Rules for Hunting on Your Land

Hunting is a pastime that's greatly regulated and carefully watched by the government. Licenses are issued, rules for firearms are listed, bag limits and many other rules are posted. Hunting on private property is a bit of a mixed bag, though, and it's best to check the individual laws of each state before you set out to hunt your game of choice on your own land.

The first rule you have to follow when hunting, even on your own land, is the hunting season. For instance, if the hunting season is currently rabbit season, you can't just go around killing deer even if it's on your own property. There is a certain time animals should be hunted, and that time is set so that the animals don't overproduce. Hunting season laws stretch across all properties, public and private.

In public hunting areas and parks, there is usually an established bag limit, setting how many of a given type of animal a hunter can kill in a given time frame. Usually, the limits are listed by the day. On private property, any limits are set by the landowner. The purpose of a bag limit is to keep an area from being entirely depopulated, more of a concern of the public areas than the private ones.

The most important rule regarding hunting on private property is the owner must give permission. For instance, if you are the owner of the property, then you can simply choose to hunt, no questions asked. Others, even those who live on the property but who are not property owners (relatives or renters, for example), must get permission of the owner in order to hunt. This permission can be either written or oral.