let the rangers/dnr who monitor and work the areas worry about this....not your business, just my opinion.
GPS is not just for waypoints but also making tracks and routes. If you are making a path to get around thick or wet areas a GPS track or route would be the way to go instead of ribbons or tacks. There would be no sign left behind for others to find your spot unless you are leaving tracks in snow. Maybe taking a look at the GPS unit and manual will show you how to do this. I turn mine on to make tracks and later can place them on Topo/Photo maps. I have to go into the correct place on the GPS and turn on tracks or routes and when I get to the end (stand) I have to close the file. Try it.
GPS is not infallible, especially in heavy cover away from trails which is where tacks come into play. I agree about the ribbon and policing after the season. But I've had my dots removed from just my tree during the season. And, I've seen some trails and tacks that are so old they tree has grown into them. I remove my markings. Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
I would never mess with anyone's stuff in season, but after the season is over that becomes litter IMHO and if someone is proactive enough to clean it up I will not fault them for it.
It tics me off! I don't care if they need something to aid them in finding their stand but when the seasons over take them out! If you don't I will! It's littering!
Hard to say. Living in the West, we have horse and hiking trails marked, and they are seasonal use -- many folks use them. I can't imagine re-flagging my treks into elk country. Of course, the flagging gives other hunters the clue they need to find their way back into my honey hole too. It's a risk. I can say, the flagging lasts longer than a year -- sometimes. If not maintained, it does deteriorate and requires maintenance. Then again, I don't hunt in an area where multiple hunters are using the same hunting area like some places back east. I can see where it can become a nuisance. Nowaday, with the U.S. Forrest service cutbacks, trail maintenance is one of the first areas of cuts ... without flagging, all will be lost in some of our paths.
I hate when people leave crap behind in the woods. During the season I don't mind people leaving the orange markers, but when the season is over take em with. In Wisconsin you are not allowed to leave anything in the woods if you are not there with it. This includes deer stands, cameras etc. I don't mess with peoples stuff, but I have seen people arguing over stands etc. A couple weeks ago 2 guys parked right next to each other (boats) and walked into the woods and sat down in the same spot. The guy said there was no arguing, but there was a lot of glaring going on lol.
Totally agree.... Earlier Bow season this year I went deep into some Public land woods and came up on a tree that had tacts all over it... From the bottom to about 5ft up, had a real nice HSS strap around the bottom as well....it was a bedding area and the tree was the best out of many with shooting lanes and clear open spots. So I climbed and set my stand there thinking it must be a good spot. Got up to the desired spot and noticed the person even left hooks up for their bow/backpack.. . I stayed roughly 2hrs... Didn't see a single deer and climbed down... And moved to a different spot for the remainder of the day... (Also didn't mess or take any of the stuff I stated lol) but looking back on the day I remember thinking why do people just claim stuff as their own when it belongs to everyone.... Granted the hunter never showed up that day (or the 2hrs I was in the tree) but still it is public grounds and what if he would have showed up? Would he have made a stink bout me in his tree? Or set shop up real close by or just moved along? Nothing wrong with going to the same spot everytime out. But when you place your stuff on a particular tree and basically say it's yours by placing tacts, hooks, ribbons, straps etc.... I think that too much... After all it isn't owned by you but the state .... Public Land !!!! < Ps 46: 1 >
During the season brite-eyes are fine, but should be removed after the season by the guy who put them there. That ribbon stuff should be illegal on public land, it is an eyesore. My biggest pet peeve, shot shells, bullet casings, and arrows, left behind. That is just utter laziness, and there is no mistaking who left them, which gives us all an unneeded black eye. We should be cleaning up our woods while we are there, not leaving more trash.
If the regulations clearly state that you can't leave those things in the woods then someone has every right to come along and take them down. Only after the season is over though, not during. If I see an old ribbon laying on the ground then Ill pick it up, but I wont purposely rip it down. That hunter could spend a lot of time looking for that tree he scouted out. If it's a larger area of land they may even get lost.
Actually, you can leave deer stands and trail cams up on most public land. I believe on deer stands, you need to have your DNR Customer # on there, but not sure about trail cams. I used to think this also, until I read the regulations again. I never really paid attention to that part before, because the only land I ever hunted on was my own. To the OP though, I'm with you, I see both sides of it. With so many people being secretive about where they go on public land though, I wonder if some of those markers have more to do with say, Hiking, Cross Country Skiing, Nature watching, etc. I know on WI state land, all of those things are allowed, so they may be up for different reasons than just hunters.
If it's after season, I think he is doing the land a favor taking them down. During season is probably a different story.
I didn't know that. So let's say I'm out on public land and I see a stand but no one is in that area does that mean I can hunt that spot or does the person who owns the stand have rights?
Me personally,if I'm on public land and find a deer stand,I move on.If the stand looks like it's been there over a year,I'll hunt that spot if it looks good. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
. I had a stand removed last weekend off of public land in WI that was labeled correctly. DNR left his card and a note saying " it is against rules and regulations to claim a tree in WI." That leads me to believe you can not leave it there.
I think the DNR was in the wrong there. I took this off the hunting regulations in the "It is illegal to...." section. leave a tree stand or ground blind unoccupied during legal hunting hours unless the owner’s customer ID number or name and address has been attached in a manner that is visible and legible to a person on the ground or near the entrance of ground blind. I would ask him about the regulations when you go pick up your stand. Maybe he doesn't know.
Some of those ribbons aren't there from hunters. The WMA has ribbons up through some of the state forests to mark trees to be removed. If it is from hunters, yeah may suck a little but guess what, it's not yours so leave it alone!
