General Advice gaining the first permission

[AyJay]

Hi,

This is a topic that I think has been discussed alot, but maybe there are something that I'm missing

I have tried for the last few years with golf courses and stables to but have had no responses.

I hear about going to farms and asking directly, but it's usually a mixed response that farmers are super busy and don't necessarily have the time to talk to a stranger about letting them on their land with a rifle, which got me thinking would it be a good idea to volunteer some of my time to help out during busier times in exchange for an opportunity to do some vermin control?

I can't imagine free labour would he turned down and it's a nice way to start gaining trust but I was wondering if anyone's tried this before?

Cheers

 

[Dazb1967]

Good luck and keep trying, It took me around 10yr of beating before I got the trust of the gamekeepers to be allowed on the land with a CF rifle, I also help out a lot rearing the birds, It is frustrating but if you keep trying you will hopefully get there, I never had any success knocking on farms.

 

[Tim.243]

Hi,

This is a topic that I think has been discussed alot, but maybe there are something that I'm missing

I have tried for the last few years with golf courses and stables to but have had no responses.

I hear about going to farms and asking directly, but it's usually a mixed response that farmers are super busy and don't necessarily have the time to talk to a stranger about letting them on their land with a rifle, which got me thinking would it be a good idea to volunteer some of my time to help out during busier times in exchange for an opportunity to do some vermin control?

I can't imagine free labour would he turned down and it's a nice way to start gaining trust but I was wondering if anyone's tried this before?

Cheers

Just ask to do any rabbits/rats, don't go dressed in camo or wave a permission slip under their nose...
I shot foxes on one farm for 3 years before getting the deer, still do the foxes on there.

 

[Tim.243]

Good luck and keep trying, It took me around 10yr of beating before I got the trust of the gamekeepers to be allowed on the land with a CF rifle, I also help out a lot rearing the birds, It is frustrating but if you keep trying you will hopefully get there, I never had any success knocking on farms.

Picked up a couple of farms through door knocking as I said "there are a lot of pigeons on your laid barley " I can go tomorrow (yet asking for a days shooting) Ok just one day good luck call in with what you have shot.

 

[HonestJohn]

$$$$$$$

 

[Tim.243]

$$$$$$$

Peter don't spoil it.

 

[Dazb1967]

Picked up a couple of farms through door knocking as I said "there are a lot of pigeons on your laid barley " I can go tomorrow (yet asking for a days shooting) Ok just one day good luck call in with what you have shot.

You must have posted as I was typing, I have heard of people gaining permission by knocking on doors but it never worked for me and I must have tried every farm in Northumberland years ago. Anyway Ive got enough land to keep me busy now and away back out tonight to see what's about.

 

[west_meon]

I have had success knocking on doors for foxing. Where in the Midlands are you?

Volunteering to do manual jobs around, such as coppicing and brush clearing or tree planting, all necessary but time consuming and not a good use of a busy farmer's time, got me my first permission. Helps if you have your own chainsaw/strimmer etc. Also did some logging of fallen trees for a farmer. He supplied the trailer, I supplied the chainsaw and labour, we shared the logs and I got some shooting. I have always found that you have to offer to give a bit first. Good luck.

 

[Donkey Basher]

Good luck and keep trying, It took me around 10yr of beating before I got the trust of the gamekeepers to be allowed on the land with a CF rifle, I also help out a lot rearing the birds, It is frustrating but if you keep trying you will hopefully get there, I never had any success knocking on farms.

This

 

[AyJay]

I have had success knocking on doors for foxing. Where in the Midlands are you?

Volunteering to do manual jobs around, such as coppicing and brush clearing or tree planting, all necessary but time consuming and not a good use of a busy farmer's time, got me my first permission. Helps if you have your own chainsaw/strimmer etc. Also did some logging of fallen trees for a farmer. He supplied the trailer, I supplied the chainsaw and labour, we shared the logs and I got some shooting. I have always found that you have to offer to give a bit first. Good luck.

Good to hear that it can work, just got to keep trying. I'm not too far from Wolverhampton so I have a look around.

Sounds like offering abit of help is a good option too. I've just got my cross cutting and felling upto 380mm ticket so that's something, thanks.

 

[charlie222]

If youre driving about and spot a field with the old small size bales in it, and there not laid out ready for a mechanized grab, farmers might respond well to an offer of bale carting? Good luck, stick with it.

 

[leej]

Personally I've not had much luck offering out to help with 'work' as there isn't much most people could do on a farm unsupervised. If a farmer has to 'keep an eye on you' for your own safety for example, then your not helping him much and he'll probably think you'll just be getting in the way.
I've had more success offering pest control services. If its an arable farm they'll probably have pigeons or rabbits, if its chickens, cattle or sheep, then there will be foxes and rats. No farmer wants any of these, but its still not easy getting them to trust you enough to get that permission. It very often comes down to being in the right place at the right time.
After all if a complete stranger knocked your door and asked you if he could play in your garden with a high powered rifle, what would your answer be?
This has been my personal experience, and others will be different. If you keep trying sooner or later you'll get some success and then if your any good you may find you'll get recommended to others and other permissions will end up falling into your lap without you having to ask.
Good luck and keep trying.

ATB
Lee

 

[leej]

And in my case after about 10 years of doing the above you can then start thinking about deer.

 

[VSS]

Think about it from the farmer's point of view. If a complete stranger knocks on the door asking for permission to shoot, the answer is going to be no. Likewise, when a complete stranger offers to "help out" on the farm that will be viewed with suspicion. You might just be casing the joint for all they know.
It doesn't matter how much experience you've got, or what bits of paper, or how much money you're offering, it all boils down to whether the farmer likes you.
A local, known, youngster is quite likely to be given permission to shoot for free after the farmer has just turned away a stranger offering to pay a large sum to shoot.
So, if you live in a rural community make sure you become part of that rural community (village events, church, local fete, community tidy-ups, send kids to local school, etc) and then your chances are greatly increased. Unfortunately, a lot of people who move into rural areas continue to distance themselves and never really get assimilated. If you are that person your not going to find ground to shoot on.

Recommendation from another local farmer counts more than anything else, so once you've got one bit of ground more will follow.

 

[Bowland blades]

Its about Cash or being known in the area . After that its farmers and landowners recommending you . After a while you will be be turning folks down and being choosy where you will shoot for whom and under what legal authority .
Going clearing Ferals from barns and dropping what your doing to grab a gun and deal with a crucial immediate issue .... word spreads

 

[nun_hunter]

Farms and large estates are the obvious choice for new and seasoned stalkers alike who want to walk around their own slice of (relative) wilderness submersed in nature. However, these are usually already fully covered by a stalker and more than likely too big for one casual hobby stalker to manage.

Looking for smallholdings, large gardens, places that border farms/estates/woodlands can be much more productive in terms of getting permission and actually shooting deer.

A nice little smallholding or large garden full of roses and maybe a veg patch that is next to a large farm or estate full of deer will draw them in and the owners are often more receptive to people offering to control some deer. If they view deer as something that's nice to see but nicer to eat and even better nicer if it's not eating their prized plants then they'll (more often than not) be happy for you to shoot some deer and share the venison, which is an ideal situation for a new stalker.

Joining local smallholding groups on Facebook etc can be a goldmine for permission, especially if you go in with a genuine attitude of wanting to learn more and help people out rather than just asking for somewhere to shoot.

I've got a few places to stalk, a couple of farms are a few hundred acres each but I shot a gold medal roebuck in a small Christmas tree farm 5 minutes from home, and there is always a new buck there every time I visit. A small place with the ideal habitat or food source or somewhere that is a pinch point and concentrates deer when they cross it is often more productive than having 500 acres of the wrong ground or that's so big you don't know where to walk and keep missing or bumping deer.

 

[Curried Venison]

These success stories, about how permissions were achieved are very encouraging. Keep them coming please.

 

[The Grouse]

A bit of luck can certainly help. I got my break with a smallholding that a shooting friend didn't have time to cover, and he asked the landowner if I could take over, just knocking off the corvids with the shotgun. That then led to them asking me to handle the foxes and gained me my FAC.

Smallholder was talking to a local farmer who was also having some corvid issues, he put him in contact with me. Again started with the corvids, then the foxes and now the deer. Word of mouth and building the trust certainly seems the way. Hope your luck comes in soon

 

[Smellydog]

Look for farms with feral pigeons and ask if you can pop them off for them. Got on a lot of places via feral pigeons.

 

[stavross]

All the above advice is spot on, I’ve never had to ask for shooting as a lot of people I know and work for are land owners and farmers so I guess I’m lucky in that respect, but one thing I would add is to involve yourself with as many people as you can who go out shooting, if it’s pigeon on the crops or carrying gear and opening gates for someone out after foxes, if you can find people who will take you out this will inevitably lead to more shooting for you, you will always get people who won’t take you out because they think you’re after their land but that to me is just paranoia, 99% of people are genuinely only looking for an in, on a pastime they have an interest in and just need a little bit of help, I’ve taken many people out, one lad who I met on a forum like this asked if he could come out with me, now has his own ( very large ) permission and is a member of my pheasant syndicate and also a good friend

Best of luck to you