Stands on public land ...

[Jeff Strubberg]

Respect "my spot"?  Heck no.

Climb into my stand?  Question like that are exactly why I never put up stands on public ground.

[No-sage]

If I have 100 stands, and put one up over every one of the 100 deer trails on a patch of public land, do I now have exclusive hunting rights to that entire parcel?

[GingivitisKahn]

Lol no-sage - that's exactly my point.  I'm not sure how many acres a tree-stand claims but maybe it's worth doing the math.

At Cabelas, the cheapest stands I see are about $70 each.  Assuming each stand claims 1/10th of an acre, then apparently we can own public hunting land for $700 an acre.  That's assuming we want the whole acre.

A quick Google search shows me someone selling 30 acres close to where I hunt for 1.4 million.  Assuming that's twice what the land is worth (that's 700k for 30 acres - stay with me) then the land there costs around $23k per acre.

Dang - this thread is a gold mine!

[longstick]

the public lands here in texas you can leave 72 hrs before they can remove it themselves if someone doesnt take it before then--- cheapies they leave alone but a Lone Wolf??? PROLLY going to go missing

[michael goldman]

at the state park i hunt at you have to remove your stand at the end of the day. i turn in the location of 5 to 6 stands every year to the park rangers, they remove the stands and leave a note telling the owner that the stand can be picked up at the rangers station. so i geuss im a tatle tale but if i got to pack a stand in everyday they can too

[Three Arrows]

Most stands left in public land over days don't last too long.  They generaly end up missing after a day around here.  Some disappear overnight even.  Most people will not get into a confrontation with a stranger in the woods so they probably won't climb into someone else's stand.  BUT, there are some that will. That's when it gets interesting...  

[Longbowwally]

It's public land, but it's someones stand - it's not for public use. It's a big no-no to use someone else's stand no matter where it is..

Also, it blows my mind how people will steal tree stands...Stealing is stealing no matter what...

Even on public land I don't hunt right where someone has a stand...I'll give them the same respect I'd like to be given if someone walks up on me....

[Red Beastmaster]

If I found someone in my stand I would just take down my climbing sticks! Let the lazy slob up there!

[Burnsie]

The public lands I hunt in Illinois require you to remove your stand daily.  Wasn't always like that. Used to be able to leave them all season, but had to have them tagged with your name and address.  Had a couple stolen leaving them up, so I'm done with that.  I take my Lone Wolf climber in and out each time, its quick and easy.  On rare occasion I will leave my stand overnight if I'm coming down in dark and know I will be back in it before light the next morning.
As far as someone else using my stand because its on public land - NOT COOL.  The land, the trees, the water are public - everyone has equal rights to it.  But my stand??? - I don't think so.  If someone gets in there before me and wants to put a stand in the exact same tree - have at it.  I wouldn't think much of the person, but I'd respect his right to the area and move on to somewhere else.
I guess the whole idea of climbing up into someone elses stand just because it's there is really foreign to me, don't get it.

[buckeye_hunter]

I really can't see the up-side of hunting someone else's stand or leaving a stand.

Scenario 1;
You walk to "your stand" that you left and someone is using it = possible disagreement, ruined hunting spot (likely for both of you)for the morning/evening, possible fight between armed people and none of this is good.

Scenario 2:
You walk to "your stand" that you left and someone has taken it =    $%^#%#$, what was I thinking?

Scenario 3:
You use the stand someone else has left behind and they walk in to use the stand too = possible disagreement, ruined hunting spot (likely for both of you)for the morning/evening, possible fight between armed people and none of this is good.

Scenario 4:
You walk in and see someboy's stand and go hunt another area = BS because my tax dollars paid for this land too! I had to learn this lesson early on and apologize for my prior ignorance.


None of these seem like good options and all are avoided by simply removing your stand when you leave.

No one owns public land. Let every hunter experience the woods the same way you do. We all should get to feel we are free to choose a hunting spot on pulic land without the above worries.

Just my opinion,
-Charlie

[Yellow Dog]

Pack it in and pack it out every day. I've had them stolen on private land let alone public land. Climbing sticks and a Loc-On Limit. Up and down in about 10 minutes.


 

[Mr.Magoo]

Well it's an interesting problem.  While I wouldn't use someone else's stand, they certainly don't have the right to claim a spot or area as their own.

I went out tonight and hung my stand right between two stands a pair of fellas had left up.  No other way to hunt a little trail crossroad.  Neither of them showed up; if they had, hopefully they'd have moved on to another spot.

Of course, I didn't see anything either.

[Arwin]

Yes it is public land, but someone else climbing into your stand is lazy and rude! I refer to these guys as "scavengers" rather than hunters. Hunters should take pride in off season or pre-season scouting out their own areas and doing the work. It takes something to climb into someone elses stand, ya gotta know they're going to come back to it, just a matter of when. If the original owner comes back and your sitting in his stand then both of your hunts are ruined. Common courtesy should be the golden rule.  
 Michigan public land is as cut-throat as it gets. Any stand I plan on leaving out there is a $10 garage sale special because I've had 4 stolen. Climbers, treesaddles, natural ground blinds and pop-up blinds are the way to go.
 I have 20(no kidding) areas prepped and ready in case the pressure gets too crazy. More than a decade of public land hunting in my back pocket and I've seen just about every rediculous scenario possible. Funny thing is, I go back for more,LOL! It is a mental game trying to outwit the deer while working around other hunters, hikers and who knows what.    

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Public lands public property. Personally I feel pack in and pack out is the way to go. If a stand is taken from public property It serves the hunter right.

Just because it's public property doesn't mean you can leave your stuff laying around.  If that's the case I'll throw all my crap in an area and claim it. "That's my entertainment center which means this is my spot, you can't watch tv here!" In fact where I grew up the state or county would remove them.

-Charlie

[Arwin]

Stealing is stealing brother, I guess thats how I see it. I have seen "slob hunters" litter all over the woods before, usually during gun season. That stuff bums me out.    I leave my areas better than I found them minus my stand, neatly locked up in place to deter theives.
 Besides, how are ya going to sneak in on a big buck in the morning while making a ton of racket trying to hang a stand in the dark? He'll be 10 miles away and out of Dodge.  :eek:

[Brian Krebs]

I think opinions about this are partially or wholly based on where you hunt and the hunting pressure there.

 Here in Idaho; I have found hunters in my stands; which are my property; that were put there by outfitters - who didn't care right from wrong.
 I have left people in the stands; but I let them know the situation.

 A couple years ago I had a bear bait out; in Idaho; you have to have a bear baiting tag to set out bait; but not to hunt over a bait.
 So I put up an Ameristep blind there; and when I came back the next day a rifle hunter had found the bait and stand while driving around in the woods on his atv. He put an illegal bait on my bait pile- tagged with my tag; and then with fishy fingers moved my blind so that it better served his rifle needs.
  After he left; with the intent of returning to use my blind; the bears came in and chewed holes where he touched the blind with his fishy fingers.

 Now I bought that blind; I put out and tagged the bait; and his putting an illegal bait on my pile ( filleted out steelhead) I could have ended up with a ticket for it.

 So; he used my blind; the bears broke one of the support rods; and moved my blind and put me in the position to get a ticket for the bait.

 I had an encounter with this guy that was not pleasant; it was loud and I still have bitter feelings about it. He has not shown back up since.

 I used to be an avid duck hunter; and the rule on rivers and public lakes was the first person to the blind had the legal right to use it; and I had and have no problem with that.

 But I live surrounded by public land; with low hunter pressure. In fact - if I see another bowhunter- we end up working together not against each other.

 A treestand and a pop up blind cost money. To take them is stealing. To use them in a way to destroy them is destruction of private property.

 In duck hunting in high pressure areas I have seen a draw system for blinds. You show up in the dark and draw a blind to use for the day.
 That worked fine in crowed areas; and you might find that system used in high pressure deer hunting areas.
 That or banning treestands and double bull type blinds.

  But - again-  if your stand is rated at 250 pounds; and some 300 pound man falls out of it... well you know the legal system.

 Again - so much of this varies from one state to another and one situation to another.

 Nobody owns the public lands; or a specific spot in it. But - if theft is a way of life for hunting; then banning stands is probably  in the future.
 
 That or learning to get along with each other.

And in Idaho; outfitters have treestands and spots for bear baits and wallows; and while individuals are on their own in conflicts; guides typically 'own' areas and spots.

 As hunter numbers increase; conflicts like these are bound to go up.

 Rules are better than violence. But violence does work.

 It will be interesting to see how this topic changes over the coming years....  

[GingivitisKahn]

"Rules are better than violence. But violence does work."   I like that.      

For all the folks pointing out that stealing a guy's stand is wrong or hunting from it is rude - of course you are correct.

Now can you admit that it's just as rude to leave that stand out there for weeks on end and expect others to avoid "your" spot?

[wollelybugger]

I have seen stands left in the wood for years, the tree actually grows over the chains or straps holding them on. I wouldn't advise climbing in a stand, you never know how long it has been hanging. Leave a stand in public land in my area of Pa. and you have a 50/50 chance of it being there for any time. I have had them stolen in one day from hanging them.

[James Wrenn]

I won't hunt anyone elses stand.I won't hunt near a stand that I think someone else might hunt that day.I will however hunt near stands that are just hung trying to claim a tree on public land.Just because a stand is hanging on a nice oak ridge does not mean I won't hunt part of the ridge as well.I keep an eye on stands in the area and know if they are being hunted often or not at all.If I come in and someone is sitting in my stand it is pretty simple.They are comeing out of it.  

[bowtough]

Here in Il they are now charging bowhunters per stand to leave or even have on public ground. So much for our taxes. I heard they are even charging for ground blinds,and if you just sit in a chair,there is also a charge for this. Times they are a changing.  :mad: