Tree Stand Etiquette on Public Land

[Gager28]

Hey guys.

Whats the etiquette for tree stands on public land out West? Climbers only? Can you put up semi-permanent stands with ladders? If I put up a stand, will others respect it, or is it fair game if I'm not in it?

I know there's other scenarios I haven't thought of, so please lay it on me.

I’ve been seeing too many tree stands for years on end in the same trees on public. Going to start tearing them down for game and parks. Maybe make a buck or two selling em

 

[Swamp Fox]

Same here in PA, our hunter densities compete with anywhere in the world as far as being most crowded.

A few years ago the Game Commission instituted a rule on game lands that stands must be tagged and removed X days after the season. It hasn't done much, it is hardly enforced to my knowledge. I see more and more stands every year.

The argument is always "I don't want to hunt where the other guys are hunting". Well that argument is bullshit. Some of these litterers actually manage to leave their stands in pretty good spots. You want a good spot, wake up earlier than me and beat me there. Don't leave your shit in the woods and expect that to reserve your spot.

I've heard too many stories of confrontations arising in such a scenario. I had one the first day 12 seasons ago...first day, public land. Went to a spot that I had a few close encounters in archery. I was proud of this spot, it was my first year hunting away from my dad and I found it all on my own. Climbed my tree in my climber, 1 hour before shooting light. Right before shooting time a dude saunters along and climbs a ladder stand 50 yards away. Shit. I had no idea that stand was there, this was in pretty thick crap.

Well I stayed because I knew I was in the better spot and as expected I whacked a good buck at about 8 AM. This asshole comes and reads me the riot act because I moved in on "his spot" that he had been hunting for years. I was in the tree 45 minutes before him. Mind you I am 17 years old at this point and weighed about 120 pounds soaking wet and he is like 50-something. I was even apologetic at that point. No attitude was given. At this point I was already writing it off as a rifle stand but you bet your ass I was going back there in archery.

The next year in September (the guy told me he only rifle hunted) he put a stand in the exact tree I shot that buck out of, blocking me from even archery hunting that exact tree. I knew it was his because it was the same homemade design as his other stand. In a fit of immature rage I tore effing stand down and scattered its components around his original ladder stand. Kind of regretted that because then I was too much of a pussy to even hunt the general area and I lost a good spot. So now I just give the litterers a wide berth. Not so into confrontation and a decade of adulthood tends to improve your judgement a bit. It's just a violation of the golden rule. We all share public land and claiming spots is an asshole move.

Well, the good news is he's diabetic now and has a heart condition... You can move back in.

Sitting in someone else's stand without permission or tearing it down are both asshole moves.



That goes for whether it's public land or not.


... although those who phuck with stands on club land deserve a special place in Hell ...

 

[Gager28]

Hey guys.

Whats the etiquette for tree stands on public land out West? Climbers only? Can you put up semi-permanent stands with ladders? If I put up a stand, will others respect it, or is it fair game if I'm not in it?

I know there's other scenarios I haven't thought of, so please lay it on me.

I will destroy any stands left behind. “Claiming” a spot with a stand won’t fly with me personally

 

[KurtR]

I will destroy any stands left behind. “Claiming” a spot with a stand won’t fly with me personally

How do you know they are claiming the spot ? Why not just hunt there vs messing with someone’s stuff?

 

[11boo]

I’m not climbing the ones I find.

 

[Weldor]

Really? I've heard of people stealing stands, but not just sitting in them and using them. If I put up a stand and found someone in it, they would not be having a quiet hunt.

Years ago in the kaibab I had a guy in my portable ladder stand. He was polite, young and had no clue that we were hunting in that canyon. He got down as soon as I arrived at 04:30, said he had seen it the night before, thought he would use it in the am. Like Ron White said, " you can't cure stupid " . It's sad but you really don't see many sportsman out there, like it used to be. If I see someone hunting or glassing I dee dee outa there. I'll find another spot no big deal.

 

[Weldor]

Plus one, I see ladder and portables that have been on the same water tanks for years in Arizona, some are Outfitters think their staking it out .Others are locals feel it's theirs. The Forest service just leaves them there. It's like the old west water wars. LOL

 

[Amos Keeto]

??????
Grew up hunting tree stands and box blinds on private property. As an east Texas whitetail hunter, I've spent my life being ridiculed by "western" hunters that what I was doing "WAS NOT" hunting. They considered it more like poaching.
So I didn't think "out west" hunters would even CONSIDER a blind or tree stand.

.....and I don't hunt public land. I have a few times, but always felt like somebody was standing over my shoulder.

 

[Nine Banger]

+1 for converting to saddle hunting as fast as you can.

 

[Amos Keeto]

NOTE:
If I were hunting public land .....

1) and found someone's stand/blind, I would just move along. I would not hunt it.

2) "IF" I found someone else occupying a stand/blind I installed, I would move just far enough away to watch them until they left, then go claim my property.

3) I have had a feeder stolen from private land. I'm not real fond of placing ANY items where any old Tom, Dick or Harry can just walk up and claim it.

 

[Apex_2024]

Hunting certainly isn't what it use to be now, if you leave anything you can bet it will get stolen. I remember back years ago you could leave whatever no one ever took your stuff and now it seems like you can't trust anyone at all. I've had cameras and stands taken on private property so that should tell you right their public your stuffs gone before night falls.

 

[Macintosh]

Our state regs specifically prohibit hunting out of another persons stand, as well as out of an unlabeled stand. Etiquette I am aware of doesnt include anything about not hunting the AREA of a stand though--on public, if there is a stand over an area I want to hunt, if no one is in the stand I am darn sure hunting there--not in the stand, but I'm still hunting the spot if its where I want to set up and I expect if someone is heading to that stand while I'm set up nerby that they bugger out since someone beat them to it. To not hunt that spot would mean it is "claimed" by having a stand there, which is total BS--in most cases the guy with the stand will be there a few weekend afternoons at most, in all likelihood he wont even show up when I'm there. Thinking back, I have set up very close to a stand at least 5 or 6 times in the last few seasons, and have never had anyone come in to hunt it. If there's a person there, totally different ballgame, I'll give plenty of room.
Also, worth mentioning that when hunting from a stand I usually know ahead of time if there is another stand in the area, so I can usually be careful about approaching, etc. Most of the stands I find pre season have been there for a while so its often questionable if they are even getting used at all. I almost always hang a fallen branch from a step or rung as if it fell there, but in a way that someone would need to remove it to climb the tree--that way if I come back through, I can immediately see if anyone moved the branch, which tells me the stand is being used at least somewhat.

 

[Jamescb77]

Here it is illegal to put them up and leave them overnight. I would never try and beat someone to a stand early in the morning but if I’m out stalking and it’s getting close to the end of the day I will climb in one for the last 45-60 min of the day.

 

[Ron.C]

There is one steel ladder stand I know of that's been cable locked to the same tree for going on 8 years. Its at least 75km from the nearest town/building in a plot of public bush a ways off a pretty well used forest service road. I check it out every year and it does not get used very often (seat and ladder are completely covered by leaves every fall when I check it out), pretty sure it has simply been abandoned. I've hunted it a few times and shot a couple deer from it.

In any case pretty simple to me, follow the rules/laws in your particular area. I also like to treat other peoples property like I'd want my own treated and If I leave my stand on public land and you want to use it, no complaints here. Just leave it as you found it.