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Where I live there is only one public land hunting area and it is very far away, I live in a semi suburban semi rural area and there are alot closer forests. How can I go about finding areas to hunt? There are alot of private land and alot of land owned by the county and not used for anything but not "designated" for hunting either and I am not sure If I can hunt there. I asked some other hunters and some were downright hostile, not wanting to give away their hunting spot or giving dumb answers like "contact the DEC" which I already have done and they only pointed me to the public spot I already mentioned.
You can hunt on public lands in NYS unless they are designated as "no hunting areas", which would primarily be park lands. County and state forests are generally open to hunting. You can also hunt in some designated areas of state parks.
A lot of private lands are posted to control who/how many hunters use the land. Even if the land is not posted, you should always ask permission. You can look up the owner on the county GIS map, and write a letter to the owner requesting permission to hunt if you can't find a phone number (owners have to sign posted signs, and many include a phone #).
Whether on private or public land, always be safe and considerate hunter. Always leave gates and/or other structures exactly the way you find them unless there's an obvious problem -- like a fence down and cattle wandering in a field where they probably shouldn't be. Carry out whatever you carry in. Don't build semi-permanent deer stands unless you have permission. Scout out the land you're going to be hunting so that you know if there's a house or a road just over that ridge. Park your vehicle in where the landowner says to park it ... and don't block field/logging roads. Stop and chat with the landowner. Be friendly.
I am starting to find some of the better places to hunt on my own property. but I have not been here that long yet, I am still considered an outsider by some.
Where I live there is only one public land hunting area and it is very far away, I live in a semi suburban semi rural area and there are alot closer forests. How can I go about finding areas to hunt? There are alot of private land and alot of land owned by the county and not used for anything but not "designated" for hunting either and I am not sure If I can hunt there. I asked some other hunters and some were downright hostile, not wanting to give away their hunting spot or giving dumb answers like "contact the DEC" which I already have done and they only pointed me to the public spot I already mentioned.
I'm a pastor of a small country church. I don't own any land in the area, and even live in a church-owned house. My daughter and I shot 8 deer last year on other people's land. Half of them were on the land of a woman in my church. The rest were on land that locals let me hunt on.
Tips? Get to know some locals. Find out where the old guys have coffee and drink coffee with them. Treat them with respect. If they tell you no--respect that. Don't act like they owe it to you. If you have a kid that likes to hunt, that's a great way to get access, too. Everyone likes to be a nice guy and give a kid a place to get started. Afterward, share some of the meat with them, or take them a plate of cookies or brownies to say thanks. Or maybe a beverage of some kind. As a pastor, I'll leave that up to you to decide what.
In addition to that, I took up bow hunting because it's an extra 2 months on the season, and I have a muzzleloader, which gives me the entire month of December -- after the November firearm season. That way, the landowners get their bucks...and I go in later to get mine.
Last tip would be to be happy with does. Be willing to save the bucks for the landowner. Along that line, though...ask the landowner what he wants you to shoot. One landowner surprised me. He liked seeing the herd of 30+ deer in his bean field and he didn't want me to shoot the does...he wants to make sure there is enough for next year. He was happy to let me take a buck.
Find friends or co-workers who hunt and find out where.
You may get lucky and find someone who'll let you join them. Or you may have to join a hunting "lease", where you pay membership dues and maybe do volunteer work on the land, such as maintaining roads or blinds.
I have a problem. My land is in CO and my butt is in CA.
There is a solution. haha
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