Tree stands. public or private property?

[snapcrackpop]

Just out of curiosity, why use the person's stand? Of course they don't get to claim public land for the entire season. In that respect, nothing is stopping you from still hunting that area without taking advantage of someone else's work to do it.

In a desired location (scouting or via online maps) sometimes there is only one tree that would work best. Maybe there is already a stand in that tree.

Maybe I'm walking along and see a stand in a good spot and decide to use it.

If the "owner" comes along, (and he's not a jerk about it) I will likely offer to get down and go to a different spot.

FYI: I can't think of the last time I used someone's stand (other than my jerk of a cousin). But given the right situation I would again. However, I'll likely have my climber on my back because I don't expect to see or use someone's stand.

[Gordie]

If you put a stand up on public land and I cannot find a better position, I'll sit in it if you're not there. Plain and simple. You don't own the land and have no right to claim public land for the entire season.

If I catch you in my stand on public land (and I have), I will start walking the other direction the moment I see you so that I don't mess up your hunt.

It is not unethical or unsportsman. That is how it goes with public land.

+1

[surewood]

Probably not the case in some areas, but in northern MN there is bunch of public land. Up here I see no reason to sit in someone else's stand. I have some spots that are good year after year, but after awhile they aren't so good anymore. So if someone has the same stand for years I don't really care. I know from experience you have to scout endlessly. Find new locations. Which is "the hunt" to me. Pulling the trigger is the easy part. So what I guess I'm trying to say is the prepping, the scouting, the stand hanging is hunting. All the while sharing the experience with friends and family. If I used someone else's stand I'd think I'd be cheating myself of the full experience.

[walleye34]

how about the question of what really is public land. Are we calling public land WPA, WMA, etc. those areas of land which are marked public? For a lot of guys in zone 1 they are not technically on public land. Much of zone 1 is paper mill land owned by either blandon or potlatch. According to MN trespass laws land does not need to be posted to be private and according to law you do need permission to go on that land. Now they dont really enforce anything but by law a lot of guys are technically trespassing but it is kind of a unwritten rule it is ok to hunt there. This is where I hunt. Just like it is kind of a unwritten rule you dont go sit in another stand that is obviously going to be used. I think that is the big difference. where are you hunting? if you are hunting a high traffic public area like carlos avery or I made a huge mistake and hunted whitewater by winona one year, yea dont expect guys to give much slack if they want to hunt where your stand is. But in areas of public land where there is room enough for everybody be nice and move on. if I am not in my stand you are more than welcome to use it! But again it all depends on the area. I think most guys in zone 1 in the woods just use common sence and yes a lot of us have been hunting these areas for years and generations and have our little territories and 99.9% of the time we have no issues. This group of guys stays over here and another over there and us in our area. And our group has extra stands up just for this reason. Opening Morning if you are in my stand I may ask you nicely to leave and tell you right where to go to find another stand...if you dont I move on, might cuss and swear a little but I go to a open stand. Life is to short and isn't deer opener really about time with the boys anyway. If I wanted to fight with somebody I would stay home with my wife!!

[dietdew]

Probably not the case in some areas, but in northern MN there is bunch of public land. Up here I see no reason to sit in someone else's stand. I have some spots that are good year after year, but after awhile they aren't so good anymore. So if someone has the same stand for years I don't really care. I know from experience you have to scout endlessly. Find new locations. Which is "the hunt" to me. Pulling the trigger is the easy part. So what I guess I'm trying to say is the prepping, the scouting, the stand hanging is hunting. All the while sharing the experience with friends and family. If I used someone else's stand I'd think I'd be cheating myself of the full experience.

Bingo!

Seems by the replys alot I the guys that would hunt another guys stand are south of hwy 200...... It's just how peoe are brought up different I guess.

[monstermoose78]

what if it is a guide who has 20 stands up for clients? he thinks he owns the woods and we are not allowed there. He came over and yelled at my dad and uncle lucky for him i was not up there then because would have called the co unlike my dad who just says nothing

[blue_healer_guy]

Just a guess but highly unlikely most guides are using 20 stands on public ground. If he is then he's working his donkey off.

[snapcrackpop]

ETHICS: just because people disagree "where to draw the line", doesn't mean that someone is wrong or a better person than the other.

[dietdew]

what if it is a guide who has 20 stands up for clients? he thinks he owns the woods and we are not allowed there. He came over and yelled at my dad and uncle lucky for him i was not up there then because would have called the co unlike my dad who just says nothing

Who in the heck would pay a guy to hunt public land ..... Especially for white tail?????

[JeffB]

If someone comes across my stand and wants to take a load off for a bit I have no problem with that. I don't like it if someone makes it a habit of using other peoples stands especially showing up for prime time opening weekend. If you use someone elses stand don't urinate out of it before leaving, leave candy wrappers and junk behind or in general screw it up for them. Just because the person that built it doesn't own the land doesn't mean they don't deserve some courtesy. Just as the hunter who accidently stumbles across your stand on the way to theirs and decides to take a load off for a bit. I have never approached another hunter that was sitting in one of my stands that wasn't friendly and willing to move on with out being asked. Have a great weekend and don't sweat the small stuff.

[NTW]

Just out of curiosity, why use the person's stand? Of course they don't get to claim public land for the entire season. In that respect, nothing is stopping you from still hunting that area without taking advantage of someone else's work to do it.

To answer your question, I believe it is the best position for that area. (i.e. lone suitable tree for cover in a lake bottom) I only bowhunt and strongly believe that the odds are stacked in my favor when I'm elevated vs. still hunting. I don't look at it as taking advantage of someone's work - I'd have done the same for him/her. Hanging stands is fun!

[dietdew]

Good luck to all the timber goat hunters this weekend!!!!!!

Hope your stand is empty when you get there!

[kenlaker]

how about the question of what really is public land. Are we calling public land WPA, WMA, etc. those areas of land which are marked public? For a lot of guys in zone 1 they are not technically on public land. Much of zone 1 is paper mill land owned by either blandon or potlatch. According to MN trespass laws land does not need to be posted to be private and according to law you do need permission to go on that land. Now they dont really enforce anything but by law a lot of guys are technically trespassing but it is kind of a unwritten rule it is ok to hunt there. This is where I hunt. Just like it is kind of a unwritten rule you dont go sit in another stand that is obviously going to be used. I think that is the big difference. where are you hunting? if you are hunting a high traffic public area like carlos avery or I made a huge mistake and hunted whitewater by winona one year, yea dont expect guys to give much slack if they want to hunt where your stand is. But in areas of public land where there is room enough for everybody be nice and move on. if I am not in my stand you are more than welcome to use it! But again it all depends on the area. I think most guys in zone 1 in the woods just use common sence and yes a lot of us have been hunting these areas for years and generations and have our little territories and 99.9% of the time we have no issues. This group of guys stays over here and another over there and us in our area. And our group has extra stands up just for this reason. Opening Morning if you are in my stand I may ask you nicely to leave and tell you right where to go to find another stand...if you dont I move on, might cuss and swear a little but I go to a open stand. Life is to short and isn't deer opener really about time with the boys anyway. If I wanted to fight with somebody I would stay home with my wife!!

I hunt the same general area as you, often on Blandin land as well. There are other groups that hunt near us, and we all kind of respect that "you guys have been hunting over there, we've been hunting over here, let's keep it that way" mentallity. You did say something about an unwritten rule that you are allowed to hunt there, but could technically be tresspassing. You should always know who owns the land that you are hunting on, that will help keep you from wandering onto adjacent private lands.

Blandin lands are open to the public for hunting use, this is a written agreement that they made with the State a few years back, but you are not allowed to hunt out of permanent stands on their land. That is also a written rule. If they find you doing it they will ticket you, it happened 2 years ago to some of the guys that hunt near us.

Note that they don't question whether or not you built the stand, that's too hard to prove. If you are sitting in it, you will be fined, regardless of who built it.

[butsy]

this is an interesting discussion, and i have personally seen views on this really change over the 4 decades i have hunted deer. I was taught by my father, that on public land, old-time ethics would ALWAYS be he who built it has first rights. if you came upon an unoccupied stand that you didn't build, than go ahead and use it if it looks safe. if another hunter comes, states that he built it, and asks you to leave, than take his word for it as you KNOW YOU didn't build it. we used to hunt in an extremely popular area where you would see other hunters constantly. (land of lakes SF near Outing-Remer)

however, i have seen a change to the "you don't own the woods or the stands in it" perspective. my observation is this. deer hunting is hard. to be consistently successful takes a ton of time and effort- everything from spending time at the range shooting, to scouting, to understanding deer movement and behavior, etc etc. all this takes time, money, effort, and in many cases a mentor to show you the ropes.

more and more, (younger hunters who haven't been properly mentored especially!) hunters want the EASY button. they want to drive their atv to a spot, climb in their stand, shoot a nice buck by 7:30 am opener, load it on the atv and be back at the cabin by 8 to rush off to something else. anything less is not a satisfying hunt. while this MIGHT happen once and while by luck, the most successful hunters i know spend LOTS OF TIME in the woods scouting, preparing food plots on private land, practicing at the range (making all kinds of shots, not just seated bench shots!)on and on. it shows in their results.

i think a lot of the trespassing, rudeness, and general fading of what used to be called "ethical" behavior comes from hunters who demand the EASY button.

[monstermoose78]

This guide gets a lot of out of state guys from out east. He charges 700 bucks a hunter. I have looked on his HSOforum and he does not say is public land.

[butsy]

doesn't matter if he's a guide or not, if he is on public land, he works under the same laws the rest of us do. if he doesn't like it, he should charge more from his clients and buy his own land.

imho & experience, common courtesy and the golden rule go a long way in getting along with other hunters.

[LightningBG]

I'm still baffled that they allow anyone to build any permanent stands on public land. What if I want to build a little cabin on public land? Is that OK? Is there any difference? What if my little cabin is a few feet off the ground? When does a permanent stand go from stand to litter? Keep in mind, when you build a permanent, you are donating it to the state at that time. If I were to donate land to build a park, do you think it would be proper for me to ask other people to get out of "my" park when I felt like using it?

Also thinking about the "easy" button comment and how "good hunters" take a lot of time scouting, clearing shooting lanes, setting up stands, this, that and the other thing.

I on the other hand feel like I'm a pretty good hunter because I dont have to spend much time out there. Who would be a better basketball player, one that practices 5 hours a day to shoot 90% free throws, or the guy that works 10 minutes before the game to shoot 90%? Now, dont get me wrong, I spend my time in the woods, but most of that is just because I like being out there and very little really gets done anyways. Clear a section of path, sit around for an hour, haul out a log, have lunch, check a couple stands, grab a beer. (all clearing done on private land)

[LightningBG]

what if someone just puts up their stand right next to yours in the "honey hole"? then is it alright?

[eyeguy 54]

sounds like that guides butter done slipped of his pancake...

[shortfatguy]

I'm still baffled that they allow anyone to build any permanent stands on public land. What if I want to build a little cabin on public land? Is that OK? Is there any difference? What if my little cabin is a few feet off the ground? When does a permanent stand go from stand to litter? Keep in mind, when you build a permanent, you are donating it to the state at that time. If I were to donate land to build a park, do you think it would be proper for me to ask other people to get out of "my" park when I felt like using it?

Also thinking about the "easy" button comment and how "good hunters" take a lot of time scouting, clearing shooting lanes, setting up stands, this, that and the other thing.

I on the other hand feel like I'm a pretty good hunter because I dont have to spend much time out there. Who would be a better basketball player, one that practices 5 hours a day to shoot 90% free throws, or the guy that works 10 minutes before the game to shoot 90%? Now, dont get me wrong, I spend my time in the woods, but most of that is just because I like being out there and very little really gets done anyways. Clear a section of path, sit around for an hour, haul out a log, have lunch, check a couple stands, grab a beer. (all clearing done on private land)

Easy way of seeing things when you have a place to do what you want. If stands arnt allowed on public land no one should use them. Should be the same with food plots. Even playing field across the board. No more land owners planting food plots to draw in all the local deer. Everyone gets the same playing field.

[nofishfisherman]

sounds like that guides butter done slipped of his pancake...

Dang, now I want pancakes.

[dietdew]

Any one find another hunter in your stand on the opening weekend????

[Bear55]

I actually found a bunch of empty stands opening weekend, was kind of shocked. Maybe the guys around me finally gave up.

[nofishfisherman]

Seems like guys always put up more than one stand so that they have options based on wind and what they are seeing in terms of deer movement. Thats at least been my experience, an empty stand has never been that uncommon around the two areas that I've hunted.

[Bear55]

That is me too, I have a pile of stands. I should have noted these were stands that usually get hunted. Deer numbers have been pretty low the past few years so some of them might have moved on.