Proposal to leave up deer stand on public lands

[Scott M]

Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Hunters in Minnesota could avoid the hassle of lugging around portable deer stands this season.

Democratic Sen. Gary Kubly of Granite Falls introduced legislation Monday that would allow hunters to keep their portable deer stands up and unattended on public lands during deer season.

Hunters now are required to take down portable stands every day.

Kubly says the rule discourages people from coming to Minnesota to hunt. He hopes changing the law could incite more tourism in the state this hunting season.

Deer hunting season opens Sept. 18 for archers and Nov. 6 for firearms.

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Opinions? I can see some problems with people staking claim to their spot on state lands...there are already occasional troubles with this. Would this really impact nonresident hunting? I'd guess this doesn't make it out of committee.

[heat checker]

It would be like lighting a smoke while gassing your truck, eventually, something bad is going to happen.

[KG243]

I can see many fights happening with this one, It is good the way it is leave it alone you democrat!

[Jameson]

Copied from LMITOUTS thread in Silly Town:

SF 2583 - Portable deer stands on public lands

97B.326 STANDS AND BLINDS ON PUBLIC LANDS.

(a) Any unoccupied permanent stand or blind on public land is public and not the property of the person who constructed it.

( Portable deer stands may be erected and left unattended on public lands, including, but not limited to, wildlife management areas, during the period beginning one day prior to the deer season for which the stand is being used and ending the day after the season for which it is being used. The portable deer stand must not do any permanent damage. Spikes or nails driven into trees are prohibited on portable deer stands allowed under this paragraph, but screwing or clamping devices are allowed. A portable deer stand that is left unattended on public lands between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise must have the "MDNR#" license identification number issued to the person who erected the stand legibly displayed on the portable deer stand. A person may not have more than one unattended portable deer stand erected on public land and marked with the person's "MDNR#" license identification number. A portable deer stand erected on public land does not grant the person erecting it an exclusive right to use the area. Any unoccupied portable stand that is in compliance with this paragraph is not public and is the property of the person who erected it.

...

I like the idea. The problem I see is people putting up way more than 1 stand. I'm not really sure if that is something to be concerned about, though.

Still not sure how I feel about this one.

[B. Amish]

Kubly says the rule discourages people from coming to Minnesota to hunt. He hopes changing the law could incite more tourism in the state this hunting season.

Is he being serious?

This is a stupid move. Will lead to more fights, more stands being stolen, etc etc.

[mrklean]

I see a TON more stands being stolen, i see more problems with people saying well i had my stand here first so its my spot i see more people setting up 20 feet from each other because one wont leave "there" spot and the list goes on. Lets just say i dont see many people from wisconsin not hunting in MN because they cant leave there stands up, give me a break

[Wobbler]

In all honestly since I hunt public land and would like to have more than 1 stand up depending on the wind direction, maybe as I get cold I move to another one I do not like this at all. While it is ok to have 1 up I want 3 up where I hunt. Can I pay like a license to have more than 1? That would seem fair but I know people will put stands up and never use them and make people mad but I like having different options when I hunt.

[sticknstring]

As much of a pain as it is carrying all your gear in/out each time you hunt, I don't see anything positive from this proposed change. I agree with the more stands stolen, more complaints, & overall less hunter satisfaction.

[Meat-Run]

Just my .02. Any hunter should be able to put up a portable stand on public land and labeled with your dnr # for identification but stands have to be off public land at end of the year or end of season in that particular area. For example starting Sept. 15th archery/bear opener till Dec. 31 you can have "portable" stands in the woods but nothing contructed perminiently to trees and any stand on public ground is subject to anybody using it as it's on public property...first come first serve.

The reason for dnr# is if left in woods after close of season you will get a fine or the co can confinscate your stand similar to a fish house on public water.

mr

[96trigger]

I don't mind this law. It could, and I use the term could, also prevent some fights. Might keep some people from walking in on one another. If I saw a stand up in the woods, I wouldn't put up next to it, maybe a little farther down the road. I might check it out later in the day and see if anyone accupied it and adjust accordingly. I think pleny of fights break out when hunter A sets up at 5:00 AM and hunter B moseys in about 6:00 and trys to set up shop right next to him. Might stop some of that if either hunter sees the stand the week before, and looks for an alternate place, might not, just saying, I don't think this is all bad.

I do know that it also might lead to a race to the stand on opening morning, but I would hope that wouldn't happen very often.

[lichen fox]

"A portable deer stand erected on public land does not grant the person erecting it an exclusive right to use the area. Any unoccupied portable stand that is in compliance with this paragraph is not public and is the property of the person who erected it."

So if you are in compliance with your mndnr # on the stand it is personal and not public property...meaning no one else can use it without your permission...albeit someone could still set up close to you...but they can do that as the rules are now too...I believe this is a good thing...and if you're setting up in an area where your stand can be easily found by other hunters, use your own discretion and take it down when you leave...I would prefer to leave it, considering the extra amount of commotion you make taking down a stand in the dark...if any mature deer are nearby when you make all that extra noise you diminish your chances for the next time you set up there...this gives you an opportunity to sneak out as quietly as possible....and really, how many people are going to be wandering around on wildlife management area's in the dark looking for a stand to steal...and even if they do it in the daylight on a day you're not there how would they explain who's mndnr # is on the stand if they get stopped or checked by law enforcement...I don't see where it will cause any more problems it just lets you get in and out of the woods with less commotion which should better your chances of success....I'm all for it.

[Wobbler]

I am for it to and your are right it signals to everyone around that you have a stand and you are hunting that area. I just am not in favor of only having 1 stand. I can see this becoming a fee like fish houses where the state will charge a person lets say $10 to have this "license" on your stand if you hunt public land. I can see it considering how our state budget is!

[certified jumbo]

I like the idea!!!

[mrklean]

i dont see it any different then the guys that go out on public land the day before gun season and set there stands up, then hunter b goes in the morning not knowing there is a stand there puts his up then hunter A walks into his stand and has someone 30 feet from him. Would it be nice to have stands out yea, but i just see problems. For archery this guy has his stand out but only can hunt the weekend. While another person wants to hunt during the week but cant hunt certain spots because weekend hunter has "claimed" that spot. I just dont like it and see lots of problems with it.

[gr82fish]

There are a few ways to interpret the law, depending on how you look at it. My .02: I do alot of pussyfooting through the public woods. If I come across an unattended portable/permanent stand within sight of where I have stopped or am presently sitting on the ground, and the owner of the stand is on his way to sit in 'his' stand, is he going to let me sit where I am (undisturbed by him) once he sees me sitting there, since his stand 'signals' to everyone that he is hunting that area (whereas my presence in the woods 'signals' my own presence), or is he going to go right to his stand and sit there irregardless of my obvious presence? I've had this happen numerous times to me, with the same result every single time: the 'owner' struts into the woods and proclaims 'his' hunting territory of the public hunting grounds. I leave soon after, disgusted with yet another slob hunter who thinks he owns the public woods.

[Meat-Run]

I only suggested the dnr# for the sake of the dnr tracking you down so not to leave your stuff in the woods but not to charge a fee to place a stand on public property. Trigger and Fox you make some good points to consider now if everybody just played nicely and communicate with other sportsmen in the woods we wouldn't these discussions.

mr

[Musky Buck]

Just yesterday I was hosed out of a state land parking spot because there were 2 Yota 4 runners and 2 Yota camry's completely blocking access so I had to go home. State land is state Mayhem from my experiences, every time I try to use it it seems I just get the shaft. And if you own like I then you have trespass and other issues. Either way it won't solve much of anything most likely. We are getting close to a saturation point I think.

[echotrail]

I spend a day or two hunting state forest land during the second week of the firearms season in zone 1. In the past 3 years I've located 5 set up portables that have NEVER been removed and I've used them without incident because no one is around the second week. Two of them are about 1 mile apart and were set up by the same person or group based on the identical materials used to customize their prefrences. None of them bear obivious identifying information as to who owns them and they are used each year as I notice some saftey and camo updates. You can buy a used stand for $25 to $50 (Maybe stolen) so people will set them up and not care a whole lot if they are stolen (again).

[KG243]

I know I will be writting my local rep to voice my opinion about this!

[charliepete]

I don't like it....it does nothing but lock up a 'public resource' and invite confrontations. Leave it alone.

[Musky Buck]

I'm with ya Charlie, it's about locking up "my spot". That's why you see campers getting wheeled in weeks before rifle opener to lock up and block "that approach".

[lichen fox]

It clearly doesn't "lock_up" a public resource...as a matter of fact it "clearly states" that...

" A portable deer stand erected on public land does not grant the person erecting it an exclusive right to use the area.

It's exactly the same way now...if you set up a stand in the morning when you plan to hunt...it doesn't give you any exclusive rights to the area just because you have to take it down at nite....someone could still come into the area and set up close by...or still hunt close by...or make an organized drive in the area you're in...the only thing this proposed law changes is that "you don't have to set up and take down your portable stand every time you hunt a parcel of public land"

[Musky Buck]

Heck fox I can't even find enough wiggle room to squeeze in on the approach and that's done so purposely just like yesterday and come rifle time people get set up and 1 group member stays to hold the fort on these same approaches. I guess it doesn't lock it up but it's works to keep others away and the 1 staying back can gather the intel to tell the rest when they show up the night before it opens.

[lichen fox]

For one thing, this has nothing to do with "where you can or can't park your vehicle"...it's about "Portable hunting stands"...

I guess I don't worry about it that much as the vast majority of hunters never get farther than a 1/4 mile from vehicle access. I'm in the crowd that prefers to hunt at least a 1/2 mile or more from any roads or trails when I deer hunt on public or private land if possible...

[Musky Buck]

True enough but if my portable is in the back of my truck and I want to hunt a certain area on public ground and there's no parking allowed on the highway and people are purposefully blocking the approaches....yea I'd like to tell them to move their trucks or cars but they aren't around should I hook em up and move em for em or park 3.5 miles away and walk back to the approach and then proceed to set up for the reason someone wants to stop others from being there ? It's a "I hope whoever tries to pull in here will get the hint and move on to another area." I guess it's just a way of "saving" that area. I had this problem last night. I understand fox, I'm just mad about last night, but notice this same problem in November. I should start a reality series, public land nightmares.