Who has the right?

[Outdoors Junkie]

My dad called me this afternoon after checking on some of our deer stands.  We hunt on public land by URL.  I have hunted there since I was 12.  He is up there with four others from our hunting party.  They are making sure each stand is safe to use before the season.  We have stands that are 10-15 years old.  This is public land, so I know others can rightful use stands we built.  I have no problem with that.  The problem I have is that some buttheads cut down some of the stands.  The cut the stands up into little pieces.  In one spot they hung a portable 15 yards away.  I just don't understand why they had to destroy the stands we built.  My grandpa built a couple of those stands with me a year or two before he passed away.  The last deer he ever shot was from one of those stands.  It really upsets me that there are people out there who do this kind of thing.  We also use portable stands, so we can hang them when the season starts.  They destroyed some of my history and tradition.  What gives them the right?  ::  ::

[lil miss ashley]

take the portables cause they cant be left over nite!!
we had that happen and we thought it was the dnr.
dead loads drive through and see a stand and do that
stuff, hunting state land sucks!  spread bars of soap
all around the area and find a new place.

randy aka bh

[tattguy12]

theres a good chance it was the dnr, Just for the fact they cut it up in pieces instead of ripping it down. But ya it still sux..start talking to people and find some private land to hunt..Good luck


                        kevin  ::drunks::

[Randy Kaar]

sorry forgot to log off grand daugter..
but if them portables are left over night
they are public stands. not saying to steal,
but what goes around comes around.
i could tell you some stories about public land
hunting!

randy aka bh

[jigglestick]

taking those stands (portables) would be theft of stolen property.
leaving them on public (at least state) land is not legal.
whose property they become after that I am not sure, but I am pretty sure it does not make them mine or your, or whoever decides to remove them.
not only that but you would be leaving your self open to a good old fashioned ass whoopin, the back woods way.
who's to say that the guy who left them there didn't leave trail cameras and could identify you as being in the area where the stands were taken from?

more back to the point,
you are right, your stands were erected on public land.
you have no more right to them as the guy who got to it opening morning before you did.
first come, first served.
it isn't going to get any easier fellas.
people are becoming more brash every year.
it sickens me to see the evolution of hunting.
land prices have been driven so high, only the well to do people can own anything suitable for a hunting party to exist on.
that makes public land the only alternative for more and more hunters (if you can call some of them hunters).
O.J.
those stands weren't going to last forever.
your memories will last as long as you do and that will have to be good enough.

it is my experience, that these kinds of people will come hogging into an area until they see the opposition.
they will raise a stink for a couple years, but when they see you aren't going anywhere, they will move on.
 enjoy it, because it most likely won't last long. there will be another bunch just like'm.
the best thing we can do is work around them and tollerate them.
be polite and courtious as long as you can.
I lost my cool once in the woods, and I got my point across, but I felt pretty crapty after that.
the guy was hunting 60 yards behind me for two days.
he wasn't even quiet. breaking twigs, coughing, I could hear him eating his damned lunch!
I finaly climbed out of my stand and let my pressence be known.
life is to short to get bent out of shape.
there are times when certain situations call for affirmative action, but I try to avoid that sort of situation anymore.
who knows, you might get your ass chi vanged!!

deer season only comes once a year.
do your best to enjoy it!

[Outdoors Junkie]

I understand what you are saying Jigglestick.  We have multiple spots that we hunt.  This spot was my grandpa's favorite spot.  So, it upset me to see other hunters disrespect us.  I have been hunting in this area for 23 years.  So, we have had a few hunters like you described pass through over the years.  We have had stands cut down when area's have been logged.  We had a couple stands cut down by hunters before.  It is upsetting to get a call from my pops and hear the angry in his voice.  The stands were not going to last forever, but the memories will. 

I hope I see the guy in his portable in a couple of weeks.  I might try to have a little fun with him... walk by him and pretend I am lost and wander around for a while.  I could then stop by his stand and say I can't find my stand (the one he cut down).  I will have fun with the guy and he will think I am a dumb ass. lol

[Randy Kaar]

i myself wouldnt take his stand and steal it, but it wouldnt
be where he left it. now if you hunted and scouted this
peoperty for years would you be p d off!  then cutting
down someones stand, if thats what happened which
it sounds like after reading the post again.
hunting public land s564s  but we have to do it...
i agree on the price of land forcing people to other means
of hunting.

randy aka bh

[kenhuntin]

you can always get one of those culligan 5 gal. h2o jugs from home depot and relieve yourself in it until deer season. Well you know how scent drippers work don't you? Actually I do not recommend this it is just funny. perhaps the person with this portable is innocent and just happened on that space. No one can claim public land.

[Randy Kaar]

we can only hope that ken!

randy aka bh

[Outdoors Junkie]

The DNR have never cut stands down where we hunt in the past.  I doubt it was the DNR.  I would guess it is from local residents in the area.  They seem to have the attitude that they have more of a right then the seasonal folks.

[laker]

In regards to boneheads post on the treestand.  If you don't know whose it is, then it sure as heck isn't yours. Why advocate theft? I really don't think you're that sort of person.

In reply to the original poster. Yes, it sucks, I've had a stand demolished also. It got my dander up for a bit, till I thought it over. See, although you and your forefathers hunted the land for the past however many years, you sure don't own it. Neither do the jerks that cut down your stands. I wouldn't be sure that the owner of the portable was the one that cut your stand down. It could have been, but it also could have been a logger, DNR, or a totally different hunter. Up here, permanent tree stands are not allowed in the woods anymore than portables are to be left overnight. Use portables, and no one else will identify your stand sites as hunting areas. Or buy some private land and build yourself all the stands you like. Those are the only two options to avoid conflict.

[Randy Kaar]

yes laker, that was my first reaction cause it happened
to me many times. why should we let people destroy
our stands even though it is public property. we have
spent money and a lot of time scouting the area and
have weekend hunters come in and do this...  and we
should move to another area ? i also camp in this state
forest year round. just my opinion on this subject.

randy aka bh

[Mayfly]

I once had a ladder stand stolen off of state land and I really had no emotion. It was my fault.

Now if I were to find a nice built wood stand there is no way I would cut it down and hang a portable. We all know how uncomfortable those portables are!! I would of just used the wood stand. I have done that many times. I have actually found some pretty nice ones out there happy2.gif

As angry as I might be if my stand was cut down I would not be surprised. I would feel lucky every year I came back and found it unharmed. Its too bad that someone did that to you OJ. Time to build a bigger and better one happy2.gif

[JohnWester]

get there early and sit in his portable... if it's on public land it's fair game right?  if some question about that, get there early and put a portable up right next to it and be there before him.  or, just get some hair from the barber shop and spread it around a good radious from his portable... he'll get discouraged about not seeing any deer.

[laker]

Bonehead: I know its frustrating, but if you want to be law abiding, or peaceful, there's not a lot that can be done about it. Spreading urine or hair around might make you feel good, but it could lead to something ugly too. I guess thats why the new policies are for no permanent treestands in the woods. Some counties direct loggers to cut stands down when they do logging on county land. You need to accept the fact that you don't own the land anymore than a yo-yo from chicago that visits once in ten years. Good ethics and manners are the key to the future for all hunters. You can only control your own.

[thunderpout]

Guys, That sucks they cut down the stand,  I almost guarantee the same doorknob that put up the portable wrecked your stand, People are, in general, lazy ***holes and we have from time to time dealt with this stuff on "our" public land where we hunt.  The guys that I hunt with have been hunting it thru generations for over 50yrs, and the reply I give you is ......DONT BACK DOWN!  Im not advocating starting trouble, but just stand your ground.  Guys that do that are hopin youll freak out and move, which makes it easier for them than them actually scouting and finding their own areas.  One of our guys hunted a stand for 20yrs or so and one year a moron started sittin on a wood pile less than a hundred yds. away, in plain sight of the other stand.  My friend didnt budge, but didnt say or do anything,but the next season he drove his atv to his spot and parked it right next to the goofballs wood pile.  I had a guy sitting in my favorite stand one year and I politely warned him/told him that he was free to use it but there were six other guys that hunt stands surrounding it, and I had another alternate stand right up the same deertrail that I would hunt every day he was there, cutting off the deer moving thru....have patience and wait em out,  if these morons had any, they wouldnt need to be rippin off other people of their time and work scouting and puttin up stands.....      -thunderpout happy2.gif

[schwinger]

Laker, Well said.

Another side of this is maybe the stand was not safe for use and so a hunter came along and took it down (although being that it was cut up I would say DNR did it). I have knocked down stands in the woods that are obviously old and unsafe to prevent some new young hunter from exploring the stand and getting hurt.

The DNR is becoming more active in knocking down stands on public land and I would bet that is who did it. I would be angry as well if it happened to me but revenge on a guy that you don't know and don't know is responsible is not the answer and could lead to something worse.

[Outdoors Junkie]

My dad stopped at the local DNR and asked if they had been cutting down stands.  They said they have not.  Thw stands were in great shape last year.  So, I am pretty confident it was another person planning on hunting in the area this year.  We will just hang our portables this year in that area.  We will make sure to get there before anyone else. 

We had a couple stands cut in another area when I has about 15 years old (almost 20 years ago).  It didn't stop us from hunting that area.  We still got a couple deer that year.  I just don't understand why people have to be so mean. 

[laker]

Thunderpout: Your opinion sure makes  me wonder about the thoughts of the average hunter out there. I quote you:

"" People are, in general, lazy ***holes and we have from time to time dealt with this stuff on "our" public land where we hunt. ""

Just wondering...where does someone who wants some of that 'public land' to call 'ours' go for it? Who sent the deed in the mail to ya?

[thunderpout]

Laker, There is soooo many open areas of public hunting land where we hunt, and Minnesotans generaly dont know how lucky we are to have it to use...The hunters that frequent the state forest where we hunt all know each other, see each other every year... We have helped new hunters to the area as to where there there are "unoccupied" areas near and we see some of those guys now every year when they stop by our camp to bs...as for your snide question as to where to go,  All I can say is its easy....the same damn place we go, but if you put your time in and scout and actually go to the place you want to deer hunt BEFORE opening morning,  you get to see where other parties hunt, where there arent people hunting and you respect others and what what they like to do.... Why would someone mess with other people, when we have sooooo much room?  When I say "find your own damn spot" I mean just that, it can be in the same woods, the same place, just not spittin distance away!  Your opinion makes me wonder if you're the guy who buzzes in on people when they hook into a nice fish, on a spot, when ya got the whole rest of the lake to fish... do you actually like to hunt/fish or do ya just like to screw with people and ruin their outing...to me its just common sense and respecting other fellow out doorsmen, but apparently those days are long, long gone.  If you have problems finding your own spots, get some help from some one in an area and you may make some new friends instead of pissing people off and stepping on toes!  You obviously have mistaken me for sombody else that Im not....  oops2.gif

[KATOMAN]

It might not have been a hunter, others enjoy public lands for other things then hunting. They might have considered it an "eyesore" and disposed of it as such.

[thunderpout]

To add on to this, I hear people say " if you could only use portables, we wouldnt have any issues.." Well....so do ya really think no one will be bumpin heads or stepping on toes when people all start showing up at 5am on opener, with a rattling ladderstand, wherever they have "a right to"....believe you/me, there's gonna be issues, And if ya dont think so, its pretty darn ignorant! It will only make things worse, believe the thunderpout.......... :: ::hittingself:: :: puke.gif     -thunderpout happy2.gif

[laker]

Thunderpout: You can accuse me of trashing stands all you like. Get yourself some facts or proof first though, before you mistake me for who I am not. I was taught if I didnt know whose property it was, it sure wasn't mine, so leave it alone. I go by that philosophy too. I think a few of you should do likewise. Advocating theft or destruction shows a really juvenile mentality. I'm merely stating my opinion as I see the issue. I haven't hunted much on public land in years. I have plenty of my own land to hunt, so why would I fight the crowds on public land?  It seems to me that some of the  people here consider public land to be their own private domain. Well, it just isn't that way yet. If you think it is or should be, take your issue up with the DNR or the federal wardens, or local law enforcement. Just don't be whining and accusing people of breaking your property, and gonna get even for damn sure. Cause then there will be 'issues' as you say.

[thunderpout]

Ummm.....you better read back, Im not the one advocating vandalism and destruction or anything on that level....Im the one who simply said, dont back down to people that try to push you out....And I also never said that where I hunt is my private domain...I also never acused you of destruction of someones property... I guess now though I am saying that I havent heard anyone say they are claiming their public land they hunt as their own, only some were upset that some yahoo's are trying to screw up what they love doing best...that is all! ::      -thunderpout 8)

[tripnchip]

MY MY every year about this time discussions like this get started so I might as well throw in my take on it. I have lived on the range all my life and the closest I have come to owning land  was the 40 my dad had as I grew up. I have hunted public lands for close to 50 years and yes back in the days when nothing was thought of it I did build a couple stands in trees on public land. The reason I hunted  were I did on public land was because I searched out the areas nobody was hunting and scouted them until I found what I wanted. In doing this I ran into other hunting parties and yes some of them got up tight at first. But after an explanation that I was just looking for a place to hunt and would move on to another area, things would be fine.  Some times they would fill me in on what they thought would be a good spot and that know one was there, they would also fill me in on who was hunting where around them, which saved me a lot of leg work. There are meny ways to get along on public land, and the main thing is to show each other a little respect and curtousy. I have had people come into the areas I hunt, I have met them and greeted them some were nice some were not but they all got told the same thing. It's not my land  but this is where our stands are and we would get along better if you didn't build by them. Oh and these are the areas we make drives and if you build a stand in them we are not going to quit making our drives because of it. A few built stands in the drive areas and a few got deer when we made the drives, a few of them we helped get their deer out of the woods. Depending on what kind of person they were. Most of these people left the secound year very few hung around more then 2-3 years and they all left because they found a spot nobody else was hunting. A couple even stoped to ask if I wanted to come try thier new area. We do not need more laws and regs., we just have to get back to being ethical hunters. Being  a ethical hunter just boils down to respect  and courtusy toward one another and the game we are after.
  I wont argue my feelings on this because you will not change my mind and I most likely wont change yours so whats the point. Besides I'm going to be to bussie hunting and enjoying the outdoors.
  By the way about 3 years ago a stand of mine did get burned, it was a tin shed on the edge of a power line but it sat on private propert I have permission tho hunt.Another fellow buit a stand that covers almost every thing my stand did. Now I have informed this fellow that he is on private land. He said he asked the owner for permission and pointed down the road to the first house. I said no he doesn't own this land and pointed out the property line and left it at that. The next day I took him a map showing the property lines and where the power line run. Then I rebuilt a better stand then I had in the first place and contuied to hunt there. Last year he asked if I thought the property owner minded him being there and said I don't know, his name and # is on the posting call and ask. Shortly after the guy said he would be moving his stand onto the power line.  (Me)Ok if you want to be in my line of fire thats up to you. (Him) Oh I nver thought of that. lol This year I have a written letter from the land owner to have the stand removed by the guy or take it down myself. But here we are talking privet land boarding public and if the poeer company sees his new stand they will take it out.

[mnfisherguy]

what a bummer! We had that done to us a few years back so we relocated to a different spot. NOone there seems to mess with our stnds and we know pretty much everyone out there so hopefully dont happen ther. good luck rebuiding or using you own portable.. then no more worries.. BUt maybe get the wood and build something in his honor.. It may help to relieve the anger?? Maybe..

[Outdoors Junkie]

The person from that portable came out to his stand and after he realized we had 12 people hunting in that area left an hour or two later and we never saw him again.  We hung portable stands and harvested three deer in that area.  We saw many more deer, so it was an exciting hunting season.

[mnfisherguy]

The person from that portable came out to his stand and after he realized we had 12 people hunting in that area left an hour or two later and we never saw him again.  We hung portable stands and harvested three deer in that area.  We saw many more deer, so it was an exciting hunting season.

Well maybe it was a blessing then.. NEw spots and more deer?? ... MAy have been grandpa showing you where they are...