I'm hearing that some states are requiring the paperwork. Seems to me Ranchers and Farmers have very little incentive to grant permission to crazy folk with cannons (j/k) they call rifles.

How's it where you are?

Here in Texas you have to have written permission, but it's more or less ignored as far as I know.

Even though it's the law, I wouldn't feel comfortable asking someone to write "______ has my permission to hunt/fish on my property". I sure wouldn't write it out for someone to hunt on my property. I might worry too much, but I'd be afraid that if I told them to leave and called the game warden to remove them he or she would say there wasn't anything he or she could do.

Liability is a pretty big issue now, and I'm not going to give someone the opportunity to sue me because they tripped over a gopher mound and fell on my barb wire fence. I think I'd have to have my lawyer write up a bulletproof(pun intended) liabilty release form and have the individual sign it before I'd even consider letting someone on my property. Maybe the farmers and ranchers think the same way I do? Maybe that's another way to get permission to hunt?

Yeah, it's difficult to shove something under a busy farmer's nose and say "sign".

Even though the whole gist of the above form is for the farmer's protection, actually.

It only does 2 things for the hunter. Follows the law in some states and provides you with proof for neighbors - police that you indeed have been given permission to hunt the land you're on.

Mike TBC

[ 07-31-2003, 22:14: Message edited by: The Birth Controller ]

Here in Ohio, it is required and a copy of the form is in the hunting regulations booklet and they can also be downloaded from DNR website. If you are cought without one, you can be fined even if the landowner tells them you were allowed. Kind of corny, but it does protect the landowner. It also allows the person with permission to "patrol" the land for the land owner. I hunt on my friends property that borders a state park and we constantly get people roaming through who "didn't see the signs". At least the written permission slip allows me to boot them off without disturbing my buddy's hunt as well as mine.

[ 07-31-2003, 22:21: Message edited by: m1rage ]

Thanks for the forms! I'm new to TX, so appreciate comments from Armed and polite. I've used permission/liability slips, but mostly like to know the landowner and relatives. Low-profile hunting means they don't see you and rarely hear you. But tell them if you see anyone else.

In Kansas Hunting by Written permission is the land owners choice. Our agency furnishes the signs. It works very well and reduces the trespass problem. I have never had a landowner withdraw permission because I asked for the written permission. Of course I furnish the card.

In Montana alot of land is going into "Block Management" I put 4000 acres into it this year. Works well for me. All that is required is to sign in @ a sign in box for the BMA (Block Management Area ) This is only for license game. Varmint hunting is a different issue. Requires land owners approval for trespass. Some times tough to get because of liability issues.

I would omit the sentence, I will treat the property as my own, it's redundant and serves no legal purpose. There are a select group of hunters who have no clue how to treat any land they hunt, let alone their own property they don't hunt.

The state of CT requires verbal permission to hunt private land for small game and written permission for deer and turkey. There is a strong landowners liablilty protection law.

The forms for the written permission are in every game manual. It's difficult to get permission but not impossible.

Connecticut is quite a good place for the rifleman. It's one of the few states around here that allows rifle hunting for deer on private land. Southern NY and Mass do not allow rifles for deer for instance. There is no federal land here but one can hunt without permission with a shotgun or .22 in some of the state forests.

Screw dat noise man. Jus make one of your own and sign BOTH copies. No one is gonna know. Jus be sure you know who the landowner is so you sign the right name.