Leaving a portable stand up on WMAs and WPAs.

[NELS-BELLS]

I am getting so frustrated with the number of times I have scouted public land, (WPA & WMAs) find a great looking spot with trails crossing or lots of sign etc., only to find a portable stand already up in the one decent tree. It clearly states in the regs that you cannot leave a portable stand overnight on those types of public land.

My son (who is 15) and I don't have access to private land so we hunt public. Since most of the public land where we live is heavily hunted we have to drive about an hour to get to some of the better properties. Then we carry our stands and equipment in and out each time we hunt. Most times its a long ways back into the land.

I would love to just take the stand but thats stealing and what am I teaching my son.

I thought about just taking the stand down, but most are locked to the tree with a cable or chain.

I could hunt out of it , but what if the hunter shows up. Not to mention is it safe enough.

I have thought about calling the game warden and giving him the GPS coordinates, but is he really going to do anything about it, since they probably have bigger problems to deal with and these stands are usually a long ways from the parking area.

Man, I just wish people would play by the rules.

Nels

[jentz]

The rules state once placed on public land the stand becomes public.Taking it is stealing but on public land its first come.I'd would never place a stand on public land! I do hunt public land and carry in and out.How to handle it with a youngster learning is a tough choice! I would report it to a CO if the rules state no placement of stands overnight.They can and will confiscate it

[deerminator]

You know what I've thought about doing? Leaving a note on the stand telling them its illegal - asking them to move it - and to call me (the CO) along with the actual CO's phone number. They'll call him up and alert the CO to what they're doing in all likelihood.

I hear you. I found a great WMA with lots of sign and a cornfield in the middle planted by the MDHA. In several of the prime oak trees at the field corners hang on stands are left all season. By one stand, there has been a fresh cut of a massive branch to make for an optimal shooting lane. So I will hunt below them in the brush in my ghillie. No, I'm not being lazy. Nor did they do all the work for me. They chose to try and claim the best spots on public land for themselves. Period. Ridiculous. I'm not going to just move on and find a subpar spot because they're supposedly a better scouter because they got there first and try to keep others out.

[delcecchi]

I am getting so frustrated with the number of times I have scouted public land, (WPA & WMAs) find a great looking spot with trails crossing or lots of sign etc., only to find a portable stand already up in the one decent tree. It clearly states in the regs that you cannot leave a portable stand overnight on those types of public land.

My son (who is 15) and I don't have access to private land so we hunt public. Since most of the public land where we live is heavily hunted we have to drive about an hour to get to some of the better properties. Then we carry our stands and equipment in and out each time we hunt. Most times its a long ways back into the land.

I would love to just take the stand but thats stealing and what am I teaching my son.

I thought about just taking the stand down, but most are locked to the tree with a cable or chain.

I could hunt out of it , but what if the hunter shows up. Not to mention is it safe enough.

I have thought about calling the game warden and giving him the GPS coordinates, but is he really going to do anything about it, since they probably have bigger problems to deal with and these stands are usually a long ways from the parking area.

Man, I just wish people would play by the rules.

Nels

Get you one of those 18 volt angle grinders with the metal cutoff blade in it (saw that on storage wars) or a good size pair of bolt cutters. You can take down the stand without damaging anything but the lock.

Call the CO first and let him know.

[NELS-BELLS]

I hear you. I found a great WMA with lots of sign and a cornfield in the middle planted by the MDHA. In several of the prime oak trees at the field corners hang on stands are left all season. By one stand, there has been a fresh cut of a massive branch to make for an optimal shooting lane.

I am pretty sure that I know of the land and stand you are refering too. ...southern Stearns county by chance?

Nels

[muskiemanAD]

Just set up next to the stand if you like the area. Chanches are that thing is hung 100 days and they hunt it 5 times.... If they come tell they stands dont reserve spots and you are hunting there. This is how I handle these situations....

[nofishfisherman]

People leaving stands up drives me nuts. Whether they are permanent or portable stands. Essentially guys are trying to claim public land as their own. Even though its legal for me to hunt out of the stands or in a tree nearby I still won't do it because hunters have a reputation of being territorial even over land they have no legal claim to. I'm just not willing to deal with it or the unknown guy who is likely to come along wanting his stand.

I've seen guys who are normally nice reasonable guys go crazy when they think someone moved in on "their" territory. I'm not sure what it is about hunting and fishing but guys revert back to some instinctive territorial behavior at times and its all over land that they don't own or have legal claim to.

[Cheetah]

I've run into the same problem numerous times on public land, and I agree it is extremely frustrating with some people don't play by the rules.

Give the CO a chance to do his job before you do anything on your own. That's my advice.

Good luck.

[outdoors247]

Quote:

I have thought about calling the game warden and giving him the GPS coordinates, but is he really going to do anything about it, since they probably have bigger problems to deal with and these stands are usually a long ways from the parking area.

Give the CO the chance. You might be pleasantly surprised like I was. I called in a unattended stand in a area WMA a couple years ago. I had the CO phone list saved to my phone so I called directly from the stand. By the time I hiked back to the parking lot the CO was waiting for me. We hiked back in and he cut it down. The CO left a note on the tree saying something like you can call me to get your stand back. I saw the CO a year or so later and asked about it. Wouldn't you know, he never called back to get his stand.

They might not be able to make it out there right away but they will follow up on it. If nothing else it alerts them to an area and if there are enough complaints they might do a sweep a couple times a year like they now do on the WMA that I spoke about above.

[Markula]

I am getting so frustrated with the number of times I have scouted public land, (WPA & WMAs) find a great looking spot with trails crossing or lots of sign etc., only to find a portable stand already up in the one decent tree. It clearly states in the regs that you cannot leave a portable stand overnight on those types of public land.

My son (who is 15) and I don't have access to private land so we hunt public. Since most of the public land where we live is heavily hunted we have to drive about an hour to get to some of the better properties. Then we carry our stands and equipment in and out each time we hunt. Most times its a long ways back into the land.

I would love to just take the stand but thats stealing and what am I teaching my son.

I thought about just taking the stand down, but most are locked to the tree with a cable or chain.

I could hunt out of it , but what if the hunter shows up. Not to mention is it safe enough.

I have thought about calling the game warden and giving him the GPS coordinates, but is he really going to do anything about it, since they probably have bigger problems to deal with and these stands are usually a long ways from the parking area.

Man, I just wish people would play by the rules.

Nels

Bring the tool to remove the chain/cable/lock. Then, use that same tool to permanently disable the stand. Leave it at the base of the tree. Hunt the tree. Teach your kid to stand up for himself...not to be a pushover...thats why these clowns get away with it. No need to call the CO...unless the owner returns and raises a fuss, then report him for harassment.

Or, get a 50lb bag of corn, dump it by the stand, and report it for being baited.

I pheasant hunt and deer hunt in w and sw MN, and see a fair amount of stands left out. I shoot them out of the tree, and are never able to be used again.

[nofishfisherman]

Bring the tool to remove the chain/cable/lock. Then, use that same tool to permanently disable the stand. Leave it at the base of the tree. Hunt the tree. Teach your kid to stand up for himself...not to be a pushover...thats why these clowns get away with it. No need to call the CO...unless the owner returns and raises a fuss, then report him for harassment.

Or, get a 50lb bag of corn, dump it by the stand, and report it for being baited.

I pheasant hunt and deer hunt in w and sw MN, and see a fair amount of stands left out. I shoot them out of the tree, and are never able to be used again.

So you advocate vandalism and teaching a kid that its alright to destroy other peoples property because it annoys you? Or better yet you try to frame a guy for illegal baiting? I assume you're a real stand up guy aren't you.

Explain to me how your illegal activities are better than the guy who left the stand.

[96trigger]

While I'm sure this is not the case, please be sure the stands are on public land. I've had more than one stolen on private land that bordered state land. I would not vandalize, disable, or confront the person with the stand, especially with a child along. Need we forget what happened in Wisconsin years ago when hunters were shot and killed over this. There was also an altercation in Minnesota recently where someone ended up dead. I know those were different situations, but you never know who you are going to confront.

[Markula]

One could legally take a stand left on public ground out with them. A stand left unattended is.litter.

I prefer to let the hunter carry his own trash out of the field.

[jentz]

One could legally take a stand left on public ground out with them. A stand left unattended is.litter.

I prefer to let the hunter carry his own trash out of the field.

You might want to check the rules and laws on that!!Take it,It is theft.

[Getanet]

Teach your kid to stand up for himself...not to be a pushover...thats why these clowns get away with it.

People like Markula are the reason you shouldn't confront anyone in the woods. Guys who view an unoccupied stand as a personal affront and see a need to "stand up for himself...not be a pushover" make me nervous, especially when they're armed.

Not condoning leaving stands up, but holy cow.

[Markula]

And the squatters arrive...

[bobbymalone]

One could legally take a stand left on public ground out with them. A stand left unattended is.litter.

What about your truck? Or the stuff in it? If it's on public land unattended, I'd assume it's litter.

[eyeguy 54]

LOL, don't start WW3. call the CO. we pay them good money to take care of these problems.

[jentz]

The squatters?On public land,Just what do you call yourself?? A owner?

[Lunker]

Call the CO. Getting tips from citizens is very helpful for them in doing their jobs.

[NELS-BELLS]

The other concern is that, lets say you hunt a tree next to the stand or you take the stand down and hunt out of the same tree. The hunter comes along and is upset with you, so they go back and take it out on your truck while you are out hunting. You have no clue what their name is or what their lic plate is.

I think I will call the CO next time.

Nels

[maros91]

Markula.....another internet tough guy.

Give the CO the coordinates. No need to shoot it down out of the tree. Geez.

[Scott K]

I wouldnt take it or mess with it. I wouldnt even call a CO. If I wanted to hunt the area, and he wasnt in his stand, I wouldn just use his stand. Then I wouldnt have to carry mine out. If it is left on public land, it becomes a public stand. Although if he came there, I would let him use his stand.

[Notime]

I have a piece of ground behind inlaw's that we hunt. It is state land and there is road access but no wheeler trails off of the roads so only land owners have easy access. There are at least 15 permanant stands in there, and countless others that go up the beginning of season and come down after rifle season. Everybody has "Their" spot picked out from previous years. It sounds like a war zone out there. You are lucky to see a mature deer after season. Fact is if it was not for the wheeler trails 75% of it would never get hunted. People are running tractors and skidloaders out there to make new trails every year.

[TattooedHunter]

Page 76 of MN DNR's Hunting & Trapping Regulations book:

Quote:

Elevated stands

• in Wildlife Management Areas and State Parks open to hunting, only

portable stands may be used. Portable stand use is encouraged in State

Forests (see page 109).

• See pages 81 and 115 for more information on tree stands in

state parks.

• in Scientific and Natural Areas open to hunting, portable stands and

elevated scaffold may be used if removed each day at the close of

shooting hours and no damage to trees or other vegetation is done.

Nails, spikes, screws, or other devices that damage the bark of trees are

prohibited.

• See pages 99, 117 and 121 for information on wildlife management

areas, county lands, and federal lands.

• Any unoccupied permanent stand or blind on public land is public and not the property of the person who constructed the stand. Any use of

threat or force against another person to gain possession of a stand is unlawful.

*** No where does it say you can take possession of a portable stand that was otherwise not yours just because its on public land, nor does it allow you to lay claim to it. Its called theft or destruction of private property. Only permanent stands or blinds that were constructed onto the public land is forfeit to the public use.

That said, in the OP's original post about WPAs and WMAs, leave enforcement to the COs, call them with the GPS info.

Otherwise, there is nothing stopping you from setting up right next to it and hunting if they're not there.