Discover tips to address hunting on your land, including understanding hunting laws, leasing your land, and setting rules and boundaries.
Have you recently purchased hunting land and are concerned about people hunting on your private land without your permission? Here are a few tips to address hunting on your land which includes understanding hunting laws, leasing your land, and setting rules and boundaries.
Know The Law
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) governs the laws and regulations for hunting in the State of Florida. The commission establishes licensing and permits for hunting and they even protect owners from those who trespass on private property. Trespassers can be charged with a felony, imprisoned, or incur fines. Most seasoned hunters understand that there are laws against trespassing, yet there may be some who choose to disobey these laws.
Offer To Lease The Land
If you own quality land with an excellent selection of game, consider leasing the land. This is an excellent way to make extra income. You can choose to barter instead of charging a fee. You can also charge a fee for hunting or allow hunters to hunt the game you want to get rid of (to protect certain crops) for no fee at all. These are categorized as an exchange of service, non-fee, and fee leasing agreements. Begin by assessing your land and identifying your game and hunting capacity. Get a hunting contract drafted by a legal expert and acquire liability insurance to protect yourself and others on your property.
Set Rules And Boundaries
Set boundaries and a standard of respect for those you allow on your land. If you decide to allow others to hunt, set some of the following rules:
- Designated areas for hunting
- Firearm safety rules
- Ethical hunting guidelines
- Do not litter or damage property
- Specify a parking area
- Limit hunting days and hours
- Limit the number of hunters on your property
- Ask for emergency contact information in case of accident or injury
- Have hunters sign waivers and stress hunters own risk and liability
If you prefer to keep your land private, it’s important to make that known through signage and contacting the proper authority in case trespassers refuse to comply. However, you can take advantage of the cash generating possibilities of owning hunting land by leasing your land and setting ground rules for success.