Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting What would you do - stolen stand

While checking stands yesterday we discovered one of our double ladder stands was missing. 30 yard away was a new single stand. . Our party has hunted this stand for 8 years. last year some bozo confronted one of the fellow's wives (cant figger where the apostrophe goes (one of the fellows who has ONLY one wife - it was her!) and ranted about how we had taken over his spot. She called her husband who was 10 min away, but as you would expect the SOB left before he got there.

There is plenty of room for everyone, but this guy wants THAT spot come hell or high water. We really don't care, but the loss of a stand sucks. A little communication and respect would have allowed for peaceful coexistence.

Options -1. repossess the single stand and offer to trade - Bozo will deny he took it.
2. Do option 1 next yr w/o option to trade
3. Show up with 3 guys and dogs opening am and hunt grouse around his stand
4. we already rerouted his flagging to go off into a swamp
5. If he comes in by boat - anchor his boat in 6ft of water (a cold swim!)
6. Dump a 25# bag of corn, take pics and gps coordinates and report to CO for baiting - he wont be able _ legally - to hunt the stand.

What would you do?

Public/state land?

Assuming state land here.

While it'd pi$$ me off, I'd not go the retaliation route as it's possible it wasn't that guy that stole the ladder.

Personally, I'd put the flagging back, construct a ground blind in the old spot and let 'em wonder all day when someone is coming to occupy that blind.

My new spot would be 1/4 mile away on a runway or hard-edge that's produced deer in the past.

I'm with Skane on this one, remember if it is the guy from last year, karma is a b*tch

A word of caution here, what you have just stated is enough for a hunter harassment violation.

Also it opens you up to some liability issues I suspect if he gets injured following the moved markers.

You might be best off contacting the local CO or Sheriff's dept.

I'd put up a new stand and sit the spot like nothing happened.

seems odd though how the guy claims you took "his" spot when you've been hunting it for 8 years.

I'd put a stand in the same spot and keep hunting like nothing happened. I had a similar account happen, stand comes up missing(cut the lock) and a new stand popped up. We have a 300yd rule on that large club, so I replaced the stolen climber with a 1200lb metal box blind and made the SOB move his stand since it was obvious I had been in there a while(cut lanes). It was a crappy place for a box blind, but nobody ever stole it

I'd talk to the guy first. If you were there 8 years, he can't have much of a case.

Find out what kinda guy you are dealing with, hear what he has to say, act accordingly...

Easy to assume the owner of the new stand took it but assumptions usually come back to bite me in the assumption.

Escalating the situation won't accomplish anything remotely positive. Of course you could urinate around his tree (have your buddies do it too). Deer really don't tolerate that stuff.

Well it sounds like you are on public land so you really have no recourse. You can't prove they stole your stand and anything left on private land is almost fair game to be removed or stolen.

I think you're not supposed to leave your stand out there and its free to use by anyone if you do leave it there.

I don't think there is any law on setting up close to the other stand (there is in fish houses!) so you can put your stand up.

If you insist on leaving stands out there, start locking your stands and putting a barrier on them to prevent other people from using them.

I would not do anything to this person that could be considered hunter harassement and especially an entrapment like baiting.

What ever you do has to be invisible though.... I remember going to the DNR seminar on bear baiting and one guy asked about how to stop people from baiting near your sites... the guy suggested under his breath that you spread human or dog hair around the bait site and nothing will come in then.

What ever you do.. don't have a confrontation that will turn into negative press to harm the sport and image of hunting. Walkawy from it if you must.

Buy or lease land if you want to have the right to be pissy. Otherwise they have as much rights to be there as you by law.

Though I really, REALLY like option 3... I say eff it. There are A LOT of other trees in MN. I'd put my tree on one of them.

Removing his stand, even if you don't intend to keep it is theft, unless you are the land owner. Depending on proximity. If you bait the area you can't hunt it either.

Bringing in dogs to hunt grouse could cause a situation( and remember there will be atkeast one loaded forearm present-cooler heads have to prevail here.

Put up a new stand and secure it with a 5/8" log chain and the biggest master lock you can find. And hunt the area jutt as you normally would

If I ever become this much of a puzzy, somebody please shoot me in the head..........

I hate a damn thief. It don't matter what he steals. You may not. miles

Amen. You know it, buddy........

Yep. Plenty of other places to hunt. I would have to ask the guy, in a straight forward manner, if he took or moved the stand though.

Yes. At the very least, have some balls...........

Not sure it would matter much, a thief would likely lie, but I'd have to ask anyway.

Yes, but even if you did not intend to do anything to him, THAT IS WHEN you take the time to make a lasting impression upon him.........

Rub axle grease on the steps & sh*t on the seat then find another spot.