portable tree stands

[10 poyntr]

I've been hunting in Wisconsin for 26 years in the same area. I've used portable tree stands for last 16 years. PLEASE tell me who puts these stands up in the pre-dawn pitch black darkness,as the law says you must take them down daily?? Do they really think we will wait til light on opening morning to put them up? I'm talking about the big ladder stands that go to 16 feet and have ratchets and securing rods and the like. I have a hell of a time in the light! I believe Minnesota and most other states also have the "take down daily" rule also. Then we read from the experts to cautiously walk to your stand in the morning so not to alarm the deer in the area. Of course, we will be real quiet putting up a stand in the dark, banging the ladder sections together, etc. Ha! So, what do you portable stand hunters do under these regulations? Of course, I'm talking putting them on public, not private land. Happy stand huntin!!

[Willowmaker]

I hunt in both states mn and wi and I dont take them down till I am done hunting there. So far I have not heard anything or been in trouble for it. I feel as you do. The noise would make sure that your hunting area is devoid of any wildlife. You also stand a much greater risk of injury trying to put those stands up in the dark.
Maybe I do the wrong thing leagaly but at least I get shots and have no broken bones from trying to do it in the dark.

[setterguy]

I have done the same thing, but be careful. I personally know that in some areas of the state the DNR guys will make sweeps through public land and take down any tree stands. They leave you a note on your tree and have to pay a fine to get your stand back. I don't really see the harm if you had a rule like Two weeks before and two weeks after or something like that.

[BLACKJACK]

I bowhunt mostly private land, so I can put my stands up and leave them, but when I hunt public land, I normally just use ground blinds. What I've rigged up is a 'leaner stick', a 48" piece of 1 inch dowel, pointed at one end, 12 inch piece 2x4 on the other, at my stand site I poke it into the ground at a 60 degree angle, thats my seat/what I lean against. Not as comfortable as sitting, but enought to take your weight off, I can stand like that for 2-3 hours. Plus its easer to shoot that way rather from a sitting position. Then pick a spot in the brush, tuck back in, break off a few branches to create a shooting lane, when the deer goes by, walla. Or pick a spot at the end of a tree row, use the last tree/brush as your blind, when the deer comes along the tree row, you nail it when its off to your side. Its fun, upclose hunting. I've nailed two deer this way. My next purchase is going to be one of those Double-bull blinds. I've also missed close deer in this situation because I've been shaking so bad! Try it, it works and its fun!

[This message has been edited by BLACKJACK (edited 09-12-2003).]

[jlm]

It is a really bad rule but it does make sense for a couple of reasons. First, it prevents someone from putting up their stand on public land and acting as though they own that particular spot because "their" stand is there and was there first. Second, the rule is for your own protection. Anyone can come along and take your stand and there is not much you can do legally to get it back. Also, if you leave your stand up, someone else can sit in your stand and there is not much you can do but demand that he gets out. That might lead to some trouble. Leaving your stand up opens it up to fair game for others to take advantage of it. I would suggest a climbing stand. You can go and prpare everything ahead of time and then go in with your climber and be in the tree in a matter of a couple of minutes. They are very quiet to if you take propper precautions. Just my two cents, good luck!

[BLACKJACK]

jlm, you make a very good point about once people put up a portable stand, they 'claim' that piece of PUBLIC land. They may only hunt it once every two weeks, but they'll want everyone else to keep their stands a 'proper' distance away. Yet its on public land, open to everyone. Its the same problem, only on a smaller scale, that happens when people put permanent stands onto public land.

[10 poyntr]

Thanks for replies, fellow hunters. I actually have been putting up my stands 3 weeks before the opener, and also chain lock it to the tree. I understand the unwritten "claim" to a hunting area when doing this, but on public hunting grounds there are no guarantees to the whitetail chaser. We all like to be on stand at first light and come down at dusk, so I'll take the "safer" route of having my stand ready and waiting for me, and not putting up or taking down in darkness. Good Huntin guys!

[Guest]

i think in mn you only have to take your stand down daily if your on a wildlife mngmnt. area. all other puplic land go ahead and leave at your own risk. ive always chained mine up.

[Canuck]

I too hunt on public land and hunt from stands and have been very successful to such a extent that we have found guys actually tracking us (we hunt in snow). To prevent others from using our stands we do the following. I have scouted several areas and have them all on my GPSMap76S. All the trees are cut for shooting lanes and I know which trees are suitable for which winds. In everyone of these trees are receivers that will hold the stand we build ourselves. We have welded up stands that are light and are on our packboards. If you aren't fully aware of these receivers they are simply tubeller steel with a 5" lag bolt welded to the middle. The tube slides into the stand. They are very similar to the ones sold in the store but we have added one further thing. We have gone and drilled a hole approx. 12" below the seat that we insert a 9" lag bolt to sturdy the stand and for further safety. Another thing we have done is put up screw in steps up to the stand all except for the botton 3 or 4. The tree is pre-drilled so it isn't very hard to simply screw in the necessary steps. All this prep work is done in the summer or spring as we know most of this land like the back of our hands.
This way guys can keep on tracking us to their hearts content to the stands but won't have the stand to use. When I climb down from the stand at the end of the day I usually keep walking further in the bush then back track and try to conceal the tree I use. I have actually been up in a stand and watched a guy tacking me.

[10 poyntr]

Yeah, it's a shame Canuck that you have to backtrack around your stand to keep out the minority of a-holes that would even THINK of using or stealing someones treestand. Half the fun for REAL deer hunters is finding and establishing your own little area to hunt. Has anybody had their stand stolen, or found some goof sitting in it? Our group have had a couple stolen, one being in snow cover where we could see 3 people were there, and one set of tracks very small, probably a son of a jerk father looking for a stand for is kid. Takes all kinds. Amazing, because just like fishing, I've felt the huge majority of hunters are very honest and woodsworthy.

[DinnerPail]

If you read the regs. page 57 the only area that you need to take your stand down daily is a wildlife management area. Our party uses several portable stands. We usually put them out a day or so before the opener, then lock them to the tree with a cable and padlock. We also get locks that all use the same key that way it doesn't matter what stand you are using you'll always have the right key. Have never had a problem with someone using our portables but have had when we use to build permanant stands. I'll never build a permannat stand again. Watch for sales after season for stands on sale you can find some good deals.

Happy hunting and lets be safe out ther!

[10 poyntr]

In both Minnesota and Wisconsin, I've heard reports of the dnr searching the woods and taking down the portables of the "ethical" hunter, the one that doesnt use screw steps that they frown on. Please, dnr people, let us have our short time of pleasure in the woods without having to worry about our stands being torn down. Remember, these are PORTABLE, not permanent, dont hurt trees,and will be long gone when the loggers come in! And we wont put them up in the dark when you could kill yourself. And I feel that the stand hunter is typically the morally and ethically right hunter, one that will turn in poachers and the no-goods. It's also the safest way to be the deer woods!

[Muskieguy]

So what is the verdict on whether it is legal or not to leave a portable overnight? I hunt MN state forest(yeah, it sucks I know) and usually leave my climber attached around the base of the tree. Then I can follow my GPS in the darkeness to my stand. Strap my boots in and up the tree I go. No noise is made attaching my climber to the tree. Is this legal or not?????

Muskieguy

[BLACKJACK]

Dinnerpail, where do you get the locks that all open with the same key? I've had that problem, which key will get a particular stand off the tree! And how do you construct the cables that you use?

Also in your post you pointed out that only portable stands may be used in Wildlife Management Areas and state parks. I wonder what the rule is on Waterfowl Production areas?

[DinnerPail]

You can get locks in packs of four at most home improvrment centers. If you want more than that I've gone to my local lock smith and had him order then for me, we do it all the time at work. As far as a cable goes, I'll buy a length of coated cable, cut it to the length I need and us swedges made for cable and hammer then flat. I figure if nothing else it keeps us honest people honest.

[BLACKJACK]

Dinnerpail, thanks for the info. And you're 100% right, locks just keep honest people honest, and help reduce that impulse ripoff.

Talked to a Fish and Wildlife guy, he said portable stands can NOT be left overnite on a WPA.