varmint control at property NOT your own

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Jeffs55

Member
Sep 3, 2021
165
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GA, United States
You see Matt Dubber et al doing varmint control all over in South Africa. How would you go about advertising or getting permission to shoot vermin at say a dairy farm? I realize the problem and doubts someone would have letting someone onto their property and shooting a gun. Unless you are a known to them I understand the hesitancy. So how would you go about this? I am talking about a "free" service just to allow me to shoot more. "Free" means at no charge to the property owner.

Thanx

Jeff
 
depends on what the problems are in the area .. like the farm across from me has pigs running all over it ... so if i wanted to go blast some, id go to the farmhouse and ask if they were interested in me blasting some swine with an airgun anf see what they say ... but just rolling up hey you got anything i can shoot at may not go over well .. it would help if you knew the local problems and it was obvious you at least have a clue ...
 
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Maybe use your PC and print up a flyer stating what you do . IE. rats mice birds racoon etc. include a picture of you and your Air gun . Also state you only take safe shoots no holes in buildings .

talking to farmer friend at lunch today , and i quote " I wouldn't trust a guy that would work for free ,no matter what he was offering ."

Shots , sorry fat finger typing 
 
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Waite till they are outside in the yard to ask. No one likes a stranger coming up to the door.

Don’t ask durning hunting season. Hunting and pesting are the same when it comes to deer or turkey season. No one wants any one tramping around the farm.

Ask to hunt the outskirts of the buildings and fenced areas if they have animals. The property owner won’t like dead birds laying in between their cattle or hogs. Yes, you have to pick up the dead ones. We had hog farms and anything laying around, the pigs would eat. Lost a couple radios in the farrowing houses. That and if the lead is still in the birds, the owner may have issues of the pigs digesting the lead too. 


I know how cool it is to pick off a pigeon at 50 yards off a silo. But it’s going to drop somewhere. Can you get to it before the animals do? As far as shooting in the barns go, even a low powered shot can go through tin and shingles. My butt knows that from experience! 


but, the best thing you can do is ask if the owner would like to shoot with you. Again, you have to pick the time. They have a job to do too.


 
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My friend and I have what we call our "Non Profit Business" We had cards made up and my friend wrote up a great letter explaining what we do and that we would respect their property and not shoot holes in their barns and such. We also explain how bad starlings, sparrows and other pests can be to their livestock and their own health. We put the letter and a card in an envelope and give them out when we stop and introduce our selves to the farmers. We started with one farm that was so heavy with nesting birds that we spent most of the summer there shooting literally thousands of birds and pigeons. Word spread and now we have seven farms that we service free of charge from word of mouth.

Most Dairy farms have problems with pests and don't have time to deal with them as they are busy with their daily work from Dawn to dark. If you approach them in a professional manor many of them are happy to have you there!! If you do a good job word spreads like wildfire as farmers seem to know one an other even if they aren't close neighbors.

All I can say is like was said before, get out there and talk to them!! Be professional about it and all they can say is no, but respect that and move on to the next one. You will eventually find what you are looking for but when you do, respect them and they will be happy with what you are there doing for them, a service that they need but dont have time to do them selves!! As far as charging? No way!! Its our pleasure!! J.L.
 
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My friend and I have what we call our "Non Profit Business" We had cards made up and my friend wrote up a great letter explaining what we do and that we would respect their property and not shoot holes in their barns and such. We also explain how bad starlings, sparrows and other pests can be to their livestock and their own health. We put the letter and a card in an envelope and give them out when we stop and introduce our selves to the farmers. We started with one farm that was so heavy with nesting birds that we spent most of the summer there shooting literally thousands of birds and pigeons. Word spread and now we have seven farms that we service free of charge from word of mouth.

Most Dairy farms have problems with pests and don't have time to deal with them as they are busy with their daily work from Dawn to dark. If you approach them in a professional manor many of them are happy to have you there!! If you do a good job word spreads like wildfire as farmers seem to know one an other even if they aren't close neighbors.

All I can say is like was said before, get out there and talk to them!! Be professional about it and all they can say is no, but respect that and move on to the next one. You will eventually find what you are looking for but when you do respect them and they will be happy with what you are there doing for them, a service that they need!! As far as charging? No way!! Its our pleasure!! J.L.
 
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When I was doing a lot of dove hunting, dairy farmers were our main resource. And I discovered those folks work, and sleep, that's it, long days. Go to the barn or the shed, if you go to the house, you'll probably wake them! Hardest working folks I've ever known.

Impress on them the lack of noise, as they will be sensitive to that around the barns. Good luck.


 
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Craigslist...duh.

I would charge money. Get a night vision scope for ratting. Some people may have a legitimate rat problem. You could cull it down in a few nights.

$100 per night. 10+ kill guarantee. If they have a rat problem..you will shoot alot more than that. 

You have to wait till the rat stops moving, then head shots only.
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Some of these farmers depending on weather, crop production, won’t have the extra $$$ to pay someone $100 night. So if you come three times a week your saying you should get $300?? If it stretches out to a month that’s $1200…For killing rats?



Its suppose to be a way for pcp folks to stretch out the hobby, not pay bills and send their kids to private school on

 
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Because of what hunting has become, most of the farmers I know have been hit with every line of BS you can think of for a guy to gain access to their property. They actually joke about it after the guy leaves. I could start a topic about just what the guy who farms the field across the street from me has told me this year. One guy offered him meat from the harvest. The farmer was like WTF? I said it’s in the instruction book for buttering up land owners. My advice is just be honest. Don’t try to sell it to him, most will see right through it. And whatever you do, ignore what Kaylaindy wrote. Unless you want to wear your ass for a hat as you depart the farm.
 
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Holy crap. I can't believe you guys do that for free. If there are literally 1000's of nesting birds on one farm, and the farmer is working all day and night: he has money to pay you / and he also needs your services. Shooting pests for free on a working farm is like me making airgun videos for free...it's just plain stupid. 

Sometimes our love for shooting can cloud our judgment. -Nate


And whatever you do, ignore what Kaylaindy wrote. Unless you want to wear your ass for a hat as you depart the farm.
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Kind of like when I would ask for money to make airgun videos? 


Some of these farmers depending on weather, crop production, won’t have the extra $$$ to pay someone $100 night. So if you come three times a week your saying you should get $300?? If it stretches out to a month that’s $1200…For killing rats?
Click to expand...

That is a good point. ...but I would keep contacting farmers until I found someone to pay. At least $1 per rat. $1K to get rid of 1000 rats. That's more than fair.

How much $$ does the farmer loose from pests? 
 
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Darn Nate, sorry, I just gotta say your perspective on this surprises me. 

In my area, an animal control business is subject to a lot of regulation, and fees. Maybe something you don't want to invite.

Not saying I'm right, or you're wrong, just..... darn. I grew up approaching farmers with respect, and some humility. Those that allowed me on their property were folks I deeply respected, and thanked for the privilege.
 
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I've killed thousands of birds on dairies and consider it a privilege to be able to shoot there. I think if I was paid it would not be fun but work. I've never been asked to pick birds up although I pick up all I can reach. The owners love when I show up now but might not be so happy if I got .50 per bird. I and a friend have shot at least 500 birds in one afternoon many times. Thes dairy guys pay enough for feed, equipment., and clean up. I just couldn't demand money. My .02.
 
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That’s like the guy that wanted to cut down my dead oaks, so he had firewood for the winter. I said have at it.



then he comes up to me with a bill for chainsaw fuel, bar oil, and his diesel fuel costs to come to my place. I looked at him and said you’re kidding, right?

his reply back was “im not charging you labor!” I looked at him and said GTF OUT OF HERE(Tony Soprano voice)



What I’m curious to know is if anyone has asked a landowner/farmer “hey, can I get rid of the pests?”

And gotten a response from the landowner “ and who are they a pest to? Certainly not to you, right?” My point with this is this- one day I hit up a neighbor who owns 200 acres, infested with wild boar, coyote, and I’m sure he’s got deer there and all kinds of game. I asked him one day if I could hunt yotes on his place. He looked at me and asked me “why?” And I had no answer. He then says “we can talk about it” but I’m one to catch hints fast. So I never asked again. We remained friends till his recent passing, sadly, but it was a lesson. Why? How do I know they are pests to him? They surely weren’t to me.



im not an anti hunter tree huggin dude, to be clear. Just sometimes these YouTube vids of the long haired types that go on and on about how a sparrow is a pest bird and that means we need to exterminate them all to help the farmer. I’ve often wondered what would happen if a farmer did look at you as you said I’m here to get rid of your pests, and he throws out a line like “they don’t bother me, they gotta eat, too”. 

 
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