Unclamined Stands

So I was scouting this spot for next hunting season and came across an unmarked stand, clearly not used for a few years, in the perfect spot and unmarked. What would you guys do in this situation? If there was a name or number I would definitely reach out to the person but I am left in a bind without a contact.

 

Private or public land? If it’s on public, it would be tough to find out who’s it was. I personally would not use it. Not sure if it is safe. I would hunt close to it if it has not been used in a while.

 

Are you asking if you should use it, or remove it and replace it with yours?

 

Check local laws with DEC if it's private land. If it's public you can be that guy and take it but it only takes once to get a rep for being that guy.

 

If you’re asking for what we would do...to be honest I’d find a whole different area to hunt. That’s just me. I know everyone doesn’t see it that way. I definitely would 100% not hunt in someone else’s stand whether it’s legal or not. But to each of their own. For all I know it’s a guy that got deployed over seas and can’t wait to get back in to that stand when he gets home..just morally wrong in my eyes. If I find someone’s camera and/or treestand I go elsewhere. Good luck though man.


Mathews Halon
Black Eagle outlaws
Magnus Buzzcut 4 blades
Nasty combo

 

Since it's not yours or on your property in would leave it be as it doenst belong to you.
As to hunting that spot. Quite honestly if its public land or land that allows public acess like most of maine paper holdings...then you have as much right to hunt the spot as anyone else, but hunt it from your own stand. You dont get to lay claim to a spot on public land. If some is hunting it by all means leave them alone. Otherwise it's fair game.

 

I wouldn't sit in someone else's stand without permission.

 

In my home state stands are supposed to be removed every year after hunting season on public land. I hate running into stands that have been up for years. Never know if people are actually hunting them anymore or not. Our game and fish dept removes them if they know about them, but when you are way back in there they don’t usually get back in there. I have been tempted to let the game and fish know about some that are always left up, but never have. I pretty much use a mobile set up all the time on public land. If I find a good area on public land I will set up and hunt it. I got set up in a tree last night and noticed behind me there was an old stand. The screw in tree steps that you aren’t supposed to use on public land were grown into the tree. Doubt anyone has sat there for quite awhile.

 

Just to clear it up I also view hunting out of someones stand as wrong, I was not thinking that. I was thinking of placing a stand in the vicinity, since it is one of the best spots. But the stand has not been used in years, as the straps are fading and the stand is not even safe to sit in. It is on public land and unmarked, like I said I would love to contact whoevers it is but they left no contact information. Thank you everyone for the inputs, much appreciated.

 

I don’t see any reason to not set up and hunt.

 

People just dont get to claim an area on public land by leaving a treestand up for years.

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That's why you can't leave stands on the State land I hunt. It comes out with you at the end of each hunt. It's good because it prevents any potential confrontations over hunting spots.

 

Exactly. It’s no different than fencing your own area off in an attempt to claim it

 

I never leave a stand up. Thieves and I dont want people to know where I am hunting.

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Yeah you may as well put up a sign that says “big deer spotted here, please hunt somewhere else”

 

I agree, it is public so I am kind of limited to where I can go and when someone leaves a stand up that limits everyone else to where they can hunt. I could understand if someone had hunted it this year but it was very clear it wasnt hunted this year, maybe not even a few years, just from how the stand looked and the fact that the rackets were ready to break. I have never told Wardens of a stand unmarked but to me, public land is filled with them and it makes it hard for people who try to abide by the rules while others dont.

 

Just hunt where you want to hunt if it's public land. I'm not sure which is worse, someone claiming a spot, or someone letting them get away with claiming a spot.

 

I couldn't agree more. The stands that I do see left on the public land I hunt are almost always ladder stands (the height of laziness), not climbers. Call me a Richard head, but I've been known to relocate the bottom section of ladder to send a message. Sorry, but these guys are fully aware of the rules (no leaving stands overnight) that they choose to ignore.

 

The firebase I work on is a WMA you can not leave a stand up on a WMA, when we patrol and see a stand it is considered a trophy and removed. Thing is most of the stands are junk.

 

If it were me, I would question why a spot that is that good was left abandoned. I would stay away. I have ran into some people on public that made me pretty uncomfortable. Some hunters think they can "claim" a spot or a tree. Confrontations will ruin hunts anyway. I have always tried to be where no other hunter is. I do not bow hunt with or near anyone else. That's just me.