Unbelievable is all I can say. This season has been one catastrophy after the next.. and all I can do is laugh about it all.. but things just keep happening... and I'm barely hunting. So I drove 127 miles out to my lease today... only the second time I've hunted since my buck kill about 3 weeks ago.. and what would have been only my 6th hunt this entire month (and its November)... and low and behold I walk out to my stand awaiting a good eve and guess what??? My Lone Wolf treestand and 4 sticks... AND LOCK... are all gone!! Stolen even after everything was locked to the tree! Wow.... unbelievable... the same stand I shot my buck from (all $400) of it... is gone forever. I gotta hand it to a LOT of hunters... they really don't let me down... so many are just a bunch of slobs... cowards... and thieves. So... needless to say after waiting the last 12 days just to get out... I had to drive 127 miles back home... because after you had a stand stolen.. your heart just ain't into the hunting part anymore. I truly hope the thief falls from this treestand and never walks again.
I'm sorry to hear that man. It takes a real scumbag to do something like that. I just started using a LW this year and initially took it in/out with me each hunt but I've gotten a little braver (& lazy) and have been leaving it in the woods. I always take the bottom two sticks out though hoping that thieves won't look higher than 8 feet. You also answered my question about locks...so much for keeping an honest man honest. Hope you can find your stuff. Good luck the rest of the season!
This is my second LW combo stolen in the last 2 years... thats some coin! What really pisses me off is the time I took myself away from my new daughter just to hunt tonight and I couldn't even do that. The treestand means very little to me other than hours worked. It's the lack of respect between hunters I absolutely hate... and this stand was no peach to get into Finch.. all of 25 feet up in a tree no other man I hunt with would even dare climb... and LOCKED! The hits just keep coming... but I have a feeling who it was.
The people that do this are not hunters and I refuse to call them that. They are thieves who just happen to hunt. If they stole your stand, they would steal other things from other people who are not hunters. I don't know if you have a plan to try to catch them but if they do get caught, I hope they go to jail. Hope things turn around for you. Blessings.....Pastorjim
Wow! I couldn't imagine how mad I'd be having one set stolen BUT two! Thats enough to make you sick. Hope you catch the thief! You know...after continuously reading these type of posts, I wonder if it would pay off to put a well hidden trailcam watching each treestand that is hung. Find some cheap IRs and put them high in a tree. It could get costly and be a PITA but it may pay off.
Na.. I hunt different properties each year... this new piece is like 250 miles away from where last years stand was stolen. That just shows how many of these thieves are among us. Novel idea... but too much money and work... a LOCK is supposed to keep them honest.. but this guy didn't care much.
Removing the bottom two steps doesn't do crap to deter thieves... I can tell you that. I had a stand stolen a few years back that I had removed all 11 steps from because they were Cranford screw-in detachables... wondered around and around the area looking for my stand until I finally saw the studs sticking out of the tree to hang my steps on. That told me some "hunter" had a climber and used IT to go up and get my stand. Sorry to hear of your misfortune, Mike.
honesty is a virtue shared by few these days! sorry you got robbed again! Learn your lesson quit leaving your stuff in the woods if you want to keep it cause most time than not a thief is going to be a thief! it took me a few times to learn too!
That's the sole reason I use the 20 ft sticks and cheap lock on combos for sets I leave in the woods. The entire setup costs me $65 bucks, easy to hang, easy to climb, and I'm not out a whole awful lot if it comes up missing. My more expensive setup with muddy sticks and hang ons come in and out with me. Sucks for the loss man. I'd almost be as pissed with the 127 mile drive one way to not even hunt!
Ditto man. Too many thieves around these parts for me to think about investing $400 in a set. I've been able to get probably 15 sets out, probably costing me $65 each. I'll be picking up some more of my $40 sticks and $25 stands here in just a few weeks when they all go on the end-of-season clearance. That sucks though, Duke. We had a nice ladder stand go missing this year, and we know who took it, just can't prove it.
Are these $65 stands you guys are talking about decent? Which low-end brands seem to be the best? Sorry for the hi-jack, Duke. These guys might save me from the same grief you've experienced.
I can suggest hitting up craigslist, especially now. I have bought 5 climbers and 2 hang on stands this year (I bought 4 climbers and 2 hang ons for my cousin letting me use his land, and worked on his farm... figured it was the least I could do), and total I have about $300 in them all. They're all decent and three are pretty darn nice. API, summit, and a few knock offs that get the job done all the same. I'm really sorry your stand got stolen. It's hard to find honest people these days, and with the economy in this state, even some formerly honest people turn into opportunistic thieves. I can't even imagine how people do this, it would eat me alive knowing I took something from someone else. The worst part is someone trespassed to steal it. So they walked around your property looking for something to steal, wtf? I hope they find them, but we all know that's probably not going to happen. Hopefully Karma comes back and bites them in the ass. I won't wish injury, but financially it should come back to them 10 fold... ie.. their truck's motor locks up when leaving with your stand.
Duke, sorry to hear this. I know what kills you the most is the time away. I bought my first LW hang on this year. I really like it. The only time it sees the woods is when I am filming or being filmed and it goes in and comes out with me. Otherwise, I hang nearly all my sets with ameristep screw ins (on private ground) or 20 foot sticks, coupled with a Gander Mountain brand stand. Whole set either way costs about 100 bones and weighs as much as my truck, but doesn't sting (monetarily) as much. Still sucks that we have such jack wagons among us. I thought of this last week while on a drive during bear season. I came across a pretty cool set in the laurel just over the boundary line on the N edge of our property. I though "what would possess anyone to have the balls to tear this thing down knowing that at anytime the real owner could show up and likely be carrying some sort of weapon." Freaking genius. Keep your head up Duke, you're one of the good guys and always welcome at my fire.
Sorry to hear about your gear Mike, that just completely sucks! I see you mentioned it was locked, how? With a chain and lock, cable and lock, other? Personally I use very heavy coated cable and the largest master lock they carry at Lowe's. I know it's no guarantee that a thief won't (or can't) steal my stands but it certainly makes it more difficult than using cheap locks and cables or chains. My cable and lock system costs about $35.00-$40.00 but since I've used them I haven't had another stand stolen (keeping fingers crossed).
