Ethics question

[jordanramos_79]

I had a similar situation this weekend and i'm glad to see this post. i'm still new to hunting and was asking myself the same questions.  after seeing the stand i moved on to an area away from the stand.  thanks for all the info these kinds of threads are very helpful to newer hunters like myself.

[Sliverslinger]

I'm actually curious as to if you were hunting in Ryderwood?. I have a spot I was working on since the second week in July hauling a mineral block down to it, clearing the spot to let fresh browse grow, and setting up my stand. On my very well hidden game cam I have a picture of a guy walking down there (he must like nasty hellholes also) on the 10th I believe. He looked at the stand and the mineral block and moved on it appears. If he hunted that spot it's within his rights since it's public land and I took that gamble. I'd probably be irritated but it wouldn't be his fault. Now, if I went down there and found him sitting in my tree stand I'd be pissed - especially since I have it cable locked to the bottom of the tree (climber). Regardless of the lock, you don't touch what's not yours. I've found other peoples stands and apple piles and just move out of the area. Now I'm ticked with Weyerhauser/ Sierra Pacific because I can't even hike in and get my stand. Dozen's of hours of work and 900 pics of elk later and it's worthless to me. Heading to high country in an hour.

[mtman]

The only time I wont hunt an area is if there is someone allready there. Just because someone puts out bait doesnt mean they earned the spot. If I didnt hunt were I found bait or tree stands. I would have a tuff time finding a spot to hunt. I find a bunch more that I had missed year after year while shed hunting and scouting. Come hunting season if the animals are all hanging out by peoples baits. Doesnt seem to unfair to hunt the general area.

[3nails]

 I'm starting to get real curious about where people are hunting where they are running into all kinds of tree stands and bait.  If there's that much pressure, move to a new area. There's a lot of ground out there. 

[Ridgeratt]

About 5 years ago I had one of my stands on my neighbor's place. I snuck in before light and had one of the local neighbor boys sitting in it. I inquired if it was his and he told me yes. I asked him then to unlock the padlock on it, If he could I guess it was his. If he couldn't he was welcome to borrow my key to try it. He found it while he was out roaming. So when he climbed down I put him in my safety harness and told him to make sure it was on the back porch that evening. I left him and went on about my hunting. Wished him good luck.

[denali]

  nice Ridgeratt

[Tman]

I'de be pissed if there was someone in my stand.. It may be within eye sight of public land if you do some hiking but its on private property...If i set it up on public land, I would probably expect it to be stolen by some A hole with no dignity.

[Built4Outdoors]

I'd hunt it while walking away. Wouldn't dare us another hunters personal property despite where they left it. It would be different if it were a structure in a tree or something that they couldn't prove was theirs.

As far as bait, call a game warden and collect ur ten points.... Baiting is not legal. Where did you say this was?

I concede this is not technically correct but to quote another hunter... "just talked to the WDFW enforcement program and the topic of BAITING. tehy said "you can bait for anything beside bear, but there is a fine line and you will probably cross it!" i asked what they ment and they said " if you bait for cougar or coyote with lets say salmon and a bear comes in you will get a ticket for baiting bear." i asked how can i get a ticket if i am not even hunting bear. they responded with " we just DONT recommend it because you will get cited for baiting bears, but you can put salt licks out for deer/elks but if a bear comes, you again will get cited"

Likely hood of being caught is very slim but it just not worth it with the penalties involved... But yes YOU ARE CORRECT, kinda and why do you need to? I have no issues tracking deer and elk around the state.



Baiting deer and elk is perfectly legal

[huntnnw]

If I come across someones stand/bait/set up I treat it as if I just came across somebody actually there. I move on with the least impact I can. Find another area.
When I climbed into my stand this year on opener I was surprise to see a stand and bait within 100 yards of mine. I could have shot a deer off their bait... I would have thought a fellow bowhunter would have the courtesy to move to a different area knowing I was already there but I guess some people don't care if they ruin another persons hunt. 

Sad thing is they are members buddy on here...think some people would get it..u handled alot better than I would..he woulda never done this agin to someone..pos and tool bag

[huntnnw]

I'm starting to get real curious about where people are hunting where they are running into all kinds of tree stands and bait.  If there's that much pressure, move to a new area. There's a lot of ground out there. 

Or you dont get out and walk around the whitetail woods in NE WA... you will find a ton of stand sites and baits. even worse on public/iep...private another story

[jackmaster]

ridgerat brings up a good point, i guess if i walked into my stand and seen a young kid in it, and he found it all by his self without his dads help or anything along those lines, well i would do the same thing, there is just somethn about helpn young hunters out, i would tell him that it isnt good practice to get up in someone elses treestand, but i would let him hunt my stand for the day thats for sure, if it was an adult who is just to damn lazy to do his own work, then that would create a problem, especially cause lazy ass hunters really make me sick and if they have the sack to sit in my stand or your stand then they probably arent much for ethics and are the type that give us all bad names 

[et1702]

Completely UNETHICAL!!!  I'd be more than a little pissed if someone disrespected my setup; PUBLIC land or NOT!  Doesn't give you the right.  Most hunters are very respectful of other's equipment and their time and energy to set up their stand.  I've had hunters come by my in my stand and back outta the area after I whistled at them.

[mtman]

3 nails your Right there are alot of area out there. These areas I run into with lots of stands are just places I can hit after work because they are close.

[Ridgeratt]

Ok so what if ya find this guy in your stand? Mad or Glad?

 
I still have a few stands stashed on public land that I set up now and then.  I have set them during the early season and try to take them down after late buck sometimes the weather keeps me from doing that so they get tipped over in the spring. If anyone finds them and chooses to haul them out "Good on Ya"

[CamoDup]

Ok so what if ya find this guy in your stand? Mad or Glad?