1. State law requires that you obtain written or verbal permission from the landowner. Only the landowner can give hunting permission.



2. Obtain permission to hunt several farms. This assures you of a place to hunt if others are using the property or the landowner is not home.



3. Always obtain permission well in advance of the time you plan to hunt. Plan your visit early in the evening when the landowner, especially if a farmer, is likely to be home. If you will scout the area before hunting season, also request permission for that time.



4. Ask for permission by yourself or with one other person; do not take your entire hunting party up to the door. When approaching the landowner or family for permission, NEVER carry your gun, and keep any dogs in your vehicle.



5. If you cannot visit the landowner in person, then write an appropriate and friendly letter. Do not just stick a small note on the door. Your letter may request a date/time when you can talk in person, or you can make arrangements by mail or telephone. Do so at the landowner's preference.



6. Be prepared to provide your name and contact information and the dates and times when you would like to hunt a described portion of the land (e.g., the back 40 acres of the woods and cropland). The landowner may limit party size, ORVs or more.



7. Ask the landowner if there are any crop fields or other areas of the farm that should not be hunted.



8. Never shoot near farm buildings or where any people or livestock are living. Observe all safety zone areas - 450 feet from possibly inhabited structures.



9. Leave any gates you encounter the way you found them. If a gate is open, leave it open after you pass through. If a gate is closed, close it after you pass through.



10. Do not leave any trash. If you find litter already there, pick it up.



11. When the hunt is over, always thank landowners for the opportunity to hunt. Then they will know that you have left the farm and will not worry about you being lost or stuck on the property.



12. Offer landowners a portion of your harvest off the land, such as a portion of venison, once your game is cleaned or butchered. This goodwill gesture, along with the recommendations above, will help your relationship with the landowner. It also may help provide others with hunting opportunities from this landowner, and it helps build a positive image of hunting.

For more information about hunting on private land, see the 2011-2012 Hunting Access Program (HAP) Digest, Commercial Forest (CF) information and Public Hunting Rights on Select Private Lands.