Blog · September 25, 2026 · Hunting land
How to Find Landowners for Hunting Permission
The best private ground is rarely posted with the owner’s phone number. Before you can ask to hunt a woodlot, a cut cornfield or a creek bottom, you have to learn who owns it and how to reach them. County parcel maps make that first step free, and a little preparation makes the knock on the door go better.
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Step 1: Pick the ground before you pick the owner
Start with the land, not a list of names. Drive back roads in late winter and early spring when the leaves are down, glass fields at dawn, and note travel corridors between bedding cover and food. Mark each spot on a paper map or your phone, and write down the nearest road and a landmark. Five or six target tracts is a sensible start, because many asks will end in a polite no.
Step 2: Look up the owner on the county parcel map
Almost every county in the country now publishes a free parcel viewer run by the assessor, treasurer or GIS office. Find the county on the Platbookmapper national map or in our state-by-state directory, open the official viewer, and zoom to the tract you marked. Clicking the parcel usually shows:
- The owner of record, which may be a person, a family trust, an LLC or a timber company.
- A mailing address for tax bills, which is often different from the property itself.
- Acreage and the parcel boundary, so you can see how far the ground actually runs.
- Neighboring parcels, which helps when the deer sign you found sits on a line between two owners.
Aerial photo layers let you match what you saw from the road to the parcel lines. Our guide to finding adjacent owners in a parcel viewer explains how to read the lot next door, and searching by owner name helps when you know a family name but not the tract.
Step 3: Use the plat book and the courthouse
In farm country, printed plat books still earn a spot in the truck. They show ownership by section, township and range, which matches how many rural roads and fields are laid out. Nebraska’s wildlife agency suggests checking the plat book at the register of deeds or asking the assessor’s office for a landowner’s address when you are working from the courthouse. Wyoming Game and Fish points hunters to the county assessor for the most current ownership and mailing records, and notes the state’s statewide parcel viewer is usually refreshed only once a year. If a parcel viewer and a plat book disagree, the assessor’s current record is the one to trust.
Section lines matter for rural searches. Our article on searching by section, township and range covers reading those legal descriptions.
Step 4: Find a way to reach the owner
The tax mailing address is a starting point. If the owner lives on the property, a daytime visit is the traditional approach. If the address is in another town or state, a short letter works well. For LLCs and corporations, look up the registered agent in the state’s business entity search. Large timber and resource companies sometimes have staff who handle recreation requests or run lease programs. Local co-ops, feed stores and the farmer you buy sweet corn from can also point you to the right person.
Step 5: Ask the right way
Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources gives practical advice that holds up anywhere: ask well before the season, expect to be turned down several times, go alone rather than with a group, and leave written contact details including a description of your vehicle so the owner knows who is on the land. A few more habits help:
- Be specific about the species, weapon, dates and how many people would hunt.
- Offer help with fence repair, brush clearing or sharing some of the harvest.
- Ask which areas to avoid, such as livestock pens, houses and ponds, and where to park.
- If the answer is no, thank them and ask whether a neighbor might be open to it.
- If the answer is yes, get the permission and boundaries in writing and carry a copy.
Know the boundary before opening day
Permission covers one parcel, not the neighbor’s timber on the far side of the creek. Before you hang a stand, walk the line with the owner or at least compare the parcel map with fences, paint marks and old wire. GPS apps and parcel layers are close but not exact, especially under a heavy canopy. Our guide to finding property boundaries in the woods covers corner markers, blazed trees and when to stay well inside the line.
Check the state rules
Trespass and posting laws differ from state to state. In some places you need written permission on any private land, and in others unposted land is treated differently. Many states run walk-in or access programs that open enrolled private land to the public, and some, like Indiana, have programs that connect farmers who have too many deer with hunters. Read your state’s regulations each year, and when in doubt, ask.
When no one says yes
Public land is the fallback. State game areas, national forests and wildlife management areas show up as large blocks on most county maps, often labeled with a government agency as owner. Check the state wildlife agency’s own map for seasons and special rules before you go. Keep knocking on doors between seasons, too. Owners change, farms get sold, and a no in September can become a yes the next spring.
Frequently asked questions
How can I find out who owns land I want to hunt?
Open the county’s official parcel viewer, click the tract, and read the owner and tax mailing address. The assessor’s office can confirm current records.
Are hunting landowner maps free?
County parcel viewers are free in most places. Commercial hunting apps add ownership layers for a subscription, but they draw from the same public records.
What should I say when asking permission to hunt?
Introduce yourself, name the species, weapon, dates and number of hunters, offer your contact details, and accept a no politely.
Should I get hunting permission in writing?
Yes. A signed note naming you, the property and the dates avoids confusion and is required in some states.
Open the Platbookmapper county map Browse the county GIS directory by state
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey — especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.