Just a little rant

[Onin24Eagle]

Ok, I've got to vent a little.

It's a long story so we'll start at the beginning.  Last year I built a new deer stand.  Technically, the stand is on County property and it's perfectly legal to erect stands  on County land here.  The law does, however, clearly state that if it's on public land you have no right to boot somebody out if you find them in your stand.  I get that.  Fine.  Thing is I never expected another soul to ever even see this stand as it is quite a ways off the beaten path.  There's an old logging trail that runs East/West right on the South edge of our property.  The trail itself is pretty much the property line.  Everything on the North is private and everything on the South of it is County.  The stand I built was about 75 to 100 yards South of that trail and about a good 1/3 - 1/2 mile from the main trail to the East where you would have to park if you were to hike your way in on public land.  It's much easier to get to from our land.  Anyway, after I had erected this stand last fall, I went out doing a little extra pre-season scouting a week before opener.  imagine my surprise when I find a trail of ribbons leading from where that old logging trail starts and ending at the stand I just built. 

It was pretty obvious that someone discovered the stand and was perhaps going to try to get to it extra early so they could be the first one there on opening day.  I wasn't about to let that fly.  I built it, I can unbuild it...so I did.  The next day I came out and disassembled the whole thing.  Instead I took an old homemade portable ladder stand, went another 1/4 mile down the logging trail to a new spot and set it up down there.  I did not hunt that ladder stand opening weekend but decided to give it a try on Friday evening of the second weekend.  As I'm walking out that afternoon I again notice ribbons heading down the trail toward my portable.  When I get close I look carefully and I'm relieved to see that there's no orange up in the tree that the stand was on so nobody had taken my spot.  Well, nobody took my spot but they did take something else.  When I get up there, the stand is gone.  Stolen.  I'm more upset about the principle of it than anything else.  It was a homemade stand and cost me little more than a couple of hours of measuring, cutting and welding as well as the effort to haul it out and set it up.  I can't be sure but I think it likely that it was payback for taking down the other stand.

Fast forward to today.  I happened to be out checking cameras and decided to take a jaunt down the old logging trail as it is usually a hotspot for early season scrapes and rubs.  I've been down the trail as recently as a week ago.  I've got no cameras here (don't want to risk "losing" one), I just like to see what's going on and if the deer are getting more active with scrapes.  I noticed some brand new ribbon on the trail again, so I followed it.  It went right to the spot I had built the stand last year and just 10 yards away from where that stand had been built now sits a 20 foot ladder stand.  For all I know it's a completely different person but I do know that this same person has ribbon trails going to other areas and I'm wondering if I might just possibly relocate my old stand.  I think I might just do a little "exploring" middle of next week.  They've got nothing to worry about from me anyway.  I don't steal deer stands. 

[gophergunner]

This is always the down side to hunting land others have access to.  We had a good spot on tax forfeited land up by Pine River.  We'd rehabbed a derelict tree stand that had caved in years ago, and had taken a couple deer off it.  One of the locals started giving us a hard time-leaving notes on our cars telling us we were trespassing, which we werent, making sure he was at the trail head when we walked out just to hassle us, etc.  The azzhat tore down our tree stand, and erected one of his own on the next tree over.  That was enough-deer season's way too short to get in a pizzing match over.  We moved out of the area and never looked back.  We did, however as a parting gesture go out on the night before the opener and stealthily deposit two dozen car air fresheners and several bottle so cologne, aftershave and cheap perfume in a circle around the tree stand.  I doubt he saw many deer that opener, but at least he had a very pungent odor around him.

[deadeye]

Onin24eagle,
I feel for you but there's not a lot you can do. Being it's a homemade stand, you would be able to identify it if is shows up near by.  Also, did you check the area where you had it, perhaps they just took it down and hid it in the brush someplace.  Next time you find the flags, just re-route them ending in a swamp 1/4 mile away.   

[Onin24Eagle]

Human nature drives me to think it probably is the same guy, but I also have to check my gut and admit that it is quite possible that the person who just put the stand up is somebody else entirely.  In that case good for him.  There's a reason I built that stand there last year.  It's a prime spot.

I do think I'll check out these other flag trails still, just to see what's up.  Like I said, I'm not going to steal anyone's stuff so they've got nothing to worry about from me and there's a small, thought unlikely, chance that I just may find the stand that was stolen from me.  If I do, I'll repossess it.  Like deadeye said, it's homemade and I'll know it's mine from 50 feet away. 

[beeker]

that sucks.. and if i'm to be honest one of the things i used to get anxious about over hunting.. i hate confrontations when i'm hunting.. i'm out to have fun and the dealing with an armed asshat in the middle of the woods over a place to sit just ruins the entire day. we've been lucky with the land we've bought.. in the 10 plus years out there we've only had to encounters with other hunters and we've all been rather courteous towards each other, even offering the neighbor and his kid to sit in our stands during the week if they wish.

i wish you good luck. to me i would rather get skunked then deal with some dink in the woods