Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Selling a Tresspassing Hunter Tree Stand

You often read about trespassing hunters setting up tree stands and game cameras on private land that they think that they can use without permission.

Land owners often remove or destroy these. Sometimes the trespassers have the gall to come to the land owner and demand their property back. Obviously though it seems difficult to do this without admitting that you have been trespassing and hunting illegally.

It would seem that all that the land owner needs to do is demand identification from these people, and they would then meekly depart empty-handed. I suppose that they could take their chances with the local LEOs but I think that few would try.

However, since tree stands don't have serial numbers, and identifying markings can be scraped off, why can't you just sell them?

Seems like poetic justice to me.

Hmm.. If someone parked their car on your place without your permission you could have it towed, but not sell it ?

I’d call the local game warden and let him handle them without touching their stuff.

Many of them I know would take them down, and leave a card with you so the owner could get them back - and then write them a ticket for trespassing when they came to pick them up... ouch.

Put your own lock on it, preferably in such a way as to make it unusable.

Years ago, I read that trespassers often turn the dream hunting property that many save for into a nightmare. Local police and even judges treat the offense lightly, or not at all. I know that many violate the rule against motorized vehicles on our local WMA, based on the tracks I find and the ones I hear.

I suppose that putting a stout lock and chain on a tree stand might be easier.

If you located any game cameras, you could pull their cards, leave the immediate area, and then just shoot them from a distance with a rifle.

Darn... Must have been a rival trespasser.

I tear them down, drag them out to the closest maintained road, and cut them up with a sawzall, a process that was suggested to me by the county sheriff. I've found that the courts don't view trespassing or vandalism as very serious offenses even when you catch people in the act.

Bearrr264 used to roll vehicles that he found on his property on their roof.

sell them if you like... abandoned property.

East of the Continental Divide, which I've not tread, they take all that hunting etiquette stuff very serious. I think there is a place in Tennessee called Reelfoot where they kill each other over duck setups. Nobody eats a duck. At least you can eat a deer. So I guess you could just wait for the guy to show up and kill him, give the treestand to his widow woman as an act of Christian kindness.

it is a lot of fun when they slip in with a canoe . and have a long swim to get it back if they can make it with out the gators getting them . never had a repeat
ofender

If they came onto your property and left something overnight it's yours. Do with it what you wish.

You pay the property taxes.... you paid the interest on the mortgage... you worked night and day to cover the cost of property so you can have it to use for your self.

People will tell you it is wrong to take someone elces property because they violated your private property... But, them, being on your property unwelcome... is a way of taking from you...

I like the way you think.

The only reason that these scumbags would violate your land is that they must know that nothing much will happen to them. And, on many larger properties perhaps, the odds of being discovered are not very likely.

The idea of rolling vehicles is hilarious. They can't prove that the land owner did it and they now have the huge problem of getting the vehicle back on its wheels, which would require another vehicle to trespass on the land owner's property. Also, the vehicle may not run after it is upright again, requiring an expensive long distance tow job. Not to mention attempting to explain the cause of the damage to their insurance company, which might disallow their claim anyway.

Your best bet is to report it to your local authorities and let them remove it. In my locality tree stands left on public land after a certain date and confiscated tree stands end up at a public auction.

Ive found a couple on my property. Took them down and cut them up then put in the garbage.

If a guy was doing a controlled burn and was unaware of a vehicle in a certain location, what could anyone say?

Even though our property is enrolled in a public access program, we have a No Treestands rule. Over the years, we've found a few treestands and done what is listed above. The Game warden leaves a card at the site and usually gives the treestand to us and after a while, we give them to friends to use elsewhere. The warden also says he has never had anyone contact him about the treestand...

Dale

Or, just leave the pieces stacked neatly at the side of the road where they will find them, with a sign that says:

"Free Tree Stand Kits."
"Some Assembly Required."

Up our way, they build them out of 2x6xs and plywood.
The cure is to cut the 2x6s 3/4 of the way through and fill the cut with wax and sawdust.
Found some broken stands but never a body. Must be an exciting ride down.

A local farmer handled the problem by cutting down any tree with a trespass stand in it. Seem the tree always landed dead on the stand turning it into scrap.

Your land, your stand. Do with it as you please.

what is worse is when they get hurt and go after your home owners Ins. wile tresspassing