Luck ran out this weekend!

[MUSKY18]

We rifle hunt on public lands. Have been hunting the same stretch of woods for almost 30 years as a group, this will be my 15th year of going up there to hunt. There is a lot of land, and our group doesn't even come close to covering it all. We all have stand sites that we sit year after year after year and have had other groups come in to hunt the same area we hunt. Bout the only thing I do is go over to their camp or vehicles to ask where they are hunting and tell them where our hunters are, strictly for a safety aspect. We dont usually hang our stands until the friday morning before season, but that's only because stands are spendy, I'm a single father of two teenagers and I can't afford to have my stands stolen and buy new ones. But all in all, hunting on the public land has always been a pretty good experience for our group.

[BLACKJACK]

Todd I think that is called HUNTER HARASSMENT and you can get in trouble for that, so be care full on how much you want to tell folks.

I think Todd had a pretty cute, non-confrontational way to let the other 'hunter' know that he was too close, both for saftey and ethical concerns. Todd talked to him first, then exacted a little frontier justice.

This whole post brings forth several deer hunting issues that are almost as controversal as the APR/non-APR arguments: 1) Placing a stand on public hunting land too claim that piece of hunting land 2) How close is too close? There will always be ardent arguments on both sides of the issue.

I know I've had several times in the past where I've gotten to a deer hunting spot early, early, when someone else approached in the dark I flashed my flashlight, they still plowed to their spot within easy sight/shooting distance, when you confront them later, their response is "I had this spot scouted out/staked out with my stand weeks ago". Sucks. Or out pheasant hunting a small public hunting area and other hunters jump out and hunt that same area - when their are thousands of acres of public land nearby. Sucks.

We all just have to realize other hunters don't have the same distance standards we do.

[nofishfisherman]

I think Todd had a pretty cute, non-confrontational way to let the other 'hunter' know that he was too close, both for saftey and ethical concerns. Todd talked to him first, then exacted a little frontier justice.

The correct course of action after talking to the guy would be to walk away. Didn't your mother every teach you that two wrongs never make a right? You can call it frontier justice but in reality its hunter harassment and its illegal.

Here are the regs:

A person may not prevent or disrupt another person from taking or preparing to take a wild animal. A person may not disturb wild animals with the intent to prevent or disrupt another person from hunting. Placing bait for the purpose of preventing or disrupting another person from lawfully hunting deer would be considered unlawful under the hunter harassment laws.

By placing 2 alarms surrounding his stand his intent was to disrupt the guy from taking a wild animal. Seems clear that what Todd did was illegal based on the law.

[leech~~]

Ok, well what just started out as a report of taken stands has turned into attacks on others. Like I said at the end of my first post. Lets leave it at that.

"Oh well part of the game when on public land. I'm feeling pretty lucky after all these years that it only happened once!

Good luck to everyone next weekend and may you not walk into an empty tree!"

[ozzie]

wow leech didn't like my thought? I am not saying I want alot of regulations regarding tree stands but I can't see any problems by leaving a tag with your dnr number on your stand and having a 24 or 48hr rule. Doesn't sound too complicated but hey that would require more work for you and your public land claiming group right?

[Finlander]

Last fall on public land I was in my stand an hour before shooting time and the only person in the woods. Right at shooting time here comes two hunters pulling into the parking lot with loud muffler and running the engine for about five minutes. Then they get out of their truck and slam the doors, start talking out loud then proceed to walk right at me as I'm shining my flashlight then until they turn around and go the other direction.

An hour later I hear some noise from the direction the two hunters came from and they started shooting in my direction but I was 18' up the tree and soon two bucks were right under my tree stand so I shot one of the bucks and hopefully made them hunters load their pants just like I did when they shot in my direction.

[leech~~]

wow leech didn't like my thought? I am not saying I want alot of regulations regarding tree stands but I can't see any problems by leaving a tag with your dnr number on your stand and having a 24 or 48hr rule. Doesn't sound too complicated but hey that would require more work for you and your public land claiming group right?

No, just don't see the need for more senseless regulations to take even more of our freedoms away! There's already getting to be enough "Park here-Hunt there" organized wilderness places where we are told what to do. By your "we must control" what the public can do group!

[Getanet]

It will be interesting to see how many of these issues evolve as the deer hunting community ages. So far we haven't seen the overall number of hunters decline, but the hunting community is getting older.

Not being able to use 4-wheelers on much of public land, no permanent stands and having to carry portables in and out each day, etc. I think the DNR will have to adapt or see a lot of older hunters hang up their guns earlier than normal.

[Musky Buck]

Isn't all fun and games on private land either, got people stealing your gear just the same, near constant year after year trespass issues, it's really what has taken much of the enjoyment out of hunting dealing year after year with different situations you shouldn't have to deal with. Neighbor says you're it, you should see no blaze orange if you do shoot em, well I'd have about a dozen dead guys in his tamarac swamp by now. So not only can you dream about the deer hunt you have to also pray you don't have to deal with these situations that should never happen. Good luck and be safe out there.

[ozzie]

I hear ya leech...I don't like more government in our outdoor activities either but I have been scorned and been in groups that have scorned or felt high and mighty about hunting land that is public but been hunted by the same people for x n x years that they feel its private. I argued with the group I was with and told them they have no right to "let people" hunt stands they have erected and hunted for x amount of years...first come gets the area is what i told them and they kinda took a mob mentality with me and I dropped the subject with them. Hahah oh well to each their own!! Sucks about your stands and good luck with the season!!

[leech~~]

I hear ya leech...I don't like more government in our outdoor activities either but I have been scorned and been in groups that have scorned or felt high and mighty about hunting land that is public but been hunted by the same people for x n x years that they feel its private. I argued with the group I was with and told them they have no right to "let people" hunt stands they have erected and hunted for x amount of years...first come gets the area is what i told them and they kinda took a mob mentality with me and I dropped the subject with them. Hahah oh well to each their own!! Sucks about your stands and good luck with the season!!

Thanks buddy! You have a safe and enjoyable one also. I'm getting to old and have been in the woods to long to worry about much anymore! Most of the time now I just sit back open a bottle of coke, chew on some jerky, watch and listen to the wilderness. But, if something bigger then what I already have on the wall comes by. I may have to put the coke down!

[yakfisher]

Wouldn't the hunter placing his stand too close to another also be a form of hunter harassment? 75 yards is darn close and well within gun range possibly causing both hunters to target the same deer.

Some believe you should've turned the other cheek, others feel an eye for an eye is appropriate. I guess it comes down to which book you choose to follow.

[ZachD]

I usually just take my climbing sticks with me... if they happen to have sticks with them and want to take my stand good for them. if they want to walk 3 miles back get a ladder or climbing sticks then walk 3 miles back and steal my stand go ahead and take it

[Todd Caswell]

Quote:

The correct course of action after talking to the guy would be to walk away. Didn't your mother every teach you that two wrongs never make a right? You can call it frontier justice but in reality its hunter harassment and its illegal.

Call it what you want, acually my mother taught me to stick up for myself and not roll over. I tried to reason with the guy, told him 200 yards to the south was there was a good draw that no one was sitting on. Thought I was helping him out, when he got smart and told me to move if I didn't like it, I wished him luck but could almost guarantee he wasn't going to see anything, I never lied to him. And hopefully next time he thinks about putting up a stand within shouting distance of another hunter he'll remember.. Not everyone just walks away...

[tracker x-2]

AHHHH yes sure is controversial on here.......

folks must be bored and awaiting the weekend!

That is pretty creative Todd lol

[bigshooter23]

If CO get a call about stands left overnight, they often do go cut them down. My friend is a CO and he says on average his district will cut down 50 wood ones and confiscate about the same in ladder and hang on.

[Todd Caswell]

If CO get a call about stands left overnight, they often do go cut them down. My friend is a CO and he says on average his district will cut down 50 wood ones and confiscate about the same in ladder and hang on.

I'm not going to take my stand down every night, or season for that matter, if they want to take the time to get a bolt cutter for the chain, and a cable cutter for the cable go for it..

[leech~~]

If CO get a call about stands left overnight, they often do go cut them down. My friend is a CO and he says on average his district will cut down 50 wood ones and confiscate about the same in ladder and hang on.

Well if that is the case, your CO buddy or the Douchebag who took ours missed the other 4 in our parties stands! I think you need to talk with your buddy on the reasons he is required to do that for his job. No one knows how long our stands were there and that we have been using them legally bow hunting!

[nofishfisherman]

Call it what you want, acually my mother taught me to stick up for myself and not roll over. I tried to reason with the guy, told him 200 yards to the south was there was a good draw that no one was sitting on. Thought I was helping him out, when he got smart and told me to move if I didn't like it, I wished him luck but could almost guarantee he wasn't going to see anything, I never lied to him. And hopefully next time he thinks about putting up a stand within shouting distance of another hunter he'll remember.. Not everyone just walks away...

I'm all for standing up for yourself, I am more than willing and capable of standing up for myself as well. I just choose to do it within the law. Personally I just don't see what doing something like that gets you? Now instead of their only being one jerkbait in the woods there are two, and now the first one is likely to become and even bigger jerkbait. No wonder public land is getting so frustrating to hunt.

[BLACKJACK]

And hopefully next time he thinks about putting up a stand within shouting distance of another hunter he'll remember..

Thats kind of my feeling, by telling them that they're too close, they'll think twice before doing it again. At least most hunters would.

[echotrail]

Times change and things evolve. 18 years ago I was hunting tax forfeited land in a permanent stand. Now we do not even use permanent stands on private land.

Rules on permanent stands, portable stands, will constantly evolve especially on public land.

It is not just stands that "reserve" a spot in the woods. Often large groups of hunters park and camp on trail heads thereby reserving the areas for themselves. It is what it is

We found this same camping situation this past Oct 20th. A deer camp set up in the middle of a secondary logging road for the purpose of blocking access to 1 older and 1 new logging cut behind it. They leave everything out chairs, lanterns, ax, table etc. so as to give the appearance of daily use.

[laker1]

They have been always out there. But more people without a conscious are trying to intimidate people by putting stands close by and pushing them out of a area. I sometimes wonder large groups are worst for they can move into a area and take over.

The bottom line public land is very valuable and is limited in amount and were getting more hunters who are getting into areas people could walk back in and get away from others. Trails crisscross most woods and people are too mobile with unregulated ATV use in many cases.

Remember it is only a deer and if you have legitimate problems get a hold of a CO and nip it in the butt.

[Coach1310]

It is just the way it is these days. It is hard to get across to some folks as they just don't get it and for some, they really don't know they are doing anything wrong. I always take the passive approach.... I have hunted an area for about 5 years and by no means is it mine. I am there because 5 years ago a group moved in, took over the area I hunted.... Had a guy climb up with his climber about 8am on Opening morning, 75 yards in front of me and facing me.... after seeing I was there, made no attempt to leave... I got down, walked away and went back to get my stand at noon and moved to a new area. Now I have a hunter telling me I can't hunt where I was because I am cutting off the deer on their way to him about 300 yards away, so Friday I plan to move again. My spots are getting worse as far as being able to hunt the best areas, but I am out there to enjoy it, not fight any battles. I always record license plate numbers in the event something disappears or gets messed with. I won't confront someone in the woods with a weapon for obvious reasons.