This has unfortunatly happened to me more than once, both on private and public land. While I am not that old I still remember a time when you didn't have to worry about leaving your stand in the woods. Now days even if it is bolted and chained to the tree you have to wander if your stand is going to be where you left it or if someone else is going to be in your stand. Two weeks ago I left my stand overnight on public land but in a very difficult spot to get to. I got in my stand about an hour and a half before first light in order to let everything calm down. About 30 min before daybreak someone walks right to the base of the tree I am in claiming that he was there to get "his" stand. Now since my name is engraved on the stand and neither I nor the rest of my hunting party has ever seen anyone in this area before it is very unlikely that he had mistaken my stand for his. I have had a ladder stand stolen on private land while it was chained to a tree. This is a disturbing trend that needs to be resolved. Those that hunt in this day and age have an obligation to each other. Along with conservation, the right to hunt and gun laws, we owe it to each other to show a little more consideration. Dont #&*! with other hunters gear. If you come across another hunter on public land leave the area. I am tired of having other hunters ruining my day by either setting up right next to me, trying to hold a conversation or just continuing to walk through my hunting area. Yea yea I got it, If you have to move through the area to get to yours I got it. Do so at a time when It will not effect someone elses hunt. There is also no reason for you to continue to wander around through someone elses AO. If you are that lost you have no business in the woods. I know that I am not the only one out there that is tired of dealing with SSS ( simple stupid ****).
Agreed! Although I don't mind holding a conversation with another hunter, that being said I wouldn't walk up to someone in a treestand and try to talk with them.
I smell what you're stepping in, Divemaster. Rifle season last year I was hunting on public land with a buddy in northern Minnesota. There aren't very many hunters up there (probably because there aren't very many deer either). I set up a ground blind on the edge of a small field before sun up. A couple of hours later, two hunters come walking through the field. They notice my blind, even point at it, then continue walking past me. I figured they were going to head into the woods on the far end of the field, but no, they actually sat in the tree line about 50 yards from me, with no intention of leaving.
thats why I don't really hunt private land, I have worked my ass off to find private land farms to hunt. It's hard to do but you have keep at it! I couldn't deal with all that public land crap, the only time I would hunt public land would be in the middle of the week if it came down to it. I agree, if people can't have the common curtousy to repsect other hunters then they need to vacate the premises. I did a hunt in a conservation one year, and I kid you not hunters were rolling in at all times of the day, I was ready to say idiot....idiot...idiot...
I was bowhunting the second gun season in MN one year, and had a guy come in and actually sit at the base of my tree with a shotgun. If that wasn't bad enough, he was a big, out of shape dude (I am being euphemistic) who came in with his jacket wide open and covered in sweat. I felt like a treed cat - here I am in my portable hang-on stand, and he's sitting at the base of my tree with a gun. I said, "Dude, seriously?" And he just looked at me and sat there. Unbelievable. Sometimes I think these people come into the woods and literally have no idea what to do or where to go, so they stick to whatever plan was given them at the truck no matter what.
I have learned to love hunting public land. (Then again, I do have a bit of a masochistic streak.) Seems there's never a dull moment. I have seen such weird and inconsiderate behavior from other 'hunters' that I'm not entirely sure they weren't really anti-hunters out to screw up everyone's hunt. I will walk past other hunters. If you're set up on the trail or near the parking lot.... there's not much I can do other than walk past. I won't purposefully set up close to someone if I know they're set up nearby... On the other hand I don't care if your stand is hung there. It's public land. Hanging a stand in an area doesn't mean the area is yours alone. I kind of like the public hunting areas that make you take your stand in and out every time to avoid this 'territorial' thing people get with their stand locations. I go in with an attitude of any day where someone else doesn't interfere with my hunt is a success. Also, patterning other hunters will get you more deer than trying to figure out the deer themselves. :D I don't get mad anymore. It is what it is.. It's not worth getting upset over.
That's amazingly bad. (but kind of funny) Some people are so clueless. I was wearing a shaggy suit and had a guy and his son walk up to me (like a couple yards away) and start setting up a ground blind. I realize a shaggy suit is good camo.. but they simply were too focused on getting set up to notice me. I decided I would just leave and they still never noticed me as I walked off... right past them.
While I'm rambling. When I was out hunting on Saturday, I could see a hiker out in the woods. He stopped to go pee. What was weird is that he started gyrating like he had a tassle on 'it' and was trying twirl it. I wanted to yell out 'wooo woooo..." But I just stood there, silently giggling.
Christine, do we need to go back to 8th grade gym/health class to help you understand what he was actually doing?
Um.. they seperated the boys and the girls for our sex ed. We didn't learn much about boy parts in our girls class. I definitely don't remember anything about twirling. :D
i had 2 younguns sneaking around the woods looking for a place to smoke a cigarette and i scared the hell out of them wasnt nothing moving so i yelled what are ya'll doing ? they ran out. dropped the cigarette and all it was funny. but seriously dont put your hands on anybody elses property wether its hunting gear or anything. you'll save yourself some trouble and round my way most likely a bullet in your ass! dont thieve and dont screw up peoples hunts cause you might find yourself in a scrap that coulda been avoided by being respectful of others and being a friggin adult its crazy that you have to tell grown ass men to act thier age!
"I won't purposefully set up close to someone if I know they're set up nearby... On the other hand I don't care if your stand is hung there. It's public land. Hanging a stand in an area doesn't mean the area is yours alone. ." I agree that it is public land and doesn't mean that just becuase there is a stand there you can't hunt it just dont touch my stand. Its not like the stand has been there all week. Twelve hours at most and some jerk off decides that he wants to get in it. Glad I was already in it.
Well. Divemaster, I guess the stove didn't teach you the first time. Unfortunately, there are people out there, that would love to steal other people's stuff. They are the ones who don't work, and live off of our taxes. But your property getting stolen the first time should have taught you. It is public land, and keep in mind that the people walking through, don't know that you were already there, as if they were, i'm sure they would atleast attempt to go a different way. I wouldn't leave my stands in public land anymore, and I would only use a climber. Goodluck with your hunting.
I feel ya. I had a stand stolen from private land this week. I believe it was a nearby construction crew but can't prove a thing. This was a lean up on University property where I hunt pigs. It was chained and locked to the tree. They cut that. They were nice enough to leave my bowhanger and safety line though! Christine that is too funny! You should have yelled!
It's sad that this crap happens. I was always told that chains and locks only keep honest people honest. So true.
Stealing stands is one thing, which sucks yes... But as for the rest of it... sounds like the joys of public land to me. It's not yours, it's everybody's...
Ok this made me laugh out loud :D Dam that was funny. But seriously, I agree about the stand thingy. Im just glad I dont have to deal with that!
was in my stand about a week ago way before sun up heard another truck pull in about 300 yards from wear i park little bit latter i see a little flash of light watch this 20 year old slowly walk right up to my stand scared the ~&^%$$ out of him we talked for a minute he said that he had been hunting there for two weeks .he had a climber on his back.said he didnt even see my stand.been there a while.so i know i camoed my stand good.he left hte area.but my hunt was basicaly over i sat till 11 or so.also right after daylight i looked down noticed a bunch of corn on ground.went back durring the week this youngan had placed atrail cam right on a tree that the buck had been rubbing and had ascrape under.i took my stand down that day and will hunt my other one.
