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

Found a stand and pack on our property.
Coffee in the thermos in the pack was hot, so I knew it hadn't been there
too long. Whistled, hollered, no one would show.
Loaded it all on my back with my crap and headed to the truck, looking
over my shoulder. It was archery season and I kept imagining an arrow
through the back.


Cutting down the ridge switchback to my truck, I heard a limb crack and saw
someone coming at a good clip, then he hollered. When he caught up, he said
it was his, and answered all my questions. Actually was one of the nicer
guys we've dealt with over trespassing, despite the fact that I was holding
several hundred dollars worth of his stuff. He finally ask if he could have
it back, and I gave it to him.


My intention was to take it to the State Police and declare it "Found".
Figured it was "found" and if I didn't damage it or keep it, I couldn't
be accused of anything.

We have had some locals put up stands, they took them
down very quickly after they were discovered.


This stuff is rough on me. I grew up hunting where I wanted and if we
bumped into a landowner we were invited to hunt in deer season on drives.
Almost no one said no if ask. Few posted. Those who did were
commonly regarded as pricks. (First time I heard the word my Grandfather
was talking about a posting landowner.)

I hate posting, hate trespassers, hate dealing with them, hate what
hunting has become through all of this. Honestly there are days I
hunt an hour or two, find some butthead trespassing, and after
getting rid of them, I leave. Just ain't in the mood anymore.

I've got one to run by you folks, as I've been tryng to figure out how to handle it. My property is rough country, but right off a highway, and WAPA has an easement across the top to a microwave tower. A couple months ago, a local from the nearby town approached me and said, "I need to let you know about something." Apparently his brother-in-law , a WAPA employee, had loved that country when he, legally, used the easement in his job. His family had him cremated, and they, without permission, scattered his ashes and build a small monument out of rocks somewhere on my property. They never asked, and according to the local who told me about it, they visit at least once a year...again without permission. I told the local to have them contact me, soon. What's done is done, I do respect the dead, but I wanted the family to ask permission before entering, and said to tell them I would grant such permission under normal circumstances, but would deny it if the fire conditions were high.

No one has contacted me. I'm going to find that memorial so I know where it is. If I catch them, I am apt to tell them that I will respect their deceased family member about as much as they have respected my private property rights. But then I start to feel badly, as you can't regather ashes too easily.

I don't like bold people like that.


I'd try to catch them, and have a serious conversation.
Being a bit soft, if it went well, I might agree to your previous
demands if they ask.

If it went bad, if they snuck in again,
The memorial would be gone.

If you can find out the name of the deceased,
Look for them around birthday, date of death,
memorial/veterans day...

Good ideas all. I'll see the local again, get the info.

Get a creepy baby doll, and fashion a noose out of rope. Hang the doll by the neck from the stand and pin a note that says “You” on it. The stand will be gone the next time you visit.

I put too much time and energy into my land to deal with trespassing.


Simple... its posted...stay out..

If I found a stand I would remove the stand and setup a couple trail cameras immediately to catch the guy looking.for his gear

Set a Duke 330 in close proximity to the stand. I hear it also works well to stop trespassers on horse back.

I’ve taken cameras and tree stands down and left the following note: Trespasser, if you want your [camera] back, have your attorney contact me. I then left my cell phone. Funny thing is, no one has ever called.

The first time I did this, it was in front of a State Trooper (I had trail cam photos of the trespasser). He said “I’m not sure you can do that.” I responded I’d litigate the issue in a heartbeat. I explained my wife and I walk our property regularly. I asked if he’d let someone post a camera in his front yard? He said “of course not.” I responded I just happen to have a big front yard...

Trespassers are a scourge. They don’t care about the law or property rights. Criminal sanctions are so light they are content to risk getting caught. I had signs made that state as follows: This property is legally posted. Your “claim” that you didn’t know is not a legal defense. You will be caught, you will be prosecuted and you will be sued.”

Since the signs went up and word got out that we have prosecuted trespassers, it’s made a difference. I learned the hard way that being nice only emboldened trespassers. YMMV.

I've had 2 incidents with trespassers over the past 45 years .....one time caught a guy building a tree stand made him take it down help him put it back in his car,,,,2 days later found a tree stand built with the same materials in the same area....there car was parked in the lane to get to my soybeans and no way to get around with the combine because of the ditches....I just hooked a chain to the car and rolled it in to the ditch drove by and started to combine the beans....at dark State Police showed up asking about the car the owner was with them.....told them I needed to start combining the beans and the car was in the way on my land...it turned into a big argument with the State Cop taking the trespassers side I got arrested for malicious destruction of private property taken to jail....went to court and won the case and sued the car owner for lost wages and crops....also sued the State Police.....

I can say that in the past 40 years trespassing has not been a problem....funny how a story has turn into a legend.....

I caught a local police chief trespassing on my land...friggin law enforcement even does it, you'ld think they know better. Ran his son off a couple years prior after he shot at a deer on my property. The police chief argument was...it was just a little over the line, could have easily been on our property.

I heard about some guys spreading Irish spring soap and deodorant sticks around some tree stands they found....

Great bumper sticker:

THERE ARE PEOPLE ALIVE ONLY BECAUSE IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO KILL THEM.

we find trail cams, treestands and pop up blinds every year on our club land. a group message is sent out to all members to see if they belong to a member,, if not they become club property.

Used to have access to a huge chunk of private land. Owners family hunted just a couple days a year. All the neighbors thought the land was their playground. Owner had enough and asked me and my family to watch over things as I spent a ton of time out there. Found numerous stands. Took them all and sold them. Sheriff said it was abandoned property or littering. It was left on the property, no different than someone dumping trash.

Caught a few trespassers as well. Some tried to make a big deal out of me blocking their vehicle in. Well sheriff said no problem. I had permission to be there I can park anywhere I want. You cannot detain or prevent someone from leaving the property. But they don't need their vehicle to leave.

We used to smear peanut butter all over their stand seats, and take the tractor bucket and crush the ladders.....among other things. Have one notorious dude hereabouts, that thinks he can hunt anywhere he pleases and has been a PITA for years. He likes to use an ATV. He buys a lot of ATV tires from hunting land I take care of.

More than a few land owners here do similar things.

A friend of mine who lived on a quarter section of rural land learned not to short-cut through the nearby private land of an absentee owner. Spiked boards took out all 4 of his quad tires.
He wasn't hunting, but he learned a lesson anyway.

Knock on wood...


Never had to deal with blatant treaspassing.

Stand across a land line. Yes.

Just took it down and drug it back across the line.

Maybe honest mistake. Didn’t happen again.



Sell. Give away. Trash. An intentional trespasser stand.

He’s in a pickle already
He’s trespassing. It’s not marked.
To say it’s stolen, he’d admit he was there.

I have business cards from local game warden which I have left on tree stands with a brief but pointed note explaining the ramifications of any further trespass. So far it has worked very well to solve the problem.

Being in law enforcement, please don’t lump me in with the trespasser. I respect the rights of property owners and also deal with Trespassers on my property. I have found that more often than not, I can contact a land owner and get permission to hunt on their property or at least have their info in case I need to retrieve an animal with their blessing. I don’t tolerate liars, thieves or trespassers, which I lump together. I have also allowed others to hunt when they asked, but trespassing is a no go. Any trespassers property found on my land is considered abandoned and donated to someone in need like the game warden. Anyone caught trespassing will be reported to the local constabulary.

He could find a hole accidentally shot through his ATV.