Unread postby phade » Thu Mar 13, 2014 5:53 am
I have a significant amount of success writing letters when I started a few years ago. Anytime I've ever mentioned it on most forums, it gets downplayed big time. I've had people tell me I'm lying, and if I provide data (I keep success rate logs), they act like it's not real. So, I don't largely mention it anywhere else now. Some people here may find the tactic useful.
I have exclusive permission on multiple properties from letters. I have also done the bulk of my out of state access via letters, and about 20% via phone calls.
Let's break this down.
Say it takes you 4 hours to drive to the state in question. You need to be prepared with research and you know the counties/towns you want to hit up. You burn 8 hours of drive time plus gas knocking on doors. Chances are you have to burn up an overnight trip just to roll the dice on getting permission...that means a hotel or camp, etc. Now, you're up in the several hundred dollar range for cost between gas, food, hotel. Just for a gamble of the dice.
Hypothetically, I can take $100, send out letters to 200 landowners in the same county, and never leave home. I wait for the responses. The ones that say yes opens the dialogue and a phone call typically ensues to touch base and get details. Once I feel enough time has lapsed where I feel I won't get anymore responses, I will then schedule a weekend to head to the area and visit all of the owners I get permission from and scout. This time, however, I'm not banking on a roll of the dice. It's a known place with a known schedule. I can map out the aerials ahead of time along with topos. I have a plan in place.
Realistically, I send much fewer letters because my success rate is higher than I thought in the state I focus on. I have a lower success rate in my home state, but it is still more than acceptable with the cost.
There are some pluses to letters (and some detractors). Inevitably, some owners want face to face. That's fine and understandable, but the point to remember is that you don't know which ones are like that. There are just as many who prefer a nice, well-written letter they can read on their own time and feel comfortable making the call. LANDOWNERS call me. That's right. They call me to say yes, or no, or maybe. I've found out just as many owners actually prefer to do it on their own schedule. Face it, people are busier today than they were 10 years ago. Some owners have told me explicitly that I got permission solely because of my approach.
Really, you are playing a numbers game. The most letters I have ever sent out in a batch was 52. Much more often, I only send out 10-15 because it can be hard to keep track of who you send to. I stagger my mailings, sending out a few each week from Jan through March/April.
One of the funny points mentioned by a prior poster is that owners will just throw the letter away. I'm sure that happens with those not interested. They'd likely say no anyway. But, I've had two landowners call me 3 months and 13 months after I sent them the letter. Seriously, one guy called me over a year later, saying he meant to call me, set the letter on his desk and it got buried. He came across it and called me back to offer me exclusive access to his parcel, and one that his neighbors have been trying to hunt for decades. Why'd he give me permission? He's a police office and absolutely loved my approach and the letter showed that I was a serious hunter who would treat his land well.
I'll close out with my success rates for when I started tracking them three years ago
In-state
52 letters - 2 yes, 1 maybe (one turned out to have good bucks, but every quality spot had a stand in it when scouted, I passed - the other was the aforementioned cop)
22 letters - 2 yes (one turned into an exclusive gem - the other I passed on)
Out of state
32 letters - 3 yes
11 letters - 1 yes, 2 maybe (passed on both maybes)
7 letters - 1 yes
