Not too Late to Knock on Doors!

Man, September is upon us. Where did the summer go? Between vacations, summer plot maintenance, stand prep, and not to mention work and all that goes with warm weather yard work and projects it seems the summer flies by every year. We had a long hard winter this year and I think everyone around New England was aching for the warm weather. It came late into the summer and the last two months everyone has just crammed every trip they could and every project they needed to in before the next round of cold hits. With the cool nights beginning to drop into the 50's already it's obvious the next round is right around the corner.

For me, it was a sense of "Oh, no!" feeling I haven't gotten nearly the work done I've wanted to in hunting prep and many of you may feel the same. But I wanted to take this month's blog to remind you it's not too late to knock on some doors too. Like me, you may feel as fall rapidly approaches that your window of opportunity has passed to get in on that new hunting ground. To some degree you may be right in that you may not get the amount of scouting time you would like, but it's never too late. Maybe you'll find that land less disturbed is better. Going in last minute sometimes can be rewarding, especially if it has never or rarely been hunted before.

Things to remember...

1. Consider getting the name and number of the owner and call ahead. Ask them if you can come over and talk to them about the possibility of hunting their land. This may or may not be the best for some people. If you are better face to face initially, that may be the way to go.

2. Be CURTIOUS! Offer a firm handshake and look the owner in the eye.

3. Be ready to explain yourself. The owner will most likely want to know who you are, your background, and your intent for his property.

4. Be prepared with any questions you might have for them as to what they may or may not allow on their property. KNOW WHAT THEY EXPECT UP FRONT or ask if there is any question later. You DO NOT want to disrespect the landowner.

5. Know up front what your limits are of what you can offer in return. Don't offer to help put up hay if realistically you can't make the time to follow through with it. Know what you can offer and don't over-extend what you can do. Better to be turned down than to make an agreement you can't fulfill.

Those are just some things rattling around my head this morning. Hopefully they help you acquire that spot of hunting grounds you've been after, or at least encourage you to go out and try.

God bless and have fun. Remember, "They can't say yes unless you ask!"