Climbing stands and public land

[BUCKY]

For those of you who hunt with climbers on public land when do you go out and find trees to climb,climb them and trim shooting lanes? I know food has alot to do with stand placement but there are always those travel routes dictaded by terrain.

[lpcjon2]

Get out early and keep going out find a tree and don't trim  lanes till a month or so before the season starts and don't trim to much .Thats what will give away your position to the animals and the scab's that will find and hunt your tree.

[Ragnarok Forge]

Scouting is a year round effort.  Keep the trimming light and non-obvious from the ground and you are good to go.

[wapiti792]

Right now! I like to do a spring walk through while shed hunting. The best time is March before green-up but you could do some trimming and scouting now. If there is agri-fields around travel routes to/from food is a good bet. Most every knucklehead will hunt the field edges. I think about going deeper: where they bed, where to eat, and where can I kill them on the way to either.

Also, I use bright eyes to mark my tree but not my trail. If you blaze a trail with them you will ether get them pulled out by somebody who thinks they own the spot or you'll have some dude squattin' on your hard-earned work.

[stevemfwills]

best time to scout is anytime you can go.with that said trim now so its not obvious to others that arent scouting now...not as obvious..sometimes the best places are the ones that noone else is looking at..i hunted by the rangers office a few times this late archery season.never seen another hunter

[tkytrac]

You are right, some terrain locations will always be travel routes for animals.  Knowing that you can bet that critters are coming and going all year 'round in these spots.  So anytime you can get to the woods is a good time to scout.  If you are trimming lanes and marking trees, its best to do so in such a way that no one will notice.

[Throop]

I suggest get off the beaten path, also don't trim lanes, I would leave everything like you find it.  Plus people wont notice your spot.  Don't want a bunch of people hacking up the already perfect woods.

[Arwin]

Originally posted by Throop:
I suggest get off the beaten path, also don't trim lanes, I would leave everything like you find it.  Plus people wont notice your spot.  Don't want a bunch of people hacking up the already perfect woods.

Throop has it on the head for public land.    

 I also like to nip the branches with the leaves off before they bud, so as to not trim off too much. You could be left with a gaping hole that leaves you exposed come fall.

[bentpole]

I'm ready whenever you are George!          Let's Go!      

[RonD]

In Mississippi it is illegal to cut limbs from trees for any purpose on public lands. If someone cut limbs on these public lands for shooting lanes they wouldn't have to worry about other hunters finding and hunting their spot, they would have to worry about a conservation officer waiting for them and a hefty fine to follow.

[jhg]

Originally posted by lpcjon2:
... and don't trim to much .Thats what will give away your position to the animals and the scab's that will find and hunt your tree.

Not to mention over- trimming totally ruins it for others. There is a tree hunter in my area that clears all branches up to 12-15 feet high, and anything around the shooting area. It looks like a bad clear-cut. Its always a bummer to cross one of his set-ups in an otherwise nice chunk of woods.

I'm all for trimming in a way that allows you a good chance while also keeping the area looking more or less "as is". I know its good for relations too- I feel a hunter that puts a little thought into what they do and considers others is always better recieved by other hunters in the area than those that don't. Thats my take on it anyway.

Joshua

[finkm1]

On the public land I hunt in Michigan I put about 4 hangon and ladder stands for me and my 2 boys. But I use a climber alot during the early season. I usually mark trees with a brighteye tack so I can find it in the dark. I normally do not have to trim.

I put up tree stands on public land this past season.  They did not make through the season.  Some leave their stands in all year so they don't lose their spot, illegal. In Iowa a tree stand is considered public property on public lands, I would not mind seeing the law changed to match other states that say all stands must be removed on a daily basis. In some of our woods the tree stands left out number the hunters that use the areas, most go unused the entire season.  It is not much fun when one cannot find a spot to even sit on a stool without being close to another tree stand.  If everyone went to climbers it would be an improvement for everyone, providing they did not leave them out like personal no trespassing signs everywhere. I found that leaving one out for three days was enough temptation for someone to steal mine.  Now I am looking for the easiest to use model that is also easy to carry and quiet to mount.  Excessive trimming is frowned on by the state here.

[finkm1]

I never hang a stand before Labor day, others do. Usually my stands are down by gun season Nov 15th. I leave 4 stands in the woods, 2 stands I do not hunt till the rut.Most of the hunters that hunt on that piece of public land are from the city. They only hunt on weekends, I live close by and hunt during the week, on the weekends I am more or less a "guide" for my boys.I pattern the other hunters like I pattern deer, I know when they are most likley to be in the woods. I have a tree marked for my climber by there stands and will hunt there during the week. If I know that hunter will be in his stand I will sit somwhere else. Just because a stand is there does not mean it is there spot, but I stay away if I know that hunter will be hunting that spot out of respect.

[illianabowhntr67]

I try not to tip off my stand locations by excessive trimming and reflective tacks.I also try to set up according to what other hunters are doing.Where I hunt mid day is real productive when guys are leaving for lunch and the afternoon hunters coming in.

[jhg]

Originally posted by finkm1:
...Just because a stand is there does not mean it is there spot, but I stay away if I know that hunter will be hunting that spot out of respect.

Right on!

[Hoyt]

I started about a month ago. I don't trim shooting lanes, I find a good area in thick cover and trim limbs off the tree trunk so I can get up the tree with climbers. I take my Lone Wolf Hand Climber (it's the lightest climber I have) and use it to get up where I can trim.

The thick areas these deer around here..S. IL. like to bed in and move through are mostly locust trees and are full of thorns about 2" long..all the way up the trunk. It's  really hard to find a tree to get in without first going and and trimming the thorns and limbs.

[hitman]

I use gorilla hang on stands with climbing sticks and when using a climber I have an API grandslam magnum, which is a little inconvenient with the hand climber with the front bar issue, but I just lower the hand climber so my bow clears it when I draw. Above all use a good safty harness.

[bentpole]

COME ON BUCKY THIS WEEKEND FOR SURE!