I live in pennsylvania but hunt ohio also on public ground. So here my question this past weekend i went to check my trail cameras and check my stand and found my stand and sticks were taken off the tree and a new hangon was in a tree 5ft from the tree i had my stand in. My stand is tagged with my information. So what would you do in this situation?
So your stand and sticks were stolen? or where they just taken down and placed next to your tree? If they were stolen I can tell you from experience that I have had this happen numerous times and have never recovered anything. In your case, are you certain you are on public land, the owner of the other tree stand may have some information concerning your equipment. You could leave a note for them and hope they get back with you. The joys of public hunting!
Yikes tough one...people just aren't the same as they were years ago...material greed and corrupt hearts makes them do some crappy things. The devil on my shoulder tells me to either confront said thief with a knuckle sandwich, but there's a small percentage that this new stand owner is not the thief, but very small. Wow some people have great big cojones. I would probably instead pull the other stand but leave a note stating contact me to return my stand and you'll get yours back but better have some big buddies or the law with you for the exchange. Someone who would do this might not think twice about shooting someone dead over a treestand. The angel on my shoulder says go get you another sticks and stand and hang it somewhere else this time with a lock, a camera hidden up in a tree to surveil your stand location to catch another woodby thief. Pride would probably not allow me to do that so local law authorities would be contacted and I'd insist they came out to confront the stand swapper on opening day. If they won't do anything I'd be out there with several buddies to pull his stand to get my stand back. Uhhh this just makes me sick and it didn't even happen to me. Sorry man that situation sucks
Take a poo at the base of his tree....kidding . I am confused, as kb1785 asked was your stand stolen or taken down? If it was stolen I think I would do my best to talk to the guy with the new stand, seems a coincidence he found that spot after your stand was stolen by someone else, so he would be my main suspect. If he took it down and left it there, I would probably just move on unless you like drama. This is one reason I don't hang stands on public land and only use a climber or run and gun style stand and sticks. People are jerks.
The biggest problem with public land is the public, you can not leave anything on public land and expect it to be there when you return.
Tough one. First off stay calm and don't let your emotions get the best of you. There are ****s in the world. You can't be 100% sure that the new stand is from the person that took your stand, so don't be that guy. Do what you an to find your stuff by asking questions to people you see but most importantly keep hunting and don't let the turkeys get you down. Lesson learned. Enjoy the hunt. Kilboars Hunt Club
OP- whatever you do, don't do this. You have no proof whatsoever it was this new guy who took your stuff. If you in turn take this guy's stuff and leave your contact info, I pretty much guarantee there will be a knock on your door from Conservation Officer Friendly and you will be treated to a ride to jail and facing serious theft charges.
You are probably up the creek if u know what I mean. It's probably a safe assumption to assume it's the guy who put his stand up right next to yours. Possible try and hide a camera to see who gets in the other stand and maybe ask him. It sucks for sure. I hunt private land in ohio and have caught people trespassing on my property luckily for me non of my stuff was stolen. I lock all my stuff to the trees though. I really hope u recover your things, good luck to you.
Heed this advice! My first thought was "yeah, take the stuff and leave a note. Teach him a lesson." This was followed by "That's a gross misdemeanor theft charge (maybe felony depending on your state and value of the stand)." Either one will land you in jail. Unfortunately if you can't prove that he took it, there's not much you can do. If that was the guy that did it, the chances of him admitting it are slim. And on the off chance it's a random coincidence and new guy had nothing to do with your stand disappearing and you take his stand, well then you just end up with someone else angry at you.
I would leave a note with your phone number and put it in a plastic sandwich bag to keep it dry. Ask him to txt/call if he knows anything about it.
I personally wouldn't mark your equipment with personal information. As you can see, now this person knows whatever you put on there. Mark it with something else you can identify but they can't. Or don't leave it there at all.
There is always the chance that his stand was already somewhere close when you hung yours and you just did not see it. If that is the case, he is just sending a little message to move on.
I hunt about 45,000 acres. When I feel any other hunting pressure, I move. I stay mobile at all times.
It seems like I recall it being state law in some locations...though I don't know if it applies for the OP.
Both of you are breaking Ohio Game laws by leaving treestands on Ohio public land. Call the county game warden with gps coordinates of his stand location and the warden will remove the abandoned equipment. What county are you hunting?
Buckeye i talked to the ohio officer and where im hunting if u have a stand on ohio public ground it must be marked and i dont leave it their year round only during season. Also the stand was not stolen just sitting at the base of the tree. I plan on going to another section of public to hunt since this happened but i think im gonna check and see if anyone hunts the new stand.
First of all, anybody who leaves a stand unlocked on Public land deserves whatever comes their way. Second, did the "Ohio Officer" tell you it was alright to leave stands on this public land? The public land I hunt here in Pa doesn't allow stands to be left over night. They must come and go as you do. Technically, you shouldn't even leave trail cams in the woods where I hunt. Shhhh Good luck with your situation.
I guess state law doesn't care about you putting your name, address and phone number on equipment. I certainly would and in this case, tell state law to take a hike. Anyone walking through the woods now knows who you are and where you live. I'm not ok with someone I don't know showing up on my doorstep like that. The world is too crazy.
