6 Ways To More Deer Hunting Access
By Buckmasters
Mark Herr, left, and son Kyle Herr with a stud of a suburban buck.
Looking to get a leg up on the deer hunting competition this year? One way is to be the first to ask for permission on a promising private tract, and the off season is the time. But as many know, not just any approach will work.
Luckily, I’ve got a couple of buddies — Minnesota’s Mark Herr, 61, and his son Kyle, 42 — who are masters at gaining permission on private tracts, especially those near heavily populated suburban areas. The duo is equally adept at closing the deal on the big deer they find there. Here are some of their access tips.
First The Trail Cam?
The Herrs know landowners on deer-laden tracts are continually pestered for hunt access, so they take a different approach. In some cases, the duo might opt to build trust by first gaining permission to simply hang a few trail cameras — in the hopes of capturing a few deer images. If they find a big buck or three, a new conversation follows. By that time, it’s likely the friendship, and trust has grown.
Networking Works
Do you talk big deer sightings with local UPS drivers, police officers — even highway patrol officers? The Herrs do this regularly. In fact, they talk deer hunting with virtually anyone who crosses their path, but especially those who spend a lot of time in a vehicle. Make this networking part of your life, Mark Herr says, and hot leads follow.
Know Your Audience.
When dealing with non-hunting landowners — who might believe allowing access means total herd extermination — the Herrs state their goals quickly. They make it clear they are hunting only a specific trophy buck and will be letting all lesser bucks and does walk. “And in a lot of cases it’s helpful to mention that we’re bowhunters. I don’t think many people realize how lethal bowhunters are.”
Smart Connections
Do you know a lot of people in your hunt area? The Herrs know it can be helpful in talks with some landowners to piece together a connection with other hunt-friendly locals. The dream? One permission might soon become three or four. The Herrs have seen it happen.
Play By The Rules
One of the Herrs’ keys to maintaining permission is obeying landowner rules, as restrictive as they might be. Those might include where to park, specific days and times to hunt, or things like avoiding branch trimming or the use of screw-in tree steps — and not leaving gut piles. “We almost never leave a gut pile so the area doesn’t attract coyotes or other animals.”
Persistence Pays.
How persistent are you? One of the most-memorable properties the Herrs have secured came after asking the landowner for access — for eight consecutive years! As Mark tells it, by then a friendship had developed, and he brought up a keen observation. “I pointed out that I see car-hit deer lying dead on the road along the property all the time. Then I asked how three or four deer going to waste per year was acceptable, while letting us take one or two bucks was not? We’ve been hunting the property ever since and have taken two monsters there.”