Wow, $5 an acre! :eek: I just drive around, find a place I want to hunt, use a plat book or the couty assessors office to find the owner, and then go over and ask that person for permission. Most of the farmers in my area will let you hunt, some want to know ahead of time when you'll be out there. I also shoot the breese a bit and get a feel for where the farmers sees the deer, where they eat, where they drink, bed, etc, when he's combining his crops, where he loads his grain wagons (there is always some spillage), etc.
If that doesn't work, I ask if I can coyote hunt. I've yet to have anyone turn down a coyote hunt request if they had coyotes. And if you pull coyotes off their farm they almost always then let you deer hunt. I only have one farm I can't deer hunt on, but can coyote hunt anytime (and it's loaded with yotes!).
It's more trouble I guess, but easier on the wallet.
later,
scruffy