Skip to main content
🌲 WildPass

Field notes

Practical, plain-English guides on land access — for the people roaming it and the people who own it. 56 articles on hunting access, foraging, camping, public lands, trip safety and earning from your land.

🍄 Foraging

Mushrooms, ramps and berries — legally, safely and sustainably.

Chanterelle Lookalikes and How to Identify Them Safely

Learn how true chanterelles differ from jack-o’-lanterns and false chanterelles: ridges vs gills, growth habit, flesh and smell. Then get an expert to confirm.

6 min read

False Morel vs True Morel: How to Tell the Difference

Slice every specimen lengthwise, then check the cap, the attachment and the inside. A careful guide to false morel vs true morel, and why experts still confirm.

7 min read

Foraging Ethics: A Practical Code for Sustainable Harvest

Foraging ethics in practice: ask permission, take less than you can use, protect rare plants, share patches carefully and leave places as you found them.

6 min read

Foraging Gear List: What to Bring on a Day Trip

A foraging gear list for a day trip: baskets, knife, field guides, navigation, ticks, first aid, rain gear and seasonal add-ons, plus what to leave at home.

6 min read

How to Harvest Ramps Sustainably (Wild Leeks Guide)

Ramps grow slowly and are easy to overpick. Learn how to harvest ramps sustainably, spot toxic look-alikes, check the rules, and store and cook your haul.

6 min read

Is Foraging Legal on Public Land? Rules by Land Type

Foraging rules depend on who manages the land. See what national forests, BLM land, parks and refuges usually allow, and how to confirm the rule for your spot.

6 min read

Mushroom Foraging Safety: Rules to Follow Every Time

Never eat a wild mushroom you haven’t identified with certainty and had confirmed by an experienced local forager. Here are the safety rules, myths and steps.

6 min read

Where to Pick Wild Berries: A Practical Field Guide

Where to pick wild berries, when they ripen, what is legal on public land, and how to stay safe from look-alikes, bears and ticks. A practical guide.

6 min read

Morel Hunting in Michigan: Where to Look and When

When Michigan morel season generally runs, which kinds of public and private land to check, what to confirm about the rules, and how to stay safe.

7 min read

🦌 Hunting access

Find places to hunt, ask permission, and read the rules.

Day Hunt vs Hunting Lease: Which Is Right for You?

Compare a paid day hunt with a hunting lease on cost, exclusivity, flexibility and responsibility, with break-even math and a checklist to vet any property.

6 min read

How to Ask Landowner Permission to Hunt (Scripts)

A playbook for getting a yes to hunt private land: find the owner, ask early and in person, make a specific request, offer value, and get it in writing.

6 min read

How to Find Places to Hunt Without Owning Land

A practical ladder for hunters with no land: public ground, walk-in programs, permission, paid access and clubs, plus how to scout and a step-by-step plan.

6 min read

How to Get a Hunting License and Hunter Ed: First Steps

New hunter? Here is how licenses, hunter education, tags and draws generally work, plus the first steps to take with your state wildlife agency.

6 min read

How to Read Hunting Regulations and Season Dates

Learn to decode a state hunting regulations digest: seasons by unit and weapon, shooting hours, bag limits, tags, restrictions and a pre-season checklist.

6 min read

Hunting Etiquette on Private Land: A Guest’s Checklist

How to be the hunter landowners invite back: boundaries, gates, parking, safe shooting, game cleanup, wounded-animal tracking, vehicles, fires and thanks.

6 min read

Public Land Hunting for Beginners: A Practical Guide

New to hunting public land? Learn what counts as public, how to scout, read the rules, handle crowds and boundaries, and stay safe, with realistic expectations.

6 min read

Hunting Lease Prices Per Acre: What Drives the Cost

What hunting leases commonly cost per acre, why prices swing so widely by region and habitat, the hidden costs, and cheaper ways to hunt private land.

6 min read

Walk-In Hunting Access Programs: How They Work

How state walk-in hunting access programs open private land to licensed hunters, which states run them, and how to find each one’s current maps and rules.

6 min read

⛺ Camping

Dispersed camping, backcountry basics and campfire know-how.

Campfire Rules and Safety: Before, During and After

How to check fire restrictions, pick a safe spot, build a small fire and put it dead out, plus when to skip the fire entirely and cook on a stove.

6 min read

Dispersed Camping Rules on National Forest and BLM Land

What dispersed camping is, where it is usually allowed, and the stay limits, water setbacks, fire and waste rules to confirm before you pitch a tent.

7 min read

First-Time Backcountry Camping Checklist for Beginners

A step-by-step plan and gear checklist for your first backcountry camping trip: route, rules, water, food storage, campsite choice and an emergency plan.

6 min read

Private Land Camping Etiquette: How to Be an Ideal Guest

Private land camping etiquette from booking to checkout: questions for the host, rules for fires, waste, noise, gates and firewood, and a fair rating.

6 min read

The 7 Leave No Trace Principles, Explained With Examples

The seven Leave No Trace principles in plain language, with concrete habits for camping, hiking, foraging, hunting and fishing on public and private land.

6 min read

Free Camping vs. Private Campground: Which to Pick

Dispersed public-land camping, developed campgrounds and private land camping compared honestly: cost, amenities, rules, crowds, reservations and safety.

6 min read

🎣 Fishing, trails & off-road

Public fishing access, ice safety, ATV rules and hiking access.

ATV and UTV Trail Access Rules: Where You Can Ride

Where ATVs and UTVs can legally ride: designated trails, public land maps, registration and permits, private land permission, safety gear, and trail etiquette.

6 min read

Can I Hike on Private Land? What the Law Actually Says

In most of the US you need the owner’s permission to hike on private land. Learn how trespass rules, easements and signs work, and how to ask or find access.

6 min read

How to Find Public Fishing Access Near You (Legally)

Find legal bank and boat fishing access: state access sites, launches, stream easements, public lands, bridge crossings, paid private water and scouting tips.

6 min read

Ice Fishing Safety: Ice Thickness, Gear and Access

Ice fishing safety basics: how thick ice should be, how to read it, gear to carry, what to do if you fall in, and how to find legal winter access.

6 min read

🗺️ Public lands & maps

Know what’s public, who owns what, and how to map it.

How to Find Out Who Owns a Property (Free Methods)

Find a property owner for free using county parcel viewers, assessor and recorder records, state portals and business registries, then reach out respectfully.

6 min read

How to Tell if Land Is Public or Private (5 Checks)

Five practical checks, from public-land map layers to county parcel records and on-the-ground signs, to tell whether land is public or private before you enter.

6 min read

Michigan Commercial Forest Act Public Access Explained

How Michigan’s Commercial Forest program opens private timberland to the public on foot for hunting, fishing and trapping, and what you should not assume.

6 min read

National Forest vs BLM Land vs State Land: Key Differences

How national forests, BLM land and state lands differ on camping, fires, foraging, hunting, vehicles and permits, and where to check the rules for each one.

6 min read

Offline Maps for Hiking and Hunting: Setup and Tips

How to download offline maps before you lose signal: what to save, how big downloads get, battery tips, and why a paper map and compass belong in your pack.

6 min read

What Is PAD-US? The National Public Lands Dataset

PAD-US is the USGS inventory of public lands and protected areas. Learn what it contains, what it is good for, and where its limits can mislead you.

6 min read

Wisconsin Managed Forest Law: Open Land and Public Access

What open and closed enrollment mean under Wisconsin’s Managed Forest Law, which activities open land generally allows, and how to confirm before you go.

6 min read

🧭 Trip planning & safety

Group trips, booking private land, and backcountry safety.

Backcountry Safety Checklist: Plan, Pack and Prepare

A practical backcountry safety checklist: trip plans, weather checks, the ten essentials, communication options, turnaround times and what to do if lost.

6 min read

How to Book Private Land Access: A Step-by-Step Guide

From search to check-in: how to find private land, read a listing, choose a pass, add your group, pay, get your ticket and be a guest hosts want back.

7 min read

How to Plan a Group Camping or Hunting Trip (4–12 People)

A timeline for planning a group outdoor trip: permissions and group limits, roles, money, gear, safety, paperwork for minors and booking one shared pass.

6 min read

🌲 For landowners

Lease, price, protect and list your land for recreation.

How Much to Charge for Foraging Access on Your Land

A pricing framework for landowners selling foraging access: personal vs commercial passes, per-person pricing, harvest limits, season windows and bad years.

7 min read

How to Lease Your Land for Hunting (Step by Step)

A step-by-step guide to leasing your land for hunting: choose a lease type, price it, find and screen hunters, put it in writing, and manage the season.

6 min read

How to List Land for Recreation: Photos and Descriptions

A shot list, phone-camera tips and a plain checklist of what to write so guests understand your land, trust your rules and pick the right pass.

7 min read

How to List Your Land for Recreational Access (Step by Step)

A walkthrough of listing land on WildPass: free vs paid hosting, Stripe verification, zone maps, passes, waivers, rules and what happens after a booking.

7 min read

How to Screen Guests for Private Land (Without Being Rude)

A practical way to screen guests for private land: the questions to ask, licenses and references to check, red flags, and polite ways to say no.

6 min read

How to Start a Campsite on Your Land: Permits to Pricing

Turn a few quiet acres into a campsite: zoning and permit checks, water and toilets, fire and emergency access, insurance, pricing and a small first launch.

7 min read

Hunting Lease Agreement Checklist: What to Put in Writing

A clause-by-clause hunting lease agreement checklist for landowners: parties, term, rent, guests, stands, vehicles, insurance, termination and more.

6 min read

Improve Hunting Land to Raise Its Lease Value: What Works

Which habitat and access improvements hunters actually value, in what order to do them, and where to get free expert advice before you spend money.

7 min read

Is Hunting Lease Income Taxable? What Landowners Should Know

Money from hunting leases, access passes, camping and u-pick is generally taxable. Learn how it may be reported, what expenses to track and who to ask.

6 min read

No Trespassing Signs and Purple Paint Laws for Landowners

How posting works: no trespassing signs versus purple paint marks, why requirements vary by state, where to place them, and how to post land with paid access.

6 min read

Property Safety for Guests: A Landowner’s Walk-Through

A hazard-by-hazard walk-through for landowners opening land to hunters, foragers and campers: wells, ponds, stands, gates, off-limits zones and emergencies.

6 min read

Recreational Use Statutes and Landowner Liability Explained

How recreational use statutes may limit a landowner’s liability to people using land for recreation, why fees can change the picture, and what to ask a lawyer.

6 min read

Rules for Guests on Private Land: How to Write Them

How to write guest rules for your private land that people actually follow: example wording, the ten-rule shape, written acknowledgment and fair enforcement.

6 min read

Ways to Earn Money From Your Land in Every Season

A four-season calendar of access ideas for one property: spring foraging, summer camping, fall hunting and winter ice and snow, and how to avoid conflicts.

6 min read

What Is a 1099-K? A Plain-English Guide for Landowners

A plain-English guide to Form 1099-K for landowners who take online payments for land access: when you get one, what it shows, and how to reconcile it.

6 min read

What to Do When Hunters Break the Rules on Your Land

A calm, step-by-step plan for landowners when a guest breaks the rules: safety first, document, warn in writing, end access and report the incident.

6 min read

Hunting Lease Liability Insurance: What to Know

Why charging for hunting access can change a landowner’s liability, what hunt-lease insurance covers, questions to ask your agent, and where waivers fit.

6 min read

Make Money From Your Land: Recreation Income Ideas

Nine ways rural landowners earn from recreational access, from hunting leases to camping and foraging passes, plus the insurance, tax and legal basics first.

6 min read
Field Notes — Guides on Hunting, Foraging, Camping & Land Access | WildPass