someone using your treestand

[Freedom2live]

Hello Hello there, hope all is well. On a beautiful calm afternoon heading to your tree. As you walk up to you see someone else there..

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ????

 

[Derek M.]

I can tell you what I would do (on the internet) but you'd have to call me for the truth. Don't want that in writing.

 

[Broz]

Is the stand on private land where only you are allowed to hunt? On private where others also have permission to hunt?

Or is this a stand you put up and leave on public lands?

I would not be happy in any scenario but the way I handled it would greatly depend on these answers.

Jeff

 

[Freedom2live]

Public land, hang on

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

I'd probably blow them out of the tree stand!lol! no i would never do that but i would definitely give him a piece of my mind and i guarantee u that he would think twice before sitting in it again lol!

 

[HARPERC]

We've had it happen on bait sets a time or 2. Mostly the guys were apologetic, and left. Usually if we knew someone found them, we packed in a chain saw for the last hunt, and moved on. Public land is public land, the guys that irritate me are the ones that try to buffalo every one else into not using an area.

 

[Broz]

It is public land and he is using your private property that you left there. I would approach him in a firm but friendly manner and ask him to not use it again. Then let him decide where the confrontation went from there. If it got heated I would remind him that his truck is probably parked on public access and he probably would not like it if you set up camp in it.

Jeff

 

[HARPERC]

I don't disagree Broz, I just meant you need to have sense of perspective. My partner encountered a citizen sitting in a truck (this year) at a locked gate that felt being as he was there first, he was entitled to be the first one into the woods. ATV's, horse back riders, rock shooters, and marijauna growers have been in there all summer, and this guy thinks opening day thinks it's his private preserve. How far it can escalate has to be considered in your responses.

I almost clarified before, all of our tree stands were naturals, and we never had to place our names at the stands. Some were up for years, and folks stumbling in was an ongoing thing.

Folks get territorial about camp sites "we've camped in the spot 30 years". A year we were new to a spot, archery season not a soul, rifle season a large camp was set up, one guy sitting on it. We went to talk with him, and he had a big sigh of relief. He thought we were going to give him crap, and all we wanted to know was the best way to set up our small tents without intruding on them.

I'm not saying it's not aggravating, and I'm not saying don't claim what's your's.

 

[Red Sparky]

Depends on the laws of the state you live in. Here, even if it is your stand, it could be considered abandoned property. Public land is usually first come first serve. Doesn't give someone the right to your property but can you prove it is yours? Make sure you have your name on it someplace with last four of social security #. That way if somebody is being a jerk you can say " There is my stolen stand with my name and identifier on it. What is your name so I can tell local law enforcement or you can wait until they get here.".

Usually I have never had a problem on public land but I don't use tree stands. I have back up plans. One year I was on a water hole someone else had planned on hunting. We talked and I considered wind direction and told them I would be happy to move up to where another canyon came in about 1/2 mile away or they could. They were set and determined to be on the water hole. Only time I ran into spoiled, rich, babies determined to have their way. So I smiled and went on my way to the other canyon. What they did not consider was the way the elk would come to the water hole if they got past me I was upwind of the elk and would possibly run them away from the water hole.

So set up on the canyon, the other hunters 1/2 mile down wind of me, I took off scent lock base layers. I turned them inside out and hung them about 50 yards downwind of me. Yep I saw elk and killed a nice 5X5 and the other hunters saw squat. I gave them the option to be in my position but they turned it down so I don't feel bad at all.

The look on their faces when they came by after dark, to check on what I had shot at and if I did any good, was priceless.

 

[Freedom2live]

Some interesting stories and point if view

 

[Guy M]

So set up on the canyon, the other hunters 1/2 mile down wind of me, I took off scent lock base layers. I turned them inside out and hung them about 50 yards downwind of me. Yep I saw elk and killed a nice 5X5 and the other hunters saw squat. I gave them the option to be in my position but they turned it down so I don't feel bad at all.

The look on their faces when they came by after dark, to check on what I had shot at and if I did any good, was priceless.

Nice... I like it!

Guy

 

[MHO]

It would not be nice is all Im going to say. You want to sit in a stand, go do what everyone else does and buy one and hang it.

 

[Freedom2live]

It would not be nice is all Im going to say. You want to sit in a stand, go do what everyone else does and buy one and hang it.

That is correct

 

[Rustystud]

He has already screwed up your day. Tell nicely that you came to take your stand down and move it. That wrecks his day and makes him think before sitting in someone else's stand in the future. If he does not come down walk away and call the law.

When using a hang on stand, I remove all the steps and swing the platform and seat up. It makes them more difficult to see. This eliminates 90% of the problem. Most people don't carry around 25-30 steps with them.

Nat Lambeth