Nuisance animals?

A

Atroxus

New member
Let me give some background before my question. I am wanting to learn to hunt, but what I have read about hunting on public lands is not very encouraging. I know someone that can teach me to hunt, but I have been wondering how to go about getting permission to hunt private land, without having to pay a lease. (I want to hunt for food only, not for trophies) I got the idea of maybe asking landowners if I could trade varmint removal service a 1-2 days a month year round for permission to hunt deer/elk during appropriate hunting seasons. I found a list of small critters that are mostly legal to hunt year round.(list pasted below) I am looking for feedback from landowners as to which critters(if any) on this list you would consider enough of a nuisance to want someone to come kill them for you. Also would any landowners consider this an equitable arrangement, assuming I am polite, well behaved, leave the land as good or better condition when I leave than when I arrived.

Bobcat
Sept. 1-Mar. 15, 2010
Cannot be hunted with dogs
Pelt must sealed by WDFW

Raccoon
Statewide: Sept. 1, 2009- Mar. 15 2010
Closed on Long Island within Willapa National Wildlife Refuge

Fox
Sept. 1-Mar. 15, 2010
Closed within Mount Baker-Snoqualmie, Okanogan, Wenatchee, and Gifford Pinchot National Forests, and GMUs 407 and 1410

Coyote*
Year round
Hunting license required. Cannot be hunted with dogs

Cottontail rabbit and Snowshoe hare
Sept. 1-Mar. 15, 2010

Crows
Oct. 1-Jan. 31, 2010
Crows in the act of depredation may be taken at any time.

Mountain beaver
Year round
Hunting license required.

European rabbit
Year Round
Hunting license required.

Gopher
Year Round
Except mazama pocket gophers

Gray and fox squirrels
Year Round
Except western gray squirrels

Ground squirrels
Year Round
Except golden-mantled and Washington ground squirrels

Moles
Year Round
Hunting license required.

Nutria
Year Round
Hunting license required.

Virginia opossum
Year Round
Hunting license required.

Porcupine
Year Round
Hunting license required.

Shrews
Year Round
Hunting license required.

Spotted skunk
Year Round
Hunting license required.

Striped skunk
Year Round
Hunting license required.

Voles
Year Round
Hunting license required.

Yellow-bellied marmot
Year Round
Hunting license required.
Note: Olympic and Hoary marmots are protected.
 
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Not sure this will help just because I'm not from your area. If you are looking at farms, (again, I don't know if this is applicable to your area) the animals that would apply on your list would be the Marmot and especially the Ground Hogs. Farmers really hate ground hogs.

Very interesting idea on your part. Please, let us know if it brings you luck in obtaining permission.
 
Sheep and goat ranchers hate coyotes, if you have that sort of ranching in your area. Coyotes aren't popular with farm wives with chickens, nor with anybody who's a quail hunter. Somewhat the same for bobcats, although those populations are usually sparser.

I'd try visiting farmsteads on a Sunday afternoon, dressed neatly and asking politely about such a tradeoff.

As far as the basics of hunting, even public lands are great during the off-seasons to go out and watch critters. The more time, the better. Learn about tracks and trails. Find some observation point and just sit and watch, particularly at first light in the morning and then again near sundown.

Learn how to walk quietly. Animals don't march. They move in a step-step-pause style. Regular sounds are off-putting to them, and will alert them. One thing that I worked on for a long while was walking without stepping on sticks or rolling rocks while still staying able to watch around me: Flick a glance down for the next two to four steps. As you take those steps, look around for critters. Repeat the process. For me, now, it's a reflex. And I've found that a smooth, crepe-soled hunting boot is much quieter than the "waffle-stomper" style.
 
Of the animals you listed, coyotes are currently very high on most people's list of which animals to get rid of. Of course, raccoons are always a lot of trouble, as are nutria and skunks, but most folks tolerate them raiding the garbage cans until they take a bite of Fluffy. Moles are a big problem since the trapping ban was passed a few years ago (not that you can't trap them, but you have to use a live trap). European rabbits are escapees or feral, typically in areas where they used to be farmed for meat and pelts (there used to be a lot of that up around Arlington, so you are in the right area). I would leave the shrews and voles to someone else, if I were you. It could get really ugly if you wounded one and it charged you ;).

All in all, sounds like the idea of pest removal in exchange for hunting privileges has merit.
 
I got permission to hunt private land because my brother was a preacher in an area with lots of farms, ranches, and orchards.
After my brother moved I sucked up to those folks big time to keep the privilege.

So my advice is to go to church young man.
 
Oh I almost forgot. I am saving right now for a hunting rifle either .308, or .30-06. I have not decided which yet, but I am hoping to have enough by next deer/elk season. I was wondering is .22LR CCI Minimag HP sufficient for varmint hunting up to/including coyotes?
 
I once thought about offering my services around here for hogs and coyotes, no takers. Everybody seems to like to grouse about them but don't want a solution.

Once I offered 50% from the sale of hog meat. Then going for $1.25 to 1.50 a lb., still no takers. I'm not taking care of somebody elses problems at a cost to me.
 
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