Sanctuary - I hate that word!

[Genesis 9:3]

This past fall I gathered up my courage, humility and my manliness and asked the guy with the farm behind my parents house if I could hunt. His wife answered the door and said he was on the phone, but would call me back. Two weeks later I left a letter in their mailbox with my contact info along with some info about myself. Today I went back and knocked on his door.

"We're not going to allow deer hunting on our property. We like the deer too much. It's like a sanctuary."

:ack2: :cuss: :banghead:

I HATE THAT WORD! I don't want all of them, just one or two!

But he couldn't find a reason not to let me go searching for sheds... so my wife and I bundled up our 7 month old son and started walking. Five minutes into our walk we saw about 7 or 8 white tails bounding away and the trails were criss-crossing the property all over! I did find one shed in the creek, my first ever... but I'm pretty frustrated about not getting to hunt that property.

Have any of you guys ever run into this and been able to change the person's opinion on the matter?

[Griz]

It sounds like the same guy I have living next to me. he's been doing this for over 30 yrs. Nothing would change his mind, not even money. But you can hike, take photos, do research, anything you want. But hunting, shooting a firearm, or use motorized vehicles is out of the question. Its America, he has the right. On the positive side they can't stop you from hunting the fringes.
If you look at my recent shed photos. Yup, they came from those fringes. What I do is find out were the deer leave the property, and have real good luck. If you own property next to him, plant something that will bring them to you. Good luck

[taylor6400]

Sanctuary is a good word. It also means that other people arent in there ruining it either...which means it will hold more deer than areas with more pressure. Try to hunt the bordering properties. We have a "dedicated sanctuary" on our hunting property that we never step foot in unless we have to track a wounded deer which we try our best to avoid. The first year we owned the property we made the mistake of walking through it the Sat of gun season and bucks poured out of that thing...after that we figured at least they are safe in there even if we dont get a shot at them. Its a very important part of QDM.

[at1010]

Sanctuary is a good word. It also means that other people arent in there ruining it either...which means it will hold more deer than areas with more pressure. Try to hunt the bordering properties. We have a "dedicated sanctuary" on our hunting property that we never step foot in unless we have to track a wounded deer which we try our best to avoid. The first year we owned the property we made the mistake of walking through it the Sat of gun season and bucks poured out of that thing...after that we figured at least they are safe in there even if we dont get a shot at them. Its a very important part of QDM.

great post I agree!!

[hortontoter]

I must agree with taylor6400. Better to have a sanctuary nearby than 8 or 9 guys with the "if its brown its down" syndrome. Trying to change the mind of a landowner can be tough and many times impossible. Problem is that many (not all) guys push the envelope after receiving permission by doing things like griz mentioned. I think the use of ATVs and "party" hunting have turned many landowners against hunting. Also many non hunting landowners do think of the deer on their property as pets and enjoy watching them.

[mrbb]

well as a land owner
I know I get asked a TON for permission, so it gets old real fast, all the more so if the land holds good deer


best advice i can say is in all honesty is not keep asking

just be seen in the area doing good

ofr if he lets you shed hunt, do that, and JUST that, after a few yrs , he might say OK since you shown him you not an ass only looking to hunt/kil deer
i know its not what you wnayt to hear, but its how I have seen it work, just takes time!! and a great spot is worth teh trouble if you ask me too!
OR
maybe the land owner next to him will grant you permission

[Curran]

Sanctuary is a good word. It also means that other people arent in there ruining it either...which means it will hold more deer than areas with more pressure. Try to hunt the bordering properties. We have a "dedicated sanctuary" on our hunting property that we never step foot in unless we have to track a wounded deer which we try our best to avoid. The first year we owned the property we made the mistake of walking through it the Sat of gun season and bucks poured out of that thing...after that we figured at least they are safe in there even if we dont get a shot at them. Its a very important part of QDM.

Agreed...

While it's frustrating to get rejected, get used to it. It's more common that getting granted permission. Chances are you're not going to stand on somebody's porch and negotiate permission out of them. Think about how you feel when a door-to-door solicitor comes to the house trying to sell a service.

I'd look at this situation as a positive because you did get permission to shed hunt. You also included your family in that activity. Hopefully you stopped by and showed the landowner your shed and showed them the joy that shed hunting brings to you & the family. Maybe take it a step further by asking permission to hunt with a camera. Set up exactly like you would bow hunt, shoot some pictures and share them with the land owner. Build that relationship & trust over time. Maybe in a few years they'll give you the green light to step in there with your bow.

I'd also take a step back and look at the surrounding areas. If this is the "sanctuary" then where are the other possible hunting opportunities? Which spots will provide the best entry & exit routes based on the wind direction from the sanctuary? Pull up the aerial map and have a look, then go knock on those doors.

Good luck.

[Genesis 9:3]

...You also included your family in that activity. Hopefully you stopped by and showed the landowner your shed and showed them the joy that shed hunting brings to you & the family. Maybe take it a step further by asking permission to hunt with a camera. Set up exactly like you would bow hunt, shoot some pictures and share them with the land owner. Build that relationship & trust over time. Maybe in a few years they'll give you the green light to step in there with your bow.

That's really not a bad idea! While in one sense I won't be hunting and that would stink, but on the other hand I do enjoy photography and I could also be testing out other things like how my scent control is working or where would be the optimum place to put a stand. And with any luck (and maybe some produce from the garden) they'd let me have just one or two?

It can't hurt to try!

On surrounding properties, I'm trying. The one property that I think would be amazing (just off to the north) is owned by somebody up in New York state (according to the land owner I did talk to) and the plat map say's it's owned by the _____'s Family LLC. How do I get in contact with the owner if there's not a house there and it's not farm land?

I'd love to plant something that would attract them, but mom hates clover and won't let me plant any other "weeds" in their back yard! I'm thinking about a salt block or mineral block though... we'll see.

Thanks for the advice and suggestions though!

@ MRBB - what do you think of the photography thing?

[mrbb]

well hunting with a cam is somthing I have done in the past, but only after i tagged out , and then it was more to see what would have happened if I held out LOL


you can just braodcast clover seed and say nothing it will grow lol

as for finding a land owner that lives out of state, here in PA, we can go to local court house where land is and they can pull records of the owners info, on address, and then you can write a letter, some will maybe have a phone number too

but from my experince, nothing beats a face to face deal on asking for permission, a letter or phone call can be blown off rather easy, and persistant follow ups calls letters can make matter worse seeming you to be pushy!!

I would strongly suggest asking local land owners if they know the owner, and if , when they come to the land and try to meet them then
and or ask if there is a care taker in Ohio for the lands and track them down, and ask about gaining access that way, as if they like you they might be able to get you in on the lands with the owner
as at some point you will need a permission to hunt slpi from the REAL owner to be all legal

asking the local game warden never hurts either, many times they know a lot of local lands owners too
that is what I would be doing is I wanted access

teh camera hunting, can lead to maybe nothing nmore, and your wasting days in teh woods to kill a buck, now after you kill, I'd say a great deal for sure, can mayeb warm up a hunt down the orad, but never know

[taylor6400]

In some counties in OH (mine included) you can go onto the County Auditor's website site and do a search by name and then pull up the owners information which usually inculdes phone and address. If you cant find it that way i usually pull up a piece of land i know is close then map it and then i can click on any parcel in the county and get the parcel info which includes parcel # and land owner name. Then you can go back and search that parcel # for the information.

[blackbeard]

Not much to add here, I think the others gave you some real good advice. I definitely wouldn't keep pushing the landowner for permission to hunt, just try to build the relationship. I feel for you guys who live in areas of the state where neighbors don't know each other or some of their family. Around here I get told no, but usually they know some of my family or I know some of their family and this leads to them saying yes to hunting, but it's getting harder as the old folk die off because younger people (<40) don't get to know neighbors and people in the area they live like older folks did.

[Genesis 9:3]

Not much to add here, I think the others gave you some real good advice. I definitely wouldn't keep pushing the landowner for permission to hunt, just try to build the relationship. I feel for you guys who live in areas of the state where neighbors don't know each other or some of their family. Around here I get told no, but usually they know some of my family or I know some of their family and this leads to them saying yes to hunting, but it's getting harder as the old folk die off because younger people (<40) don't get to know neighbors and people in the area they live like older folks did.

So one of the neighbor kids in my parents neighborhood that I am kinda friends with is also friends with these people's grandson. He says that he's gone squirrel hunting on their property... I wouldn't mind getting in on some of that! Should I see if I can piggy back on the squirrel hunting?

I am also setting up a salt/mineral block in my parents back yard to try and entice them over the fence... we'll see how that works!

[Big_Holla]

Probably not much different or much to add from the rest of the fella's. To me any property that borders the "sanctuary" would benefit from it, if you did the right things on your land that is. They have to have a reason to leave it and if you have it, they will come. Heck, if you are being allowed to walk it and recreate on the land then you should get to know it better and figure out what it is missing. Maybe it's water, maybe it's food, maybe it's excellent bedding cover. Sure it may have adequate amounts of all those things but if you can provide better......gives some a reason to leave. Other than that as others have mentioned, stop pressuring them about hunting and if they allow you to take the family for walks then there you go, do it and do it often. Tell them how much you appreciate THAT! It may pay off in the end by them allowing you and your family to hunt it but if not, well you and your family have benefited anyways from the enjoyment you have gotten as a family in the outdoors.