Well, now I've done it!

[BobT]

I don't know why I'm sharing this exactly. Maybe I just need to be assured that I'm doing the right thing.

Four years ago a couple guys stopped by my place to ask permission to hunt pheasants. I gave them permission and asked if it would be okay for me to tag along with them since I don't have a dog and they did. They agreed and it has since become somewhat of a tradition now for us to get together for the season opener. One thing that has happened nearly every year is that we'd see hunters on my property that have not asked for permission to hunt. It doesn't really bother me that much if they do this but it sure bothered my new found hunting companions.

Because of this and out of respect for them, for the past two years I've wrestled with the thought of posting my land. These two gentlemen were courteous and respectful enough to take the time and ask permission to hunt my property and it is fully understandable that they would be annoyed when they see other hunters trespassing.

Well, this year I finally gave in to my concerns and posted my land. I used premade signs that state the followin.

NO HUNTING

WITHOUT PERMISSION

I want others to understand that I am willing to allow hunting but at the same time I want to keep that opening weekend available for my friends. Am I being unreasonable?

[GatorBait]

Not at all, it's your land and ultimately it's your decision on how you want your land managed. No hunting w/o permission would surely tell me that the landowner is willing to let us hunt that if we take the time to go ask them. Being turned down when someone has dibs already is not a heartbreaker, and I would add you to my wishlist of private properties.

[creepworm]

Absolutely not, your land, you should do whatever you want with it, and knowing who is on your land is something that just plain makes sense from a safety stand-point.

[gspman]

Nope. It's your land. You have every right to post it. People do not have the right to hunt it without asking permission.

[bottomdweller]

As others have posted, its your land do as you wish.

Also thanks for letting others hunt, its nice you allow others to hunt your property.

[CRAZYEYES]

It seems like no hunting without permission signs are getting pretty scarce. I wish there were more of them, It lets me know that the people are hunting friendly. If they have someone else going out there or want me to stay off around deer season thats understandable but there are fewer and fewer people that will even give you the time of day if you ask so I wish more people would let me know they're friendly. I'll gladly ask for permission.

[gr8icefishinmind]

The thing is......you really should not have to post your land, NO land owner should have to!!! The way i see it, if the land someone is looking at does not have a public hunting sign on it they should stay the heck off of it!!!!!!! Trespassers really rub me the wrong way!!

[kobear]

Posted or not they should always ask. too often people haven't on ours so it's been posted for a few years. We meet more people that's for sure and most get to hunt. The Stop & Popers still come by.

[vitalshot5]

So what your saying gr8icefishinmind is that all public hunting land has a sign on it, I'd like to see these signs, If a landowner does not want trespassers or hunters, post it!! just remember in minnesota you need to sign and have telephone number on them and they must be 1000 feet apart along borders.

[gr8icefishinmind]

Pretty much yeah!! If anything, if it doesn't have a sign you should be more inclined to figure it is private land anyways! Its not yours so stay off. It just really annoys me that people think that land is for anyone to use if it doesn't have a sign on it! Do you go into someone elses house and use the stuff because it doesn't have a sign saying private property on it?? If you are a public land hunter you should make it a point to know the area and what is public and what is not......never assume land is public just cause it is not posted!!

And if you do and you come on private land i hope you are ready for having the DNR called on you, and probably a hefty butt chewin!!

[gr8icefishinmind]

You have never seen public hunting signs on state land or WMA signs???? Do you hunt at all?

[CRAZYEYES]

Where vitalshot5 is at in northern mn most of the st.forest land has no sighns at all. Up in the woods for years its been assumed that if its not posted its state forest or paper mill land and open. Its not like where you are out in willmar where every wma and wpa has a sighn every 50 yards and even if its not posted you're supposed to stay off because its probobly agricultural land.

[BobT]

You have a point. Growing up in northern MN myself, I can understand and maybe that's why I struggled to post mine here. The difference is that here it is agricultural land and the law specifically states that ag land is closed to hunting without permission. The people that live around here know what land is or is not public. It'll be interesting to see if the signs make any difference or not.

For me it's not about flexing muscle or being hard-nosed. It's not really a big deal that people hunt on my land but I do admit it sure gave me a different impression of the guys that showed the respect to take the time to stop and ask compared to those that don't.

[Tom7227]

I agree completly with BobT. But it can get a bit frustrating when you stop to ask and are told that the land is rented by someone who lives 15 miles away, or is out of state. I can remember a trip where we asked and were sent on a four part circle to try and get permission and never succeeded. I understand that is the way things are but it can really be frustrating. If you're new to an area it can be hard to get the green light for private land. I also am hesitant to interupt a person for permission particularly if it seems likely that I am probably the 15th person to ask that week.

Anyone have thoughts from a landowner's perspective on the question of being interrupted?

[CANOPY SAM]

Even if land isn't posted I take out the trusty plat book and make every effort to find the landowner and get permission. If I don't get it, I move on. If it's posted, and looks good to hunt, I'll still find the landowner and ask. Can't hurt to ask. Often, I get permission even when it's posted.

Saturday morning the geese I was watching moved to a field I didn't have permission to hunt. I'd gotten permission on two other parcels to hunt this bunch, but they just kept jumping around. Found out the landowner lived in Washington. Took half an hour, but I tracked him down, and he gave me the nod! Had a great morning hunt Sunday.

We've posted our land in central NoDak, but no one ever calls for permission. They just walk past the signs and hunt.

Bob, you're doing the right thing. Most people aren't so thoughtful about it.

[LandDr]

If your name isn't on the dead, title or tax statement, then it is not yours and you should not go on it without permission.

If you see a car with the doors open and the keys are in it, do you take it for a drive...or even hop in it to sit?

Signs are a waste of money and time. It should be well understood that if it is not your land and you don't have permission yet, then don't go on it. It is really as simple as that.

Owning land is VERY expensive...from the several hundred to a few thousand dollars for annual taxes, mowing and spraying weeds, food plots, grasses, trees, etc., etc., etc. And how about the cost to buy the land in the first place. Just buy a piece of ground and you will find out how expensive it is in a hurry. This really needs to be appreciated...just ask before entering private land...it is the right thing to do. If they owner says no, don't be hurt or p*ssed off about it, just respect it...but just keep asking other landowners and I am sure you will find some access.

[TruthWalleyes]

If your open to letting others hunt the land, may i suggest putting a phone number on the sign. Otherwise, there are ways to find out who own the land.

[BobT]

When I posted mine I made sure to include my name and phone number.

As far as interrupting. I guess if you mean stopping a combine or other equipment to ask for permission, I think I'd be hesitant about going that far. Personally, if I'm busy plowing or something, I might actually enjoy the break but I'm only part time and don't rely on my farming for my main source of income. Others that rely more heavily on it may not want to be disturbed if they are busy.

Drive up into the yard and ask. If the person you really need to talk to is in the field and too busy, they can tell you when it would be a better time to come back.

[creepworm]

I am sure they don't like being interrupted when doing something like combining or plowing, but when they are at home I am sure they would rather be interrupted by someone asking then getting angry when they see someone on their land that did not ask.

[vitalshot5]

A house is a very poor comparison considering houses are a physical dwelling, which 99 percent are posted with a sign that has a house number or fire number, if you you want people to stay off your land POST IT!! and as far as calling DNR or more properly a Conservation officer, call them, all they can do is ask you to leave same as the land owner, POST IT or deal with it.

[grousehunter]

vitalshot...on forest land that is true, but on ag land it does not need to be posted. You can be given a trespass ticket for going on ag land even if it is not posted. On forest land if its not posted then all that can be done is you being asked to leave...then if you don't leave you will get a trespassing ticket. Different laws for different types of land.

So its really not the landowners responsibility when dealing with agricultural land...its the hunters responsibility to know if its public or private and the owner should not have to waste time/money posting it.

[gr8icefishinmind]

A house is a very poor comparison considering houses are a physical dwelling, which 99 percent are posted with a sign that has a house number or fire number, if you you want people to stay off your land POST IT!! and as far as calling DNR or more properly a Conservation officer, call them, all they can do is ask you to leave same as the land owner, POST IT or deal with it.

Actually it is a great comparison cause both things are private property. Private property is private property no matter how you look at it! If you don't know if the land is public or not, find out for sure before going on the land!! Ethically it is the right thing to do cause that land may be OWNED by someone!!

[TylerS]

Actually it is a great comparison cause both things are private property. Private property is private property no matter how you look at it! If you don't know if the land is public or not, find out for sure before going on the land!! Ethically it is the right thing to do cause that land may be OWNED by someone!!

I can see where vitalshot is coming from, though. Where I hunt grouse in Superior National forest, it's impossible to tell if land is private or public unless it is posted. Luckily, most people who own land in SNF post the pi$$ out of it, so there really isn't any problem.

[BobT]

I wonder too if there's a different mindset in northern MN vs southern. Unless the law has changed, I believe non-ag land is considered open to public hunting and in northern MN ag land is pretty much non-existant. When I lived up there we felt land was open to hunting unless it was posted. The difference where I live now is that by law, ag land is considered closed to public hunting and the landowner is not required to post it. I think that's why it upset those that asked for my permission when they saw others on my property that did not ask.

I think the reason for the difference in the law is so that hunters aren't running around working cropland and potentially damaging the crops that are ready for harvest. It's easier to just make a law that requires permission is obtained for all ag land.

[pureinsanity]

All land should be considered closed to hunting unless listed as public. But I know people who say, well its not posted. lets go! The extent I will go for trespassing on land is maybe go outside of a fence line just because its a bit easier to walk. Or I will send my dog in to do work, and me stay on the land I am allowed to be on.

I have actually hunted several places where people have trespassed. I actually went out and bought no trespassing signs and brought them to the land owner and asked if I could put them out there because people have been trespassing. They agreed and they went up (this still hasn't stopped trespassers!

I have gotten phone calls and emails from land owners asking if I had hunted ( I am to check in at the house every time I do go) After stating it was not me they explained the vehicle to me. As I am looking out the window. Said vehicle slowly drove around my 29 acres of family land. Next thing you know they are on the land. I went and drove my car to block them in, walked back to the house and some how they drove out of the steep ditch. The following day I saw them again and I followed them for several miles. From my house to the land where they had been trespassing. After a while they figured out I was following them, got their license plate, pulled over and said I have your plate, and know you have been trespassing on several areas of land around her. Do it again and I will call the cops. I have not seen them since.

The point is some people just don't care, they just do what they want. Which is why some people do not like hunters period because they had bad experience in the past. What you are doing with these guys is awesome! And they have a right to be mad in my eyes because they took the time to get to know you and ask permission and became friends with you. The guys who just trespass on your land are just taking advantage of you with out you being aware of it.

If you see it again, Call the cops or dnr and nail them for trespassing.