Not to hijack your thread, but I have something closely related. Have hunted an area 3 of the last 5 years. Twice w/bow and once w/rifle. There is an outfitter nearby and he has put treestands up on every waterhole in the area (14 that my partner and I have found).
Problem is that they are chained up and left year-round to "claim" the spot so one of his guides says. We have gone in there spring and summer and they are always up. Only rarely do we see a hunter at one in season.
So what do I do? Put my own stand up, (maybe in a tree right next to them) or find a new area? It is ALL National Forest.
John
Leaving them up year-round is definitely against the rules. The rules vary somewhat from state to state and from Forest to Forest but, generally, anything left in place for 14 days is removed if Forest Service personnel become aware of it. I believe that some of the Forests in heavily used parts of Arizona will remove anything left unattended for more than 48 hours.
If you see signs that an area is being used by game, there is no reason that you cannot put up your own tree stand.
