and can you travel around doing this?
Im interested because someone made a post about a friend traveling around doing this.

If you want to just go around killing things, why not look into working for Wildlife Services? At least this way, you get paid for being a wildlife assassin.

MG

It's really easy. Let me tell you how it's been working for me.

First, over about 30 years, invest a million or so in overpriced farm real estate. Then fork over a similar amount for equally overpriced machinery. Now, find a gullible bank that will stake you to an operating line that matches your previous investments. Plant something that deer really, really like, but that the commodities market isn't willing to pay much for after harvesting. Hope for good growing weather. Once you have a crop on the rise the critters will show up for dinner. At this point call your local Division of Wildlife. They will tell you "so sad--too bad" and to piss off but go ahead and call anyway. Apply for drawing licenses like everybody else. When you don't get one invite all of your friends and relatives who did draw over to hunt. Have your photo taken with the successful hunters and try to beg off some backstraps.

Better luck next year. And hey, if nothing else, where I live is the world's best "next year" country.

Several things will probably happen if you get into crop damage shooting; you will probably make enemies with some hard-core hunting types, you may become a better hunter but you may not enjoy hunting as much after a few years, folks will want to come along and some won't understand the difference between killing and hunting.

Go to the local feed store and ask about farmers with critter problems, if this turns up zero take some drives in the country in the Spring and chat with the farmers while they're in the fields (they'll generally stop their rigs for a short wil to chat). Visit these farmers and offer to help with pest problems, all pest... groundhogs, deer, whatever. Only speak for yourself and try to avoid bring anyone along for a least a few years...you need to gain a reputation for doing what you say, being efficient and being respectful of person, place and property. Begin on only one or at most two places and watch over them very well paying attention to the different crops as they come up or become more attractive to the critters. Ensure the farmer sees your sincere efforts and keep him informed of the state of his propery, crops and cattle if anything looks amiss. Help out of he needs it, view the relationship as if he's doing you a favor to let you shoot. Make sure he knows your vehicle and do not bring other shooters unless he suggests it, you need to work on your credability.

If you do a good job he will probably recommend you to other farmers/produce types or you can use him as a reference.

It's a lot of work to watch over several fields and you should be very careful of the number of place you try to take on. Consider the local crop damage laws and what you're going to do with the dead animals, this is sometimes the most difficult part. If you need to provide the critters (deer) to someone for comsuption you may soon run out of deer eaters, if they're "lay in place" they may start to stick the place up and hunters will be none too pleased about dead deer littering up the area.

You can pretty much figure on making a few friends but also a few enemies... "does are buck factories" and some hunters get very upset if you kill does, especially pregnant does in the Spring.

Ones has to find a friendly farmer.

What I have found in Wis. A lot of farmers use these as a pay off for family and freinds they seem less conserned about killing deer then getting the right people in on the tags.

I have seen farmers hand out tags to family who go for weeks with out killing anything. Then when you ask them if they want some deer killed the do not seem all that happy to see that happen.

Jarrod:

I read your post with particular interest as I'll explain!

When I was a teenager ( I'm 75) our property in NY either was within fairly close distance ( a few hundred yards to a quarter mile) of no fewer than 3 commercial apple orchards. I really can't describe how it happened but I had a reputation locally for being "careful" with a firearm and since the troopers from the local State Police barracks regularly ate hot dinners at my mother's table (In those days, troopers were VERY badly paid) and said I was OK, at 16 I was asked to shoot deer, bucks only, under damage permits secured from the NY State Conservation Dept. (Today, the whole thing would be illegal because a 16 year old just couldn't do it legally now - just like I had a "carry weapon" pistol permit at age 18 and today it's 21 in NY (In those days, around 1946, proof that deer were doing damage of $500 or more would secure the permit - {Aside to you younger types - That would be like almost $4000 today} I do agree with the suggestion that it interfered with regular sport deer hunting -because I shot bucks that otherwise could have been taken by sport hunters that Fall. (I shot them in late Spring and in summer) My excuse is that I helped growers (and the people they employed to pick apples) to stay in business. If there was any bad outcome -it was from my viewpoint as a deer hunter. I probably killed about 10-11 deer before I ever went deer hunting with a rifle in woods at about 18. ( I used slugs from a 12 ga. fired at ranges of no more than about 35 yards in the permit shooting) I wasn't aware that there was such a thing as a traveling corps of "permit hunters" until I read your post. If it is that "organized"- then I have to admit that it kind of bothers me. (OK! I'm a hypocrite too!)

I have some friends that use these special permits to put meat in the freezer and for those club venison diners. They however are taking only does and small bucks . This also allows them to hunt for that big buck during the season and help curb the doe population which in some areas is way to high. They never use all the permits the farmers get and this also allows them to try out different loads and bullet types.Note i said they dont use all the permits as i beleive some farms get way to many permits . They stop when the freezer is full. And yes these friends of mine and there familys do eat venison all year and you would to if you only made $9.00 an hour .And they also make sure to give some deer to the shelters to help the homeless people eat.I know in the past some people have talked bad about these special permits and with due as some people abuse them but there are alot of people who dont. Later Tanoose

get into prairie dog shooting

THe orchard angle is the angle I'd use too. I know people south of Minneapolis that have orchards get permits to thin the deer. One told Dad about getting twenty permits last summer. The deer are such a problem for them they either thin or lose their business. Areas in Wisc and Mich are in much, much worse shape. Go to Door COunty and ask about deer predation.

I can't imagine having fun shooting deer like that. When I was kid we'd watch deer in the bean fields behind our farm and we'd sneak down the rows on our bellies and see who could wack the deer with dirt clods. My parents and Aunt and Uncle would watch and laugh at the games we'd play. They were like cows. Then we were going to use paint ball guns until the game warden was in the yard watching us throwing dirt clods at deer and told us we were disrupting game animals and could get a big fine esp. if we used paint ball guns.

I don't have anything against thinning deer when there'd be fifty in an orchard destroying one's livlyhood though but it sure wouldn't be hunting. I do LOVE it when Bambi eats homeowner's shrubs and flowers- SCREW THEM!!

Damn plainview, don't sugar coat it for me, tell me how you really feel....lol. Ya don't have to beg I have frozen meat scattered all over.

Enjoy those steaks, Bro. I'm cornering more for you as we speak.... You want your name written on both sides this year or just the usual left one?

Well how about it......can I get a "crop damage license" or not. Would you talk to the DOW for me ? .....lol

Come to Arkansas right now. They're having a free for all on snow geese. Been having problems with wheat damage for years now.

Check out www.agfc.com for all the details.

As for doing it for a job, I have no clue. I've heard of it, but don't know how to go about getting started in it. I did hear once of hired shooters at major airports to keep the runways clear of birds.