Public Land Treestands?

[Dan-o]

The it's on public property thing holds no water with me. Falls into the same category as someone pulling the sd card to look at your trail cam photos, or sitting in you truck. If it's not yours and it's not garbage your picking up, leave it alone.

I sort of agree, but then again, if you leave it on public property and somebody uses it, I just don't think you have a right to complain.       


 Damage or theft is a different matter....

so if I were to use your camp on public land while you were out hunting would just be fine...Im not stealing or damaging anything...

Nice try, but......   bad analogy.

Feel free to try again.

[Button Nubbs]

The it's on public property thing holds no water with me. Falls into the same category as someone pulling the sd card to look at your trail cam photos, or sitting in you truck. If it's not yours and it's not garbage your picking up, leave it alone.

I sort of agree, but then again, if you leave it on public property and somebody uses it, I just don't think you have a right to complain.       


 Damage or theft is a different matter....

so if I were to use your camp on public land while you were out hunting would just be fine...Im not stealing or damaging anything...

Nice try, but......   bad analogy.

Feel free to try again.

Seems like a good analogy to me. Trying to figure out how its any different.

[Dan-o]

The it's on public property thing holds no water with me. Falls into the same category as someone pulling the sd card to look at your trail cam photos, or sitting in you truck. If it's not yours and it's not garbage your picking up, leave it alone.

I sort of agree, but then again, if you leave it on public property and somebody uses it, I just don't think you have a right to complain.       


 Damage or theft is a different matter....

so if I were to use your camp on public land while you were out hunting would just be fine...Im not stealing or damaging anything...

Nice try, but......   bad analogy.

Feel free to try again.

Seems like a good analogy to me. Trying to figure out how its any different.

The analogy is no good, and here is why:

You couldn't "reasonably" expect to go setup elk camp in a popular elk area in July and leave it there through December and expect that others wouldn't use it......   You're simply not allowed to "reserve" public property that way.

These guys are talking about leaving their tree stand out ON PUBLIC PROPERTY and having some reasonable expectation that they have therefore reserved that spot.

I can see both sides to the argument - and I personally would not use someone else's active stand - but I don't think it's necessarily a ridiculous thing to do.

I  guess if it is, then the next question is:   How long should you be allowed to leave your equipment out in the public woods before it's considered "abandoned"?

[huntnnw]

NO its not..not with some of the above logic..whats the difference?

[Song Dog]

I put my tree stands up in July and take them down in Nov.  I like to Scout the area and depending on which season I decide to hunt * Bow, Muzzle loader or Modern Rifle will dictate where I set them up.  I like to set up at least 3 stands and often set up 5 just to cover diffrent locations and routes.  I chain them to the trees.  In thirty years I have only had a couple of incidents once I came in and a guy was sitting in one of my tree stands.  I advised him it was my stand and he climbed out and left.  The other incident was a bone head running bear with hounds on Mt. Adams a couple of years ago during Muzzleloader season and he and one of the dogs walked by my tree stand.  What I have learned is take the time to set up more than one stand and when incidents like this happen I just head to one of my other stands.  The problem with leaving treestands up year round is you run the risk of them getting damaged from falling limbs and falling trees.

[Dan-o]

NO its not..not with some of the above logic..whats the difference?

I think I agree with you....       There is no difference.

You should have no more reasonable expectation of "reserving" a public land tree stand spot for 6 months than you would of "reserving" a public land elk camp spot for 6 months.   I mean, try putting up your camp in one of the many popular spots in Little Natches for 6 months and see how OK people are with it.....   

[sagewalker]

Do We have to really talk about this?  If its not yours, leave it the F alone?  Why is that so hard for some to get?  It's not a free for all just because its on public land!  Ok let's try this, if you feel funny or quilty about something, then it's probably wrong.  It's called your conscience, don't ignore it, if you burn up your conscience it will go away.  Simple guys.

 
well said!!!

[et1702]

Do We have to really talk about this?  If its not yours, leave it the F alone?  Why is that so hard for some to get?  It's not a free for all just because its on public land!  Ok let's try this, if you feel funny or guilty about something, then it's probably wrong.  It's called your conscience, don't ignore it, if you burn up your conscience it will go away.  Simple guys.

 
well said!!!

 

Exactly.  Find another spot.  I've done my scouting, put in the time necessary to find a good spot. So, spend some time in the woods and find your own location!  Plus, I believe it would be extremely unethical and disrespectful for me to just decide to sit in someone else's stand.  Public land or not, doesn't matter. 

While we are on the subject, if you come across a guy in a tree stand, back out the way you came!  Would you intentionally blow a guys stalk if you saw a couple guys on a ridge with a herd of elk down below them...NO!!!  Why is it OK to walk through a guy setup in a tree stand?  It's not!  I've had VERY few individuals find my stands or walk near them while I'm in them.  Most do back out once you get their attention.  But, this past year, I was sitting in my stand listening to several cow elk and a bull talking and heading my way.  Heard something coming for over 100 yards away from the opposite direction. It was a hunter that was trying to put a stalk on the elk.  I caught his attention and he just veered off trail and walked straight at the elk.  The area the elk were in is VERY inaccessible while hunting on the ground (i.e., no way to get on them due to terrain and winds).  You will blow them out EVERY time if you try to approach on the ground, which is what this Jack A$$ did very shortly after I spotted him.  Plus, if I could hear him from over 100yards away, the elk could too!

Sorry for the rant, but I just don't understand some people's hunting ethics.

ET

[h20hunter]

This thread is fine to talk about.....IF......thats a huge IF we can dispense with the same old songs regarding what you would do when someone blocks a bit of road, touches your stand, moves a salt block....etc etc. Yes, we know everyone is an internet tough guy and would pull their glock or tow their truck or I'll steal your truck if you think it okay to steal my cam blah blah blah. The discussion gets old in a heartbeat when it revolves around the threat of violance or force. Leave it alone...both the tough guy threats and other peoples stuff.

[turkeyfeather]

Do We have to really talk about this?  If its not yours, leave it the F alone?  Why is that so hard for some to get?  It's not a free for all just because its on public land!  Ok let's try this, if you feel funny or guilty about something, then it's probably wrong.  It's called your conscience, don't ignore it, if you burn up your conscience it will go away.  Simple guys.

 
well said!!!

 

Exactly.  Find another spot.  I've done my scouting, put in the time necessary to find a good spot. So, spend some time in the woods and find your own location!  Plus, I believe it would be extremely unethical and disrespectful for me to just decide to sit in someone else's stand.  Public land or not, doesn't matter. 

While we are on the subject, if you come across a guy in a tree stand, back out the way you came!  Would you intentionally blow a guys stalk if you saw a couple guys on a ridge with a herd of elk down below them...NO!!!  Why is it OK to walk through a guy setup in a tree stand?  It's not!  I've had VERY few individuals find my stands or walk near them while I'm in them.  Most do back out once you get their attention.  But, this past year, I was sitting in my stand listening to several cow elk and a bull talking and heading my way.  Heard something coming for over 100 yards away from the opposite direction. It was a hunter that was trying to put a stalk on the elk.  I caught his attention and he just veered off trail and walked straight at the elk.  The area the elk were in is VERY inaccessible while hunting on the ground (i.e., no way to get on them due to terrain and winds).  You will blow them out EVERY time if you try to approach on the ground, which is what this Jack A$$ did very shortly after I spotted him.  Plus, if I could hear him from over 100yards away, the elk could too!

Sorry for the rant, but I just don't understand some people's hunting ethics.

ET

If I come across a guys stand on the way to my spot, I am not going to back out sorry. I think the stand time frame and use depends on the situation. If I am wandering through the woods and I see a guy has stand exactly where I would have put one with no sign he is using it then I may just cop a squat. Now if the guy shows up, no problem I will be on my merry little way. As far as your elk story, maybe the guy had been working the same heard you were. Why should he back down to you?

[sagewalker]

 

[Kazekurt]

I don't hunt out of tree stands but I've built several natural blinds along deer funnels in eastern WA.  Once in a while, someone else discovers and uses them and I just go to one of my other spots.  I personally wouldn't use someone's stand or blind but I would hunt the same area there stand/blind was without hesitation if they weren't in it and I thought it was a good area.  I think sometimes people see bucks scouting on public land and wrongfully assume ownership of the area and animal, when in reality, many people have probably seen the same buck.  I'll always respect another hunter and give him space if he is in an area but if he's not there its fair  game for other hunters.  I , however, have zero tolerance for thieves!  An ethical hunter/human being should never take something that doesn't belong to them.  I had duck decoys stolen from me that I left out over night on private land owned by my grandpa.  I'll never make that mistake again:-(. Anyway, I think when it comes to public land we should be careful not to be selfish and respect others rights to hunt and enjoy the sport we love and if you want an area to yourself your gonna have to find a hard to reach area:-)

[Sandberm]

I guess not growing up in "The Hunting Culture" I have a different perspective.

Can I park my boat in the middle of the Columbia river and leave it there for all of salmon season because I did the "work" of scouting out that spot? No

If I scout out the perfect spot to park my car in down town Seattle for Seahawks games, can I put out some traffic cones and claim that spot as mine? No.

If I put a lawn chair on top of a picnic table at my favorite park, can I kick people off my picnic table every day I go there to eat lunch? I mean, I did do the work of scouting out that picnic table for its superior qualities.

Why are tree stands on public land any different?

[LndShrk]

I don't hunt out of tree stands but I've built several natural blinds along deer funnels in eastern WA.  Once in a while, someone else discovers and uses them and I just go to one of my other spots.  I personally wouldn't use someone's stand or blind but I would hunt the same area there stand/blind was without hesitation if they weren't in it and I thought it was a good area.  I think sometimes people see bucks scouting on public land and wrongfully assume ownership of the area and animal, when in reality, many people have probably seen the same buck.  I'll always respect another hunter and give him space if he is in an area but if he's not there its fair  game for other hunters.  I , however, have zero tolerance for thieves!  An ethical hunter/human being should never take something that doesn't belong to them.  I had duck decoys stolen from me that I left out over night on private land owned by my grandpa.  I'll never make that mistake again:-(. Anyway, I think when it comes to public land we should be careful not to be selfish and respect others rights to hunt and enjoy the sport we love and if you want an area to yourself your gonna have to find a hard to reach area:-)

 

Nicely put.

[krapmit]

We've had several tree stands, game cameras and sd cards stolen in the Nile Unit, some this year actually..  I'm sure the jack wagon who stole them is on this site.  A matter of fact, we know who did it, it's just tough to prove it.

People who steal are scum bags and I hope Karma bites you hard right in the arse, you filthy pigs.

As far as people sitting in your stand, I have absolutely no problem with it.  If I found a stand in a good area, and I "thought" no one was using it, I would definitely sit in it.  However, if the owner of that stand came along, I would 100% get out of his stand and move well out of the area.  People are rediculess who have a sense of "entitlement" on public property..Get over yourself. 

Have respect, and use common sense.