Stolen deer stands

[ClownColor]

Anyone know how you can search ATV license plates? I have a plate number from the guy who's been stealing/taking down deer stands in our area. I'm going to forward the info on to the DNR but also want to post his info around town and at the public entrances so people know who it is. I also think his family has a local construction business so hopefully making it public will get this guy to stop. Its been going on for years and I finally got a lead with a plate number!

[Lunker]

Contact the sheriff's department or local PD, depending on where it happened. Since it is criminal (theft) they can handle it. 

[leech~~]

29 minutes ago, ClownColor said:

Anyone know how you can search ATV license plates? I have a plate number from the guy who's been stealing/taking down deer stands in our area. I'm going to forward the info on to the DNR but also want to post his info around town and at the public entrances so people know who it is. I also think his family has a local construction business so hopefully making it public will get this guy to stop. Its been going on for years and I finally got a lead with a plate number!

In Minnesota you can not obtain plate info. Your best bet is through the DNR and they will not tell you who it is even if they find out anything.

[delcecchi]

https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/forms-documents/Documents/RecordRequestForm.pdf

It appears the information is sort of semi-public semi-private.  You can get it for certain reasons. 

There are also a number of internet services which purport to provide such data.  google "minnesota license plate lookup"  and you will see.   They claim to be free.   I didn't try any of them.  

What did the local sheriff say?  This is a theft, and given what those stands cost probably considered fairly serious.  

[smurfy]

10 hours ago, leech~~ said:

In Minnesota you can not obtain plate info. Your best bet is through the DNR and they will not tell you who it is even if they find out anything.

pretty much what i found out. i gave a plate number to a police officer. he could look it up but could not tell me you it belonged to for fear of him losing his job!!!! this guy was fuel oiling my bear bait!

[O.T.C.]

Sounds like you already know who it is and if it's in construction why would a guy with those skills swipe stands ?

[Grainbelt]

Dirtbags! Keep calling them in. Their daddies didn't teach them wrong from right.

[ClownColor]

8 hours ago, O.T.C. said:

Sounds like you already know who it is and if it's in construction why would a guy with those skills swipe stands ?

I know what they look like and know His old man drives a construction vehicle around... They do build some pretty tough looking stands but they think they own the area which is all public. From what i gather, if you're within a mile of them, they'll take your stand. 

[O.T.C.]

Isn't hunting fun ? There are so many clowns out there in every county. I wish you luck and understand the type you are dealing with. They own it all.  How someone can steal a stand is beyond me, I guess you are either that type or you're not. Hopefully they get caught, get their names in the local newspaper, and have to cough something up for a fine.  

[ZachD]

From what I understand by leaving stands on public property they essentially become public property until they are removed so I don't think there is anything you can do.

[bobbymalone]

I thought one could use the stand, but I'm not so sure one could just take it home.

[Bass Whacker]

I hunt 100% public land. My understanding has always been if I choose to leave any of my own property on said land I assume the risk of something going missing.  It's not private land and so it shouldn't be treated that way anyway.  The hike sucks with the extra weight, but that's why my stand goes in and out with me.    

I personally would be fine with everyone needing to pack their stand out every night and no permanent stands period.  This is already the rule for everywhere public, but state forest and national forest land if I remember correctly.  Lets just make it a state wide rule and be done with it.  It would keep even more people out of the hard to reach areas I target! 

[leech~~]

Not sure how it is in Minnesota but I was watching a show on Northwoods Law out of Maine and the DNR there actually put a GPS unit hidden in a ladder stand and tracked the person down and fined them.

[Getanet]

49 minutes ago, Bass Whacker said:

Lets just make it a state wide rule and be done with it.  It would keep even more people out of the hard to reach areas I target! 

 

No thanks. It's been a while, but last time I saw any data hunters as a group are getting older, not younger. We'll need to be looking for ways to make hunting less physically demanding, not more, if we want to keep the more mature hunters active in the woods.

[Jmnhunter]

you can use the stands on public land, but you cant just take someone's property. the state gives you a 14 day period, after that, its considered abandoned http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/rules.html. I agree Bass Whacker, I hope some day they outlaw the construction of permanent stands. there are some doink nuts that use them and claim that area is theres. I also love the restrictions on ATV use, I don't believe the lack of access is the problem for hunter recruitment, there are more trails today then ever, but thats all for a different topic...

[Getanet]

38 minutes ago, Jmnhunter said:

I also love the restrictions on ATV use, I don't believe the lack of access is the problem for hunter recruitment, there are more trails today then ever, but thats all for a different topic...

 

Where I hunt (state forest land) ATV's haven't been restricted, they've been outlawed. I understand they can be a nuisance, but I wish they would make one adjustment to that and allow hunters to use them to retrieve a deer - after shooting hours only. 

 

As far access, I'm talking about hunter retainment, not recruitment. Not many 60+ year olds would want to carry a stand in and out each day. You'd wind up with even more hunters crowded into easy-access areas than there are now.

 

 

[ClownColor]

4 hours ago, Jmnhunter said:

you can use the stands on public land, but you cant just take someone's property. the state gives you a 14 day period, after that, its considered abandoned http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/rules.html. I agree Bass Whacker, I hope some day they outlaw the construction of permanent stands. there are some doink nuts that use them and claim that area is theres. I also love the restrictions on ATV use, I don't believe the lack of access is the problem for hunter recruitment, there are more trails today then ever, but thats all for a different topic...

 This is actually false. This is applied to the "Camping" section. Scroll down to the next section for hunting and stands.

 

That said, I'm very aware that if someone comes by, they can use it no questions asked...but under no circumstance can they steal it! Also, the above applies to state forests. WPA's, county land and so on "may" have different rules and regs.

 

take away ATV's??? LOL-best things that have happened to the sport of hunting!

Edited October 19, 2016 by ClownColor

[Jmnhunter]

it is not clear at all really, but if you look here on page 107, "abandoned property" is found under the State forests section vs the camping section I originally pointed out 

 http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/hunting/2016/full_regs.pdf#view=fit&pagemode=bookmarks

 

you are correct, WPA's and WMA's are different, I believe wpa's/wma's you have to carry in/out every day (except for bear hunters... more dnr over thinking...)

 

I agree getanet, older gents carrying in/out a stand everyday is not feasible, I agree with not allowing any new construction of stands, but hanging and leaving stands throughout the season is what I meant.

take them all away ClownColor

[wannafish2]

Seems to me that since we have to pay a fee to be able to use our ATV's on public/state land that there should be a way for Law Enforcement to find out who that tag belongs to.  They may not tell you, but they should be able to make contact with that person and at least do some investigating.  After all, if I got the tag off a truck driven by someone stealing stands they better check it out ..... truck or ATV it shouldn't matter.  Too bad people just don't leave other people's stuff alone.  What happened to respect for others...such a shame.