Permission/Lease Advice

[Gobblehead30]

I am trying to get on a amazing turkey "close friends & family lease".  The least encompasses 6 PRIME pieces of turkey ground. The deal is the deer and turkey rights are leased to close friends and family. I lie on the edge of friend of close friend, but I have hunted with them and landowner since I was young. There are no serious turkey hunters on the lease.. My best friend and his father are on the lease.   My friend is away all season for work and my best friends dad is a 2-3day  9am-5pm turkey hunts.  They will take me anytime they go but I cant stand waiting on a call.. Its hard to complain since I killed 3 birds off this property last year, but I am looking for somewhere to hang my hat..   

Myself I would hunt all day everyday.   I asked my friend if I could ask the landowner to join lease and he said probably not going to happen but ask away.   Also the landowner does NOT need the money..

So I asked during a rabbit hunt and he said "he would think about it" and later "we will work something out"??   He got my number and that was that..

I havent heard from the landowner and I am sure I am not on his list of priorities but my question is would you call him and press it or let it be and wait to be invited??   

[tomstopper]

Call. Least he could do is say no....

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

What is going on these days with people's ethics?

If you weren't invited into the lease by the lessees, you are allowing your selfishness to exceed your discretion and are in clear violation of an unspoken code of hunter ethics.

It isn't your spot.  You wouldn't know about it if they hadn't been kind enough to take you there. 

Go find your own lease and be a CONTRIBUTOR instead of a taker.  If you're not bringing an equal contribution to a hunting relationship, you need to look in the mirror and work harder to get your own spots instead of intruding on someone else's.

I read these posts and am increasingly more grateful I have a brother who gains access for me, and I likewise for him.  We work as a team to accumulate spots but we have a rule that no one else is ever allowed to accompany us to them.  People like you are the exact reason why we so adamantly maintain and abide by that policy.

You shot 3 birds there last year. Ask yourself some tough questions, dude.  Maybe starting with "do I deserve more out of this relationship than I already get?" "Am I contributing to an equal extent within this relationship?" "Why do I not have my own spots?!"

If you were my buddy, id high five your face to try and help you sort out your ethics and you wouldn't get any phone calls to hunt EVER again.

[Gobblehead30]

I appreciate your honesty!   I have had my own leases and been on others.  I am usually the one who puts in the MOST time and effort as far as work.  So please don't judge me as a taker over the internet bud.  There are not many turkey hunters in the lease actually we ran into to not one hunter last year..   I am more than willing to pay/work/run poachers off to contribute to the well being of the property. 

I own a small piece of property but you only hunt the neighbors turkeys there.  I have also had leases that I helped organize that were not fruitful. I also don't deer hunt so its not economical at all for me to pay full price for a year lease when thats what most clubs want.  I also didn't have a father/brother who was a land broker and avid outdoorsman actually my pops has never hunted turkeys a day in his life. SO I do what I can.   I don't think trying to secure a turkey lease nearby for my son and my hunting future is what I call bad ethics..

[Jay Longhauser]

I can appreciate that you are looking for a spot to hunt with your son.  In my opinion its not right to try to gain access to a hunting spot that a buddy shows you unless they invite you to do so, whether its permission or a lease.  I don't feel right trying to gain access to a place that I was shown by someone else who already hunts it.  If they didn't show me I wouldn't know it was there in the first place and I would feel like a snake trying to work my way in.  Im all for asking for permission or leasing if you find a spot through your own time and effort.  If I were on the lease I definately wouldn't want someone else on it who wants to hunt all day everyday no matter how many birds were there.  Some guys like to lease a spot so they can go when they want and not worry about pressured birds.  I would leave it alone unless the landowner brings it up, in my experience no call can mean not interested.  Hope it works out okay for all of you.

[bigboy84]

I would call all he can say is no. You want never know if you dont..

[ALfwlmth]

Read this several times. This is how you should feel. If you don't, read it again.

I can appreciate that you are looking for a spot to hunt with your son.  In my opinion its not right to try to gain access to a hunting spot that a buddy shows you unless they invite you to do so, whether its permission or a lease.  I don't feel right trying to gain access to a place that I was shown by someone else who already hunts it.  If they didn't show me I wouldn't know it was there in the first place and I would feel like a snake trying to work my way in.  Im all for asking for permission or leasing if you find a spot through your own time and effort.  If I were on the lease I definately wouldn't want someone else on it who wants to hunt all day everyday no matter how many birds were there.  Some guys like to lease a spot so they can go when they want and not worry about pressured birds.  I would leave it alone unless the landowner brings it up, in my experience no call can mean not interested.  Hope it works out okay for all of you.

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

I appreciate your honesty!   I have had my own leases and been on others.  I am usually the one who puts in the MOST time and effort as far as work.  So please don't judge me as a taker over the internet bud.  There are not many turkey hunters in the lease actually we ran into to not one hunter last year..   I am more than willing to pay/work/run poachers off to contribute to the well being of the property. 

I own a small piece of property but you only hunt the neighbors turkeys there.  I have also had leases that I helped organize that were not fruitful. I also don't deer hunt so its not economical at all for me to pay full price for a year lease when thats what most clubs want.  I also didn't have a father/brother who was a land broker and avid outdoorsman actually my pops has never hunted turkeys a day in his life. SO I do what I can.   I don't think trying to secure a turkey lease nearby for my son and my hunting future is what I call bad ethics..

You can try to justify it anyway you want but these are all just excuses for an inappropriate act.

It doesn't matter how many people turkey hunt there. It doesnt matter that your efforts have been largely unproductive.  It doesnt matter that your buddy was more fortunate than you with his family's background. It doesn't matter it's for you and your son (not one but TWO more people putting pressure on birds and/or killing them). You have an entitlement mindset and that's alarming.

Go hunt some public ground, pull plat maps and begin knocking on doors, talk to your buddies' dad about securing another turkey lease for you and your son.  There are many alternatives that require effort instead of this slimeball, back-door method of securing access.

[Gamblinman]

I would approach your best friend and dad and let them entertain your request to the landowner. Going around them may lead to losing your best friend on future endeavors.

Why did you wait till such a late date to carry this out?

Gman

[Balla1982]

 I understand the situation you're in and how trying to secure access to good ground is fairly difficult these days, but I have to agree with the other guys (not in such a harsh way) that it is disrespectful to ask on your own accord. If the landowner hasn't called you I would leave it alone for now.
I do advise this though.  Talk to the guys in the lease and tell them that if the have a spot open up in the future, that you would like to join. Give them the courtesy to consider you instead of having to be in a partnership with you. It will go a lot father and build better relationships among fellow outdoorsmen.
Other than that, I would just start scouting and going door to door to try and find another piece that no be has leased. If you do discover some uncharted territory and the landowner is willing to lease it or heck just grant hunting rights I would keep in mind of your friends that are on the lease that you would like to join.
Good luck and God Bless!

[stone road turkey calls]

What is going on these days with people's ethics?

If you weren't invited into the lease by the lessees, you are allowing your selfishness to exceed your discretion and are in clear violation of an unspoken code of hunter ethics.

It isn't your spot.  You wouldn't know about it if they hadn't been kind enough to take you there. 

Go find your own lease and be a CONTRIBUTOR instead of a taker.  If you're not bringing an equal contribution to a hunting relationship, you need to look in the mirror and work harder to get your own spots instead of intruding on someone else's.

I read these posts and am increasingly more grateful I have a brother who gains access for me, and I likewise for him.  We work as a team to accumulate spots but we have a rule that no one else is ever allowed to accompany us to them.  People like you are the exact reason why we so adamantly maintain and abide by that policy.

You shot 3 birds there last year. Ask yourself some tough questions, dude.  Maybe starting with "do I deserve more out of this relationship than I already get?" "Am I contributing to an equal extent within this relationship?" "Why do I not have my own spots?!"

If you were my buddy, id high five your face to try and help you sort out your ethics and you wouldn't get any phone calls to hunt EVER again.

[spaightlabs]

Your only option is to go to your buddy and ask him for a no BS answer to the question 'are you guys looking for anyone else to get in on this lease?'  If he says no - it is over, never ask again, and don't self invite when they go out there.  If he says he doesn't mind, ask him to call the landowner and ask.

If you start hassling the landowner, who does not need the money, everyone may find themselves with no lease, and I don't think you want to be that guy.

When they take you to their spot, are you the guy that shows up with a shotgun and a smile, or do you bring breakfast, buy lunch or bring the beer?

I wouldn't want anyone in on my lease that wants to hunt it all day, every day...that's one guy that thinks the whole deal is his, and screw everyone else. 

[Gobblehead30]

I appreciate everyone's point of view (even the harsh ones).   The only reason I even entertained asking was because of the lack of turkey hunters on the lease.   These guys are not serious turkey hunters like you and I.  I honestly don't think they or the landowner would care if someone was pressuring their turkeys for a couple reasons but mostly because they just don't care much about turkeys.  I found a dead bird on a farm that only my buddy and I hunted that was probably poached by the neighbors.  It would help to have at least someone roaming out there checking on things.. 

I was invited on a lease this year by my neighbor but he wouldn't allow payment for turkey season only and frankly it was overcrowded and overpriced..   

I also try my best to return the favor to whomever carry's me hunting when duck season comes around.  (I am on a good spot).   I have had much more success on duck clubs than deer/turkey leases around here.  Some of them can be shady..Plus I am thinking something more long term in this point of my career...

I think I will take you guys advice and let it lie for now..   

[Gobblehead30]

I would approach your best friend and dad and let them entertain your request to the landowner. Going around them may lead to losing your best friend on future endeavors.

Why did you wait till such a late date to carry this out?

Gman

I wanted to ask face to face and was presented that opportunity during a late season rabbit hunt.

[Gobblehead30]

Your only option is to go to your buddy and ask him for a no BS answer to the question 'are you guys looking for anyone else to get in on this lease?'  If he says no - it is over, never ask again, and don't self invite when they go out there.  If he says he doesn't mind, ask him to call the landowner and ask.

If you start hassling the landowner, who does not need the money, everyone may find themselves with no lease, and I don't think you want to be that guy.

When they take you to their spot, are you the guy that shows up with a shotgun and a smile, or do you bring breakfast, buy lunch or bring the beer?

I wouldn't want anyone in on my lease that wants to hunt it all day, every day...that's one guy that thinks the whole deal is his, and screw everyone else.

My understanding is that lease was created just so everyone would quit asking him for permission..

Yes sometimes but I think I might have to up my ante in the future..