just being polite, respectful and thankful. It is a small tight community so when I had permission at one farm I leveraged that relationship with a guy down the road a couple of years later and obtained permission there as well. The 3rd farmer I met while at a Niagara charity dinner for the local Greek Church and we exchanged information and he gave me permission to hunt his farm as well.

I know they all get asked every year by other hunters, and some guys even offer money but they do not allow it because it is not worth the risk. If you have land in Niagara it is quite valuable and most farmers out that way with larger tracts of land are doing pretty well so offering them $2-$3k for hunting rights is almost laughable - especially for a dairy or poultry farmer.

Do not give up and keep knocking on doors.

Maybe it has to do with the area in Eastern Ontario where I am I have a near perfect success rate.

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Originally Posted by MihajloSimsic

ABSTRACT
In this study three methods were used over the course of 3 years. Letter by mailbox, door-to-door, and by phone. The results? Nada, zero, zip. Don't even try it. You'll have more luck winning the lottery and buying a property.

METHODS
All properties were pre-selected by surveying property lines using the iHunter app. Admission criteria included properties that housed >3 acres of bush and/or an agriculture field neighbouring a favourable bush. Properties selected were in WMUs 94A, 94B, 93B, and 92B, but mostly in 94A. Permissions asked were mostly for Archery Spring Turkey but also Archery Deer.
Attachment 41642

By letter. The Letter method consisted of a typed out one page letter that gave contact information, address, my reasons for hunting, what I can offer in exchange, photo identification, and a promise to respect their property (picture below).
Attachment 41641
By phone. The phone method consisted of locating phone numbers available for properties using reverse-address search via Yellow Pages. And double checking the property on iHunter. In the conversation, I mentioned my reason for calling, my method for hunting, and what I can offer.
Door-to-door. Door to door methods were executed before the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2019. Methods for door-to-door were similar to conversation by phone.

RESULTS
By Letter. A total of 100 letters were handed out. Responses totalled at 15, permission was denied in all responses. 0/100, 0% success rate.

By phone. A total of 212 properties were called. All properties that did not answer the phone, a voicemail was left. A total of 124 properties answered the phone or responded to a voicemail. A total of 1 property owners granted permission. 1/212, 0.47% success rate.

Door-to-door. A total of 61 properties were approached. Out of these 61 properties, a total of 40 answered the door or were present on the property. Out of those 40, no permission was granted. 0/40, 0% success rate.

CONCLUSION
In total, 342 property owners were inquired about permission to archery hunt, a total of 1 property owner provided permission to hunt. This leaves a considerably low success rate at 0.29%. It appears the statistical chances of obtaining permission to hunt are either 0% or negligible at best. In the chances you do obtain hunting permission, there is an extreme likelyhood that there are several other hunters already utilizing the property as well.

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Impressive, you would do well in sales, most salesman hate cold calls. lol.
I think personally knowing farmers or their family goes a long way.
I own a few properties and except for family, I don’t want nobody on my properties.
You seem to have done something right after a successful hunting season like last fall. Haha.:thumbup:

You don’t get access by phone or by letter. You need to door knock, and you need to speak farmer. I average 40-50% success. But I live and speak country and have the gift of the gab. Your mileage may vary!

I don't see any issues with a property owner denying access, yes, it sucks however given the human track record it easier to say no.

Land isn't about to get any cheaper without an economic crash of unbelievable proportion.

There's one way to guarantee yourself land to hunt, buy it. The problem comes when you then have to work 7 days a week to pay for it.....

This was my issue as my hunting access was actually part of my work contract, given that I won't be hunting that area much longer I had to take on a rather expensive opportunity this year.

Land is rarely a bad investment, the world is only getting smaller.

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Very interesting survey but I am not to surprised by the results. I think the main reason hunters are refused is "liability" and a general lack of trust these day's in other humans.

I think part of it has to do with location, and maybe the possibility that landowners already have people on their land or have had or heard or bad experiences.

Up here I find it much different and have never had a hard time getting access. Could also be that I am from the area and I have permission to also mention certain people that I know which probably gives me an extra boost.

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Originally Posted by Gilroy

Very interesting survey but I am not to surprised by the results. I think the main reason hunters are refused is "liability" and a general lack of trust these day's in other humans.

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Then there is the opposite, a couple farms around here they say yes to everyone who knocks on the door. Especially the Old retired owners.

I've heard of guys showing up on opening day at some places and 4-5 P/Us are sitting at the gate.

My neighbour did that by mistake. Said yes before he realised he had also told me (years before) I had permission. On opening morn one year, a set of headlights pulled into the yard after my buddy and I had already set up for Turkey.

I had to leave the blind and make my way up to stop them from hunting. That could get dicey.

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Originally Posted by oaknut

I don't see any issues with a property owner denying access, yes, it sucks however given the human track record it easier to say no.

Land isn't about to get any cheaper without an economic crash of unbelievable proportion.

There's one way to guarantee yourself land to hunt, buy it. The problem comes when you then have to work 7 days a week to pay for it.....

This was my issue as my hunting access was actually part of my work contract, given that I won't be hunting that area much longer I had to take on a rather expensive opportunity this year.

Land is rarely a bad investment, the world is only getting smaller.

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very well said, finally got hired somewhere. planning on saving money to buy some bush north somewhere. land is the best investment. they dont make any more of it!

Yes that does happen, especially for goose hunting around here. Farmers in my area really hate gees and will let everyone hunt them.

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Originally Posted by MikePal

Then there is the opposite, a couple farms around here they say yes to everyone who knocks on the door. Especially the Old retired owners.

I've heard of guys showing up on opening day at some places and 4-5 P/Us are sitting at the gate.

My neighbour did that by mistake. Said yes before he realised he had also told me (years before) I had permission. On opening morn one year, a set of headlights pulled into the yard after my buddy and I had already set up for Turkey.

I had to leave the blind and make my way up to stop them from hunting. That could get dicey.

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I also knock on lots of doors this time of year driving side roads looking for turkeys. 2 things I've found:

Deer is a universal no-go. If a landowner is even remotely ok with deer hunting, a co-worker, relative or neighbor is already hunting it and has staked an exclusive claim.
Sometimes I can get permission to hunt waterfowl or turkeys on these farms.

Mennonites are typically more accommodating.

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Originally Posted by outdoorlife

I also knock on lots of doors this time of year driving side roads looking for turkeys. 2 things I've found:

Deer is a universal no-go. If a landowner is even remotely ok with deer hunting, a co-worker, relative or neighbor is already hunting it and has staked an exclusive claim.
Sometimes I can get permission to hunt waterfowl or turkeys on these farms.

Mennonites are typically more accommodating.

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start with a relation ship around turkey/ waterfowl/ small game, after some years and staying in contact with them/ having conversations with them try asking about deer again. ask if anyone hunts the property for deer and if so when/ what area. see if you can hunt the December hunt if the others go in nov or vice versa so you arent interfering with their hunting. just a suggestion.

usually asking to hunt big game off the bat is not the way to go.

I think it probably helps a lot if your from the area. One thing I have also noticed is the most of the people having a hard time finding land are in Southern Ontario. Yes some do have a bit of a hard time in Eastern Ontario but I don't believe it is as difficult here as Southern Ontario.

It also helps that we have a lot more crown this way as well.

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Originally Posted by Bowjob

start with a relation ship around turkey/ waterfowl/ small game, after some years and staying in contact with them/ having conversations with them try asking about deer again. ask if anyone hunts the property for deer and if so when/ what area. see if you can hunt the December hunt if the others go in nov or vice versa so you arent interfering with their hunting. just a suggestion.

usually asking to hunt big game off the bat is not the way to go.

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All my spots the land owners tell me of all the people that come asking for permission. I think the worst you can do is offer money. Most of them it turns then right off, Think your some city boy looking to just shoot something for a fee.

I spent 9hrs cleaning a pig barn in middle of September to be able to hunt opening day goose hunting. It was nasty and I didn't like it, But farmer was impressed and he owns at least 4500 acres and rents more. He's so happy to see me, He even texts me when he sees big bucks in the combine or whenever really.

This is 45minutes from my place, I don't know anyone in the area and I know the local guys don't like seeing my truck parked in farm laneways..


4 trucks sitting on the road watching us goose hunt opening day. They would yell when birds came, honk the horn until they seen me walking out there. I got pictures of all the trucks and showed the land owner. He says they are neighbours and will NEVER hunt his land for what they did to me. Who got the last laugh now LOL

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Originally Posted by Badenoch

I guess I'm one of those with a "scrooge mentality." We have owned 40 acres of bushlot in South Western Ontario for 23 years. I hunted it more frequently in the past although now perhaps once a year for turkey.

I did not save the money to buy the land, pay the taxes and keep it up to let complete strangers hunt on it. Over the years I have received letters, calls, even had hunters knock on the door to ask. I've had casual acquaintances ask too. All have been politely turned down.

Your post has not convinced me to change my approach. I'm hardly "shooting myself in the foot" by not letting you "get rid of nuisance animals and trespassers." I can quite capably look after them myself and don't need your help.

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You've misread my post. I said that I am happy to be denied by people that say themselves or others are hunting on that property like I mentioned. Infact, if there was a hunter, birdwatcher, or any outdoors person utilising every forest in Ontario, then I'd be perfectly content with having zero permissions for private property. I'm happy to hear you're using your property you've worked hard for and would never ask permission to hunt it to not interfere with yours, your family's, and your friend's hunting experiences.

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Originally Posted by werner.reiche

What did you offer in return for permission to hunt?

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I've offered labour of any kind, removal of any nuissance animals, keeping a diligent eye out for tresspassers (that they say they have lots of) and of course respecting their property and any rules they lay out. As outlined in my letter.

Thanks everyone for the responses and helpful pointers!!! Been busy with final examinations all week so I haven't been able to address this post in a while. So I'm going to address some common points being brought up here.

1. What did I offer?

I offered labour services of any kind as many of these were farm places and I have extensive experience working in orchards and landscaping. As well as getting rid of nuisance animals and trespassers as well as offering game meat which many of my other property owners appreciate.

2. Why are they obligated to give you permission?
They aren't. I'm just mentioning it's counter productive to dismiss a hunter for utilising and respecting your land while simultaneously complaining about Trespassers and coyotes eating your chickens. Which is a problem hunters can easily solve free of charge. Hence "shooting themselves in the foot".

3. why should they let you hunt on land that they or others hunt?
Simple, they shouldn't. Whenever I am denied permission for the reason of others hunting or others using the property, I am happy. I always thank them for letting others use their property and I also thank them for being mindful of the experience of the hunters on their property. I wouldn't want to encroach on someone else's hunt. As I mentioned before. If every private parcel in Ontario had an outdoorsman of any kind I'd never ask permission and be happy knowing someone is enjoying those forests.

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Originally Posted by Sam Menard

I admire your tenacity! It difficult putting yourself out there to the extent that you did. I’m discouraged by your results and I would be interested in learning more about the responses that you received e.g. reasons for denial.

If I may suggest, contact Ray Blades (editor of Ontario Out of Doors) and share your story. He might be interested to publish your story.

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Thanks! I'll consider giving him a ring!

This thread makes me glad I don’t live in Southern Ontario.

In all seriousness, way too many people and not nearly enough land.

I’ve had reasonable luck getting permission to hunt wild turkey - typically family, neighbours, etc.

Deer is very difficult to obtain permission for - most private lands have had people hunting there for years.

I exclusively hunt Conservation Authority land now. I've had way more success on it due to the land being larger tracts of land. I'll gladly pay $60 a year to have access to hundreds of acres of land to hunt.

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Originally Posted by MihajloSimsic

Thanks! I'll consider giving him a ring!

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Have you ever considered buying into land or a camp with your Dad or relatives or friends?

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Originally Posted by Obi-wanShinobi

I exclusively hunt Conservation Authority land now. I've had way more success on it due to the land being larger tracts of land. I'll gladly pay $60 a year to have access to hundreds of acres of land to hunt.

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this^^^

im not sure how crowded they get tho, but everytime i pass by those tracts, they only seem to have 1 or 2 cars pulled off to the side of the road. This is a very good recommendation

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Originally Posted by Bowjob

this^^^

im not sure how crowded they get tho, but everytime i pass by those tracts, they only seem to have 1 or 2 cars pulled off to the side of the road. This is a very good recommendation

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In my opinion, it's the best option for new hunters. I rarely ever see another hunter and there is plenty of space. I've hunted smaller parcels of private land 100 acres and under. They simply don't hold anywhere near the same number of animals.

Most Conservation Authorities require an OFAH membership. Even then for less than $100/year you can have permission/access to hundreds of acres of land to hunt.

I realize some people just love the idea of having sole permission to hunt a property and that's great too.

interesting post OP. i enjoy your qualitative study based on experience.
a few factors to consider.
your sample size... its quite a few farms but might be of interest to see how many people they also have knocking on the door. how close are you to the larger city centre. you're knocking on doors near windsor and london. how many other people are from the city hoping to get out.

as a person of colour myself-- also take that into consideration. sadly you are profiled the moment you step on the land. not sure but take a look at what you look like. you cant change that but people have their own narratives about race-- even if you are of European decent

are you a local to that particular zip code or from the city. i must say that goes a long long way. people are slow to open their gates to folks from toronto vs the kid who works at their feed mill, etc.

the people who own the land. who are they. now adays landowners arent just farmers and many are investors who own property and rent it out. knowing the people who are asking to hunt their land is so key.

liability. thats a big factor now adays for many farmers. by saying yes to you, they are taking a risk. would you take a risk on a stranger? I would never.

i admire your stick to it tactics and it will eventually and hopefully pay off... just a few things to consider.

others posting about public spots... yeah... they are truly under-utilized come deer archery season. and with all the gas you've burned knocking on doors, its possible to save that and put it towards a conservation area. theres a few around here that is like 160 or 300. thinking about how much i spend on gas, its almost worth it to just do that.

all in all, fun thread! thanks for posting!

one last thought too... not every bush is meant to be hunted. its actually better for neighbouring properties becasuse come rutting time, the boys venture from their hiding spots to the out and open. if you see a property with a big red dot, hunt around them if you can and you wont be disappointed!

Interesting topic- just to add to the Conservation areas comments.
I do hunt few of them(pay for use or free to access)up to an hour ,hour and a change drive from Guelph.

My experience is such-come deer season, there WILL BE enough pressure, for the deer to be educated.
This is amplified with the fact that many areas have good portion of them hard to access(swampy,wet or bad low brush).Think-why no one farms/farmed them ......because mostly they are hard to farm(badlands for farming...or sort of)

Some have the easier ,accessible areas (higher ground)planted with Spruce ,cedar or pine trees.
Which will make the forested area featureless.
If there is any reasonable feature-every hunter will know about it already.
Which will make hunters congregate in certain areas=hunter density increased.

You will have quite a few hunters in any gun season,to boot.Some areas are literally cramped.

So-if You are willing to take all that, or have no other choice :try them out.
Good luck

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gbk

Interesting topic- just to add to the Conservation areas comments.
I do hunt few of them(pay for use or free to access)up to an hour ,hour and a change drive from Guelph.

My experience is such-come deer season, there WILL BE enough pressure, for the deer to be educated.
This is amplified with the fact that many areas have good portion of them hard to access(swampy,wet or bad low brush).Think-why no one farms/farmed them ......because mostly they are hard to farm(badlands for farming...or sort of)

Some have the easier ,accessible areas (higher ground)planted with Spruce ,cedar or pine trees.
Which will make the forested area featureless.
If there is any reasonable feature-every hunter will know about it already.
Which will make hunters congregate in certain areas=hunter density increased.

You will have quite a few hunters in any gun season,to boot.Some areas are literally cramped.

So-if You are willing to take all that, or have no other choice :try them out.
Good luck

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Just got caught up with this post again. I actually never knew there was a method in which you could pay to hunt on conservation lands?! Would you be able to give me a quick summary on the processes involved in obtaining this? Thanks everyone again!! That seems like a neat option.

Interesting read....

My buddies from different walks of life and I have experienced a combination of reports from users who commented on this thread
I started looking for properties and I found out that:

1) non locals - less chances (you don't understand the local culture and lay of the land) - I agree 80%
2) slightest accent - denied permission
3) Non white or non "Canadian" looking - denied (politely)
4) Non Canadian farm owners - more open, but will lean towards their heritage
5) Older farmers (close to retirement) care less than younger farmers who hunt themselves

These are obviously not the norm, just what we all defined as conclusive for our group

I have extremely quickly given up on asking for permission for the below reasons (not extensive)
1) I hate the rejection not as concept but rather as a failure on my part to properly show my qualities and abilities of respect for the owner and their land so that I can receive permission to hunt their land
2) I'd hate to have shared access to a private property - I know it will lead to encounters
3) I am extremely happy with the public land, and I am willing to drive 4-5h and scout and enjoy my time in the woods without constraints
If I do meet hunters, at least I know and it is expected. I simply change the spot
4) The hunt on public lands could be more difficult, therefore more rewarding (my views will change with age I am sure)
5) One buddy of mine has given me access to his farm , but deer and turkeys are so patterned to human activity, it is almost impossible to hunt them. I only hunt his property for geese and ducks
6) I hate to have that constant feeling of owing them something

For me is all about PL, and I could not be happier about it.
For new hunters, I strongly advise to get your boots on public land first, learn proper conduct, respect the land, learn to hunt/read the lands then start looking at properties

If you cannot grab a Tim coffee cup or an empty shell from the woods and drop it at the garbage bin at home or at the trail head, then you probably won't respect an owner's land, and you'll eventually lose permission anyway.

Be a good hunter/citizen and a steward of our passion, and it will show in discussions with landowners down the road

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mikedinoro

Interesting read....

My buddies from different walks of life and I have experienced a combination of reports from users who commented on this thread
I started looking for properties and I found out that:

1) non locals - less chances (you don't understand the local culture and lay of the land) - I agree 80%
2) slightest accent - denied permission
3) Non white or non "Canadian" looking - denied (politely)
4) Non Canadian farm owners - more open, but will lean towards their heritage
5) Older farmers (close to retirement) care less than younger farmers who hunt themselves

These are obviously not the norm, just what we all defined as conclusive for our group

I have extremely quickly given up on asking for permission for the below reasons (not extensive)
1) I hate the rejection not as concept but rather as a failure on my part to properly show my qualities and abilities of respect for the owner and their land so that I can receive permission to hunt their land
2) I'd hate to have shared access to a private property - I know it will lead to encounters
3) I am extremely happy with the public land, and I am willing to drive 4-5h and scout and enjoy my time in the woods without constraints
If I do meet hunters, at least I know and it is expected. I simply change the spot
4) The hunt on public lands could be more difficult, therefore more rewarding (my views will change with age I am sure)
5) One buddy of mine has given me access to his farm , but deer and turkeys are so patterned to human activity, it is almost impossible to hunt them. I only hunt his property for geese and ducks
6) I hate to have that constant feeling of owing them something

For me is all about PL, and I could not be happier about it.
For new hunters, I strongly advise to get your boots on public land first, learn proper conduct, respect the land, learn to hunt/read the lands then start looking at properties

If you cannot grab a Tim coffee cup or an empty shell from the woods and drop it at the garbage bin at home or at the trail head, then you probably won't respect an owner's land, and you'll eventually lose permission anyway.

Be a good hunter/citizen and a steward of our passion, and it will show in discussions with landowners down the road

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very well said, especially the picking up after yourself.

that was one of the first things my father taught me about hunting or even going onto other peoples properties.

every time we go hunting or sighting in, pick up all your shells, you better have 2 water bottles too, drink the first one and then use it as a ashtray. ive picked up countless random plastic bags, water bottles, even glass bottles in the middle of the bush.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bowjob

very well said, especially the picking up after yourself.

that was one of the first things my father taught me about hunting or even going onto other peoples properties.

every time we go hunting or sighting in, pick up all your shells, you better have 2 water bottles too, drink the first one and then use it as a ashtray. ive picked up countless random plastic bags, water bottles, even glass bottles in the middle of the bush.

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Awesome, that's good parenting and you're following suit!
My family packs more crap out of the woods than what we went in with. Non hunters judge all hunters, not just the bad ones...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MihajloSimsic

Just got caught up with this post again. I actually never knew there was a method in which you could pay to hunt on conservation lands?! Would you be able to give me a quick summary on the processes involved in obtaining this? Thanks everyone again!! That seems like a neat option.

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There are many CA-s in Souther Ontario.
You would need to find the ones You are interest in(location)
Nowadays, with all of them having websites,it is a snap to see what are their rules for hunting.
Some do not offer hunting-some do on all of their proeprties,some just on few.
Some allow all week hunt-some only on certain dates.
Some allow free acess,some ask for yearly fee-some ask even to go in a draw for limited access permits.
Some do not allow all species to be hunted,regardless of the open season,some do allow only archery hunt.

You see-there is no simple answer to your question.

But-there is a simple way to find out.


Good luck and let us know how you made out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gbk

There are many CA-s in Souther Ontario.
You would need to find the ones You are interest in(location)
Nowadays, with all of them having websites,it is a snap to see what are their rules for hunting.
Some do not offer hunting-some do on all of their proeprties,some just on few.
Some allow all week hunt-some only on certain dates.
Some allow free acess,some ask for yearly fee-some ask even to go in a draw for limited access permits.
Some do not allow all species to be hunted,regardless of the open season,some do allow only archery hunt.

You see-there is no simple answer to your question.

But-there is a simple way to find out.


Good luck and let us know how you made out.

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X2
there are quite a few conservation areas that during the archery hunt arent overly crowded, regardless of what people say.
and for the price you pay, spread over as much as you can hunt, is quite minimal.

All of the farms I have permission on I gained because I met the land owner doing other things or were introduced by someone they knew and trusted

Sent from my SM-G981W using Tapatalk

OP-any update on this thread?How did you make out ?

Finding places to hunt can be very discouraging. When I first started deer hunting around the Rainy River, it wasn’t all that hard to find somewhere to go because leasing access to private land was virtually unheard of. Also, in the early 1980’s, there were few doe tags available so there were fewers hunters to compete with. As the deer herd grew, more antlerless tags were issued, success rates climbed and big bucks came out of the woodwork! Hunters flocked to the area from all over. Some guys were driving 15 hours to hunt. Being adjacent to the US border, many Americans discovered the benefits of hunting in the area. Many bought property at fractions at what it would cost in Minnesota. Then, in the 1990’s, new outfitters sprung up. Then they, and the non-residents, started leasing hunting rights from local farmers.

To complicate matters, many farmers and landowners started clearing and logging off their land. Logging on Crown accelerated and the end result was a tremendous loss of good habitat. Finding large tracts (100 acres+) of forests to hunt is getting tough to find and even harder to get permission to hunt. Nothing lasts forever!