One of my landlords lives in town. (I hunt on their farm outside of town) Anyhoo, they have a huge garden & a woods next to their house in town. Deer flock to their garden. They asked if I could hunt in their backyard. I'm not sure if it is legal in their area yet. I'm checking into it. My nephew (who I hunt with sometimes) is a cop in this town too. If I do get a deer I will hang it up in the front yard to skin it out & wait until he comes down the street in his cruiser & sees it.(Not telling him beforehand) I want to see the look on his face when he sees a deer hanging in a tree in town. Have any of you hunted in urban areas? How hard is it to get permission?
Most of my deer hunting are within my city's limits. It is legal as long as you get permission from the landowner and, you are at least 10ft. off the ground when you fling an arrow. I find that getting permission to hunt is somewhat difficult with people who have never hunted. There are also an awful lot of people who are unaware of the "Urban Archery Season"and, it is hard to convince them otherwise(even though I carry copies of the VDGIF deer hunting laws for my city). I just knock on as many doors as I can and keep smiling, "yes, ma'am, no sir". I've got enough places to hunt but, I'm searching for that buck of a lifetime now so I'm trying to get new properties. My goal is to get at least 3 people to say yes to me. I can make a whole seaon out of three herds
One of my main areas is partially developed. It is full of deer. With a little common sense, there has never been a problem with the inhabitants. Their dogs and ATV's have messed up a couple of my hunts but they have also pushed a couple of deer directly to me (which now reside in my freezer). It can be a little weird to sit in a treestand and watch someone eat breakfast or decorate the Christmas tree. It all balances out.
That's where I started my bowhunting career, right in my back yard. Another reason I like the Rage BH's. Puts a big hole in em and they don't go far. The less property lines they cross the better. I have shot 2 deer that have died on my own 3 acres. I also only wait for the perfect shot at close range. No need to piss of the other neighbors.
I dont hunt urban land, but I've seen too many big bucks to count in the suburban areas, with little wood lots here and there. No one hunts them, the bucks grow big and old living off of scattered hardwoods and people's landscaping. I help manage an older rich guys property to help pay for school(landscaping, etc..) and I planted this tree in the spring. Then an eight 8 pointer that hangs out in a tiny woodlot by their tennis court took the tree over. In the summer he visits their goldfish pond every evening. November of 2006 I had to pull 2 dead bucks off of their iron fence that surrounds the property. Its possible some people realize overpopulations in these areas and will gladly let you hunt their "backyards". At least I'd hope so. Here's the guys house: And the "driveway rub" tree, that the buck decided was his from now on..
Around here its a bit of a paradox. People will complain to high heaven about the deer, but won't let people come in and hunt. Unless you know someone, getting access is extremely difficult in our suburban settings.
The city I live in has a special Urban Archery hunt to control the population. You get a doe tag and a buck tag, but you have to earn the buck by shooting a doe first. The deer don't count against your maximum allowed by the state either. After you use your two city tags you can continue to use your state tags if you want to. It starts two weeks before regular season. There is no fee, but you have to have a National Bowhunters Association Safety Course card. There are six big pieces of property that are owned by the steel mill and a mining company which the city "leases" for a dollar a year. You can also hunt private land if it is at least five continuous acres. I've got three different spots I hunt.
