Public land trail-marker thief

[Steve in Canton]

Originally posted by Eric Krewson:
I tent to agree with Rob with out the punching out someone.

Bottom line everyones hunting terrain varies. People up north don't understand how someone could get lost in fairly level open public land.

Where I live we have seas of privet, most thickets impossible to walk through, immature Pine plantations with with hundreds of acres of head high black berry bushes that are impenetrable, deep hollows dropping off from the pine planted ridge tops with 50ft rock cliffs and few places to transverse from top to bottom.

A GPS or topo would be useless in this type of terrain. You have to find or blaze a tail and stick with it exactly, no room for error.

If you or anyone else would punch someone over a 1 cent tack or piece of tape you have bigger emotional problems than you realize.  I have hunted in over 30 states so I know that there is areas you can get lost in but there is never a reason to get physical with someone over a tack or trail marker.

[Jeff Strubberg]

Hrm, I've always understood the rules on public land to be that you can't leave private property on them overnight.

[ron w]

I have found that hunting on flat terrain is much more difficult than hilly or mountainous. Easier to see and use landmarks in the hilly stuff. On the other hand thick is thick and that makes it tough and very hard to be silent. But a GPS can be used, just retrace a cookie crumb path that you have scouted.

[wv lungbuster]

It's not the cost of the object. It's just the point that it was his property. No different than going into someones house and stealing.

[Steve in Canton]

Originally posted by wv lungbuster:
It's not the cost of the object. It's just the point that it was his property. No different than going into someones house and stealing.

There is a huge difference in breaking into some ones private house and picking up litter on public property.  Like stated on many of the threads on this post you can walk on to public land any time of the year use your flashlight and find these trailmarkers throughout the system.

[Two Dogs]

Yeah, thats just what I wanna see, spray paint in the trees!

[robtattoo]

Originally posted by Eric Krewson:
I tent to agree with Rob with out the punching out someone.

Bottom line everyones hunting terrain varies. People up north don't understand how someone could get lost in fairly level open public land.

Where I live we have seas of privet, most thickets impossible to walk through, immature Pine plantations with with hundreds of acres of head high black berry bushes that are impenetrable, deep hollows dropping off from the pine planted ridge tops with 50ft rock cliffs and few places to transverse from top to bottom.

A GPS or topo would be useless in this type of terrain. You have to find or blaze a tail and stick with it exactly, no room for error.

Thank you Eric. There is such a vast difference in the terrain & fauna between North & South. We don't have mountains or high points to use as navigation or triangulation points. When you're in a thicket that's so closed in you can barely see the sky & you can't see much more than 5yds in any direction with a flashlight (often much, much less than that) reflective tape or cat's eyes are invaluable.
As Eric says, when you're walking to & from a stand in this kind of land, you need to follow an exact path in & out. Confuse one identical White Oak for another identical White Oak to make your 90º right turn & you can miss your stand & get turned round very, very easily.
We get precious few hunting days & I'm not prepared to waste a single one by not being able to find my tree & blundering around for hours.
Hunting down here is nothing like deer hunting in the northern or western States where you're hunting big timber with little understory or open crop fields. We're used to hunting big lumps of very scrubby, head height brush that you simply cannot see through to navigate.

Oh & Steve in Canton, anyone of the many folks from Trad Gang I've hunted with or hung out with over the years knows I'm not a threat making guy. I'm very easy going & do not make threats at all. That said, I'm not a little guy, I'm a Veteran & worked as a Bouncer before I moved here. If someone maliciously & intentionally tries to get me lost in the woods, there will be a very physical conversation takes place.

There are very few trails for us to follow down here. A good game trail would be a rabbit path. Try following that at 3 in the morning with a climbing stand on your back, bow in one hand, flashlight in the other while it's 90º & you're being eaten alive by mosquitos.

[wv lungbuster]

IT is personal property not litter. If there legal to use u can't do anything about it. Does a hang on treestand become litter once the hunter leaves it.

[robtattoo]

Originally posted by Steve in Canton:
 I have hunted in over 30 states so I know that there is areas you can get lost in but there is never a reason to get physical with someone over a tack or trail marker.

There is if it's my navigational aid into & out of  several thousand acres of identical brush & the removal/theft of it means I may well be in there for a day or two.

[Steve in Canton]

I am sure you are an easy going guy, I have read many of your post throughout the years.  Being a veteran and a former bouncer and a big man should not give you or anyone the right to punch any one.  On private land put up as many of the trail markers as you want  but on public land they are an eyesore.  Once again I have hunted in over 30 states and in all types of terane the land you are describing is no easier to get lost in than land in any other part of the US.  Nowhere in this or any of my previous post have I stated that I am trying to intentionally get some one lost.

[Steve in Canton]

Originally posted by wv lungbuster:
IT is personal property not litter. If there legal to use u can't do anything about it. Does a hang on treestand become litter once the hunter leaves it.

Yes

[robtattoo]

By removing someone's markers because you consider them an eyesore, you are removing their ability to navigate. How is that NOT intentionally trying to get someone lost?

You have no more right to remove someone's reflectors than I have to punch someone for removing mine. If you think they're that much of an issue, call your Game Warden/DNR to have them all removed & banned.

[Jeff Strubberg]

The point is, check the regs on public land.  I know here in Missouri if you leave it overnight, you've broken the law and (I think) forfeited the right to the property.

We are talking about multi-use public ground here, folks.  This isn't your back yard and you can't decorate it to suit yourself.  I know it makes navigation harder, but you aren't the only one out there.  What you put out affects other people.

[Ground Hunter]

Any property left on public land is abandon property.  You forfeit ownership...  And yes that does include trail cameras left on public land as well.  And yes, by all means talk to a game warden, as they will likely be the ones removing it.

[Steve in Canton]

Originally posted by robtattoo:
By removing someone's markers because you consider them an eyesore, you are removing their ability to navigate. How is that NOT intentionally trying to get someone lost?

You have no more right to remove someone's reflectors than I have to punch someone for removing mine. If you think they're that much of an issue, call your Game Warden/DNR to have them all removed & banned.

Punching some one is a felony. Removing trailmarkers from public land is not which gives me the right to remove them for being an eyesore.  I take a trash bag into the woods every time I hunt public lands and it is amazing the items that I bring out.  I hate looking at any thing that is not supposed to be there.