Stands on WMA

[otis32]

I was just reading a Outdoor News paper, sounds like they might finally let people leave stands up on WMA!! I think this is a GREAT IDEA!!! I know a lot of pople don't. But it would make life a lot easier up north here!! I can see if it's a small piece of land where there might be trouble, but they should say if it"s a 80 ac. or bigger u can. Or draw a line from Thief River Falls north???? Just my 2 cents!! good luck and take a kid with u!!

[mrklean]

yea lets make it easier for guys to reserve there spots on public land

[jerkbait]

I believe it is only for portable stands and only during hunting season. I personally don't see it as being an issue. Personally it will be less noise going back and forth through the woods spooking deer. May be good for all hunters. My thoughts.

[InTheNorthwoods]

I'd be fine with it so long as everyone who leaves stands up on public land is fine with someone else sitting in their stand or in the same tree. I really hate the idea of "saving a spot" on public land.

[mrklean]

I'd be fine with it so long as everyone who leaves stands up on public land is fine with someone else sitting in their stand or in the same tree. I really hate the idea of "saving a spot" on public land.

exactly and how many people are going to be happy to walk out to there stands with someone in it NONE!

[lichen fox]

So, if you're walking along a riverbank on public land and you notice a lawn chair and a fishing pole that is unattended, do you sit down, pick up the rod and make a cast or two? Do you automaticly assume this must be a great spot just because someone got there before you? And do you assume that beings it's on public land that it's there for anyone to use just because the owner had to run quick to the restroom?

I think there is wording in the proposed rule that would allow the "owner" to evict someone sitting in it if they wanted to use it or take it down...I'm also pretty sure you'd have to have the same owner-ID on it that you need to leave it out for bear hunting...The best way to keep someone from sitting in your stand when you're not around is dump a huge pile of plastic apples and corn cobs near it when you leave!!

[mrklean]

big difference you can stand next to someone and fish and usually not have a problem try setting up a stand 30 yards from someone and see what happens

[pureinsanity]

I think this is a terrible idea. People will get in fights, maybe shot. There is already a bad reputation with deer hunters and accidents, fights, and shootings. If this passes I wont hunt public land. Its already bad enough I have to kick people out of private property I hunt.

Even if you have to mark the stand. its easy enough for the next person to rip the tag off and say its theirs or put their name on it.

[lichen fox]

That's what I'm saying...why would you even consider setting up a stand that close to where you already knew someone has one? When you head out on a lake do you go directly to where most of the boats or ice houses are or, do you use your knowledge to find fish in the area's you know or have found on a lake map...If I find any sign that someone else has been in an area on public land, I do my very best to avoid it...I don't want someone who's perhaps afraid of the dark walking in a half hour after first light, or leaving an hour before quitting time...Granted that can happen the way it is now, and would probably still happen if they change the rule...but that's part of the risk you take when you hunt public land, especially smaller tracts where it is virtually impossible to get farther off the beaten path. I really don't see the logic as "reserving" a spot...If someone beats you there, look for a "better" spot... After all, if everyone is finding this person's stand it can't be in a really good place...half the trails that guy found must have been from people!!

[Bear55]

Not sure I like this, it's the whole claiming a spot thing and I can see it causing a lot of trouble. On the other hand I really wouldn't mind knowing were all the other hunters want to setup so I can avoid them at all costs.

[lichen fox]

99% of them will be within a quarter of a mile of the access points! And really, if we are allowed to leave our stands, it will only make a difference in the amount of noise you make from carrying in, setting up, taking down and carrying out your stand each morning and evening...it won't guarantee that you beat everyone to a selected spot, or that someone else won't come in, in the dark, and set up 60 yards from you...Bottom line, if you're hunting public land you best have at least 2 backup spots for each wind direction. Or, be the 1% that hike in a half mile or more!

[ANYFISH2]

Mrklean, No disrespect intended, do you hunt WMA's or other state owned lands often? I ask because over the past 4years you have been very vocally against leaving portables up on WMA and perm stands on other public lands(most allow perms), yet I can't remember you refering to your self hunting them.

I have grown up hunting public lands of all sorts for deer. Most people I have talked to and hunted next to are very curtious and understanding. We know there are other hunters around and believe it or not we would prefer to know (visually(stands) if not able to talk to the person) where others are hunting, for safety and respect to aviod others space. It helps to "organize" the mess that can be public hunting land.

Now the only issues I have with this kind of thing is people that will put up multiple stand to truely lock up an area. That is why it should be marked with some kind of ID and limited to one stand for a certain amount of time.

[bigbucks]

I agree with you ANYFISH2 there would have to be some kind of guideline. The guy with multiple stands can lock up a lot of ground.

[mrklean]

Mrklean, No disrespect intended, do you hunt WMA's or other state owned lands often? I ask because over the past 4years you have been very vocally against leaving portables up on WMA and perm stands on other public lands(most allow perms), yet I can't remember you refering to your self hunting them.

I have grown up hunting public lands of all sorts for deer. Most people I have talked to and hunted next to are very curtious and understanding. We know there are other hunters around and believe it or not we would prefer to know (visually(stands) if not able to talk to the person) where others are hunting, for safety and respect to aviod others space. It helps to "organize" the mess that can be public hunting land.

Now the only issues I have with this kind of thing is people that will put up multiple stand to truely lock up an area. That is why it should be marked with some kind of ID and limited to one stand for a certain amount of time.

i do hunt WMA's some, not a ton during gun season and parts of bow season i do hunt private, but i have some public land around where i live, if im not gonna go up north to the private land i have access to i hunt around my place on public. I have pre-scouted a few areas before season and during season and what did i find portable stands already set up, i have no idea when that guy is going to hunt there, maybe he hunts Saturday mornings only, maybe he hunts during the week, i don't know but i know i can't hunt around there because that is "his spot" since he put his stand there ahead of time, that is and has always been my issue, I'm sure up in the big woods where you have thousands of acres of public land its a bit different but when the areas are smaller.

[ANYFISH2]

Thank you, I get where your feelings come from now. Much easier to appreciate your views.

It came from years of hearing "ban perms on state land" from people whom never (and I mean have never) hunted state land.

[mrklean]

not a problem, plus the other thing is tree stand theft we know its gonna happen and with more stands in the woods its gonna happen a lot more

[Bowfin]

I turkey hunt on a central MN WMA and hike in just about 1 mile. I haul in a ground blind, chair, shotgun, decoys, etc each day and haul it out when I leave. I sure wish I could leave the blind and chair over night.

I hunt deer in northern Itasca county on state forest land where permanent stands are still legal. I have been going to mainly ladder stands for safety reasons since my hunting group has both older folks and kids just starting to hunt. I would hate to think of having to bring those in everyday like folks have to in "cheeseland". We do hunt in blocks of land where there are thousands of acres of public land. I think leaving stands out there help people spread out and know where other people are hunting and actually help to avoid pre-dawn conflicts.

[otis32]

I see everybodys views or points. I just think up north where there is a lot more land and a lot less people it makes a lot more sense and SAFER WHEN YOU HAVE 2 YOUNG KIDS TO SET UP ALSO.

Like I said draw a line east to west and we can do it up north and you guys can do what you want to do down south! Is there anybody up North here that disagrees???????????????????????????????

[Bear55]

I hunt up north and I am kind of on the fence. I really don't think we would have any problems in the northwoods because like you said there is plenty of land available and we have been doing it this way forever. On the other hand I hate going into public land bow season and see stands setup, sure I could hunt that spot but I never know when the other guy is going to show up, if the guy does show up chances are he will be upset.

Right now this is rarely an issue because I go way out of my way to avoid other hunters.

It might be best to just leave it up to the individual counties, some places it will work fine, others it will not.

[InTheNorthwoods]

I see everybodys views or points. I just think up north where there is a lot more land and a lot less people it makes a lot more sense and SAFER WHEN YOU HAVE 2 YOUNG KIDS TO SIT UP ALSO.

Like I said draw a line east to west and we can do it up north and you guys can do what you want to do down south! Is there anybody up North here that disagrees???????????????????????????????

I live and hunt in northern MN (several places from north of Hwy 2 to near the Canadian border). I think it is a terrible idea. While it would certainly make it more convenient to be able to leave stands up on certain public lands, the headaches and frustration it would cause far outweighs the little bit of convenience gained from being able to leave a stand up.

I know that we could go round and round on this issue, and there are points on both sides. The only way I could ever see "leaving stands up" being viable, is if you employed a 12 hour rule (such as allowing stands to be left up no more than 12 hours unoccupied - i.e. allowing someone to set up, hunt, get down for the night, and come back first thing in the morning). But such a rule would just require more policing and would cause arguments about whether or not someone was actually in the stand the day before...

[jerkbait]

I see everybodys views or points. I just think up north where there is a lot more land and a lot less people it makes a lot more sense and SAFER WHEN YOU HAVE 2 YOUNG KIDS TO SET UP ALSO.

Like I said draw a line east to west and we can do it up north and you guys can do what you want to do down south! Is there anybody up North here that disagrees???????????????????????????????

Nope, I am with Otis on this one. The only stands I have a problem with are the apartments on stilts. You can leave portable stands on public land while bear hunting for the season. For deer gun season I could see a 12 or 24 hour rule being a good idea or for the length of season that your license is good for. Like said this is already a common practice up north and when I go scouting I know where the majority of people will be hunting so I can go find my own spot.

[dustin85]

I hunt mostly in southern MN. I only hunt public land. I think this is a terrible idea! Pretty soon every tree on every WMA in southern MN will have stands in them. Nobody will be able to enter an area without getting into a fight over entering another person's "territory".

[Cheetah]

Allowing stands to be left out is going to really mess up the areas I hunt in MN. They just aren't big enough to let guys reserve trees like that.