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.

or grease the seat and rub the chit on the steps. I'm dyslexic....

My Farm is located in the poorest county in MN with a reservation on each end. The white trash blame the indians for theft and they all steal. We get broken into every other year and we have hardened tire chains and steel pipe gates and that doesn't stop them. The advent of cordless sawzall's has made it easy for thieves. The point is they steal stuff off private land so you better expect to be stolen on public land. The laws say its fair game for anyone to use on public property so lock it up, but don't be surprised if you find it vandalized and hanging by the lock.

On the grouse hunting idea - good odds your dog may be shot for "running deer".

Yea... walking away may seem like a wimpy thing to do, but my county gets in the national news for people shooting at people over land disputes, or the guy that pulled a 65 year old guy out of his stand and killing him. Remember the Chai Vang incident in WI? When I teach firearms safety about property owners rights, I tell the students they need to keep cool and back down when dealing with agitated people holding guns. These deer are not worth dieing for.

AND the real issue - the person doesn't own that public land even if they have hunted it for 8 years. The only "ownership" they had is other hunters respecting their area and going elsewhere. Now a new party is exercising his right to hunt on PUBLIC land and no one owns that spot. Game wardens have to waste time pulling down "posted signs" on state land every year because idiots feel they "own it".

I'm very fortunate that I have private land, but I still have my disputes even 1 mile off the road in any direction. But its usually guests of the land owners that think they "own" the land and the land owners usually have to get together to settle it. I show my guest hunters exactly where the borders are and they get me if there is a dispte or if we have to track a deer across a border. No problems since we started doing that and eventually everyone mellows because these deer are not worth the hassle. The cattle farming is a different story ;-)


So in the end.

The OP doesn't really have a leg to stand on so quit moaning.
Lock up your stuff
Spread out some hair if you have a vendetta.

and BUY YOUR OWN LAND.

What kind of impression do you want to make?

Thieves are so good at lieing that you will not get any satisfaction out of any answer. The person who got their stand will just get angry over nothing they can prove...

It will be one guy whining about a stand being stolen off land that neither person owns the land. The other guy has every right to hunt there and you are just ruining his hunt.

Do you own anything worth stealing? Got land? cabin?

and leave him wondering when you and your buddies will be back.

Or just make the spot very public. GPS coordinates combined with a few pictures of "monster bucks" taken there.

Or you could puss out, let the guy run over you and your women and take your stand. That will show him and his buddies all they need to know about you.

Whining? Maybe you, not me.

I'm not a bully. I'm not an "internet tough guy" trying to impress you or anyone else.

That said, I live by a code. John Wayne said "I'll not be wronged. I'll not be insulted. I'll not be laid a hand on, and I require the same of others." That pretty much sums it up. I'm a nice, fun loving guy. But if I feel I have been wronged, I simply will not put up with it. I may not beat somebody's ass over a treestand, but then again, I just may. That would depend upon how the conversation went and what I took out of it. If I really did feel they stole from me, I guarantee you they would have serious reservations about ever doing so again......

What if the guy is real twitchy like Chai Vang going going flash back on the land owner that asked him to leave?

I use a different method when I find stands set up too close to my cabin (and other lake cabin owners)... I check for any new stands set up just before deer season and I take them down and leave a copy of the state hunting rules in a ziploc bag opened to the page that says they cannot hunt within 500 foot of an occupied structure without the land owners permission on top of it.
No one set up a stand after that.

Yea... I could drive up there during deer season and confront the guy that he is shooting in the middle of 5 houses or cabins and then get in a pissing contest and drag the sheriff and game warden into the fray. Its not worth my time away from hunting or time with my guests. Game wardens and sheriffs get real tired of squabbling owners...

Read some of these posts and google a little deeper to understand why its not worth the confrontation. The tv article is about a guy who shot a cabin after the two landowners resolved the issue.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_20156244/minnesota-hunter-who-pulled-down-deer-stand-convicted

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHXNuyKXmBM

I lease out some of my hunting land to people that get frustrated with public land hunting and reading these kind of posts make it easier to sell the lease. Having said that, the first time I have a issue with a lease and a land owner neighbor - NO ONE IS HUNTING MY LAND BUT ME. Getting the taxes paid for by someone else isn't worth the hassle.

taking a big dump on the seat sounds like the best idea so far.
make sure to smear it in, so it is not easily removed.
either that or remove the bottom section of the ladder,and bend it around the tree.

We had a stand issue one time on a spot we hunted up by Backus. It was county owned land, so everyone had access to it. We had found a dilapidated old stand that was all busted up. Looked like a good spot so we put a new stand there. Took deer out of there two years in a row. We'd bumped into one of the locals who was pizzed that we were hunting in there. Gave us some crap about where we had parked-claimed it was a private road and we had no right to be there. Not wanting to start a pizzing match, we came in on another road he apparently wasn't aware of. No big deal, as it was about the same walk in to where we were hunting anyways. We go out to check the stand the morning before the season opened, and low and behold it was gone. This was a sturdy permanent stand. Every board, every nail, they even cut the trees down. Of course, 10 yards over sits a brandy new stand built with sheetrock screws and new wood. We bumped into the local on the way out of of the woods, and once again he chewed into us for supposedly parking on private property. Wasn't even our cars, as we were parked a quarter mile away on most definitely a public road. Of course the conversation came back to the tree stand. He informed us that "the DNR had cut that stand down". Yeah right. Deer season's too shorty for pizzing matches, so we just let it go. We came back that evening right at dark, made sure he wasn't around and did a little "work" around his stand. You'd be surprised how much of a mess you can make out of someone's hunting spot with a couple bottles of cheap perfume, and two dozen of those scented auto air freshener thingies. We know how he walked into the stand, and hung them all on the back sides of the tree in a semi-circle around his stand. Funny-we never heard a shot from that stand all week. Did I mention my buddy found his wheeler and took a big ol' nasty dump right on his seat? Hey when a man's gotta go...........

GG - that's kind of radical.

My home county is actively tearing the "cabins" on stilts because of all these situations.

I ALWAYS hang a very inconspicuous game camera to survey my blind for such occasions.

Getting in an azzhole contest with someone when you're trying to have fun, isn't a way to have fun..

That being said, leaving some of your sweaty undershirts around the area will give him some quiet time in his stand.

be in that stand very early opening morning.

Hang another stand in it's place and hide a trail camera or 2 nearby with clear views of the stand. Chances are he will steal this stand as well and when he does you will have photographic proof. Simply call the DNR or State police, Theft charges are filed and your problem is solved.

Chickenshit tactics/sabotage do nothing but prolong things IMO. Then he'll just seek out your stand and f**k with it yet again. Or, maybe he isn't the one who stole your stand and now you have screwed with an innocent person.

That is why I say a man to man, face to face, talk is in order. Chances are you will have a better impression of what happened, and what may happen in the future. Problem may even get resolved right on the spot.

JMO....

I'd celebrate another election win for Al Franken. I'm assuming you're a democrat with chickensheit plans to get back at someone.

You sure you ain't a chick?

Face pic's are good, but you really need license plates for the sherif to find the people and do anything. They use that to break down the people's story.

This is advice from the sheriff after processing a farm break in when scrap iron theives hit. Put your name on your stands so they can bust them when they investigate.

Oh.. When I go to look for stands set up around my property or to check if my neighbors are baiting again... I where my turkey camo and face masks and walk in from the non-obvious direction because I assume there are cameras...

We found where someone tried to start a pot farm on our hunting land while checking so beware...

Have you gone back and re-read the origional post? Their crew had a hunter on the stand when the new person came in claiming their "spot" had been taken.
This new person had no qualms about removing stands after a confrontation with one member already so do you really think another confrontation will result in him peacfully leaving? Its most likely going to be fists or gunfire and the sheriff will be standing saying no one owns anything on public property!

Low chance of resolution here no matter how much a of a John Wayne wannabe you are.

Wasn't said member a woman?

Sorry, I missed the part in the OP's post where they witnessed who took the stand.

Me too.

So I guess the options are:

1) be a puzzy and do nothing

2) resort to chickenshit tactics

Being a man about it is obviously not in the cards.......

Isn't the real question how much time do you want to waste during a short hunting season confronting some who has no disregard based on the previous season experience? They will be confrontal and no one owns the spot or the public land. Do you want to deal with possibly being arreestedvfor hunter harassmeand spending time in court trying to prove they stole your stand?
I've seen far worse pissing contests between landowners that never get resolved.
So is it worth the hassle of a $150 deer stand that you should have locked to the tree AND it still first come first serve because its on public land.


It would be interesting to see what the original poster did.

I'm not sure you can win on this one. I seem to remember several people killed when confronting a trespassing hunter in your state a few years ago. It certainly isn't worth it.

Although you are probably right he took it but if you have no proof you have to take your lumps. I would never put a stand on public land I wasn't prepared to lose.

I think it's best to just hope he gets his some day.

Cheap-O hang on stand hung as close as possible to the new ladder, ideally directly in front of it. Don't even have to plan on hunting from it, just being there will work.

Option 2: http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/deer-scram-professional-p-2816.html?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=(roi)+product+listing+ads+-+pla&utm_term=2816

Move out West here and hunt real deer from a mountain top.

I have to say I am impressed with the comments. I expected to hear lots of suggestions to insert a section of ladder where the sun does'nt shine.

I would like to reply to each post, but it would get tedious - although it would get my post count up ;-)

This was on public land; the stand was locked with a cable and lock, both of which disappeared. The stand site is more than 2 miles from a road. THe only reason someone would go there is to hunt deer (or grouse!). Reasonable access is only by boat. At more than 100 yds from shore, it can't be seen from the lake. It takes gall to take someone else's stand out and put yours in and expect it to be there opening day. It is very unlikely that anyone other than whoever put the new ladder stand in is responsible.

All of that said, what sucks is that the bozo has won. HE has the stand; he has intimidated us out of there. Taking a dump on/in his stand was a great idea, but constipation sucks! Maybe next week.

We take some solace in knowing that he is unlikely to find his stand before dawn. . hopefully he will get his boots full of water and freeze. Grouse hunting his area will be fun, but only after we get our deer - he is not worth giving up our hunt for.

Climbing stand at daylight close by.

While I agree with you that the "intruder" is a douche, you can't legally leave a stand on public land over night in MN. You are breaking the law and so is he.

You can on state and county land Rooster...according to page 76 of the regs. It becomes available for Anyone to sit in though.

See, Yankees truly are special people.

Unless you can prove-at least to yourself-he destroyed or took your stand then you best learn to adapt. Lots of ways to go evil if you know you are right, but can't prove it by legal means. Seems like you are guessing in this instance.

He wants to argue on where you parked and you know you are right; then tell him to blow smoke and quit wasting your time with BS, but you will verify that you are indeed correct with either maps or the police.

Adapt, conquer and if possible drag a Deer back to the car within eyesight of anyone in the new stand.

Move along....I wouldn't want a stand that so many know about anyway. If I find someone on "my" spot I'm going somewhere else.

As to the missing stand, we like to think people are moral and ethical but that's in La-La Land. If you leave private property unattended on public land you better be prepared that it might not be there when you come back. Personally I don't want my precious hunting time screwed up by an argument with an idiot. Find someplace else to go.

But not all hunters are thieves. A close deer hunting buddy passed away 4-5 years ago. By accident I bumped into one of his climbing tree stands the following year. I don't sit it,and have left it there....so hasn't everyone else because the stand is still there to his day.

cut his tree down

forpest, How do you know that the governing body/owner of the property did not remove the stand as would be their/his/her right?-Muddy

Really?? When did they change that law I wonder?

Leave the ladder but take the top off. See if they notice in the dark.

I haven't read all the post in this thread. So I'm not sure this has been said or not.
If I were to leave a stand in the woods, I would put up a trail camera to watch my stand.

Just a thought.

Been a long time since I found it difficult to find an unpopulated place to stand in the wood....

Having the top step of a 21ft high stand break loose and taking the the fast way down cured me of stands. Walked away from it and decided if I wanted to stand around while Deer hunting I would do it with both feet on the ground. Even then Ive been known to take an unplanned fall.

Last time I was in a stand was down at ShortActionSmokers place, and it was more like a house, along with the fact it was cemented into the ground with a cable. Fellow up here had one similar that was tied into a big tree. Things were fine and comfy until the wind started blowing hard and blew the tree over.

Addition: Next time I'm up that way I'll take a pic of a house like stand that is almost guaranteed to provide an opportunity. Guy who built it no longer hunts the area and anyone can use it. If it ever goes over with someone in it they could light a cigarette before they died.

Sounds like a friend of mines deer house. It's on wheels, has electric and a recliner in it. I think he uses it to get away from his Mrs. too.
I too sit on the ground floor, I have a "starp-on", now don't take it wrong. Its a seat that straps on the tree. I to have fallen off of it, must of been nap time or something.

Forgot about the girl that used to hunt with family. She took a fall out of a ladder stand. I don't know how high it was, but she
snapped a leg. Crawled around a quarter mile to her truck and got out onto a well traveled two lane and put the flashers on.

A well placed blind is almost as effective as most stands.

This was public land, a state section. The theft had to be prenmeditated - as the stand was cable locked to a tree. As mentioned earlier, the bozo confronted a fellow's wife in the stand last year, but didn't have the balls to wait until he showed up 10 minutes later. .

Intended to visit the area today, but ice kept us off the lake. . and about 5 other things. Today at 2:30 I finally chambered a round! Saturday, threw a rod in my outboard motor. . not good when you can see the piston! Yesterday I lost reverse on my ATV while helping a neighbor pull his dock. Got home and immediately took off my lucky shirt! Tried another today - Got up at 0400 and got to partner's house. He realized he had to drop a work truck an hour away. . didn't even start to think about hunting till 1000. 4 hrs later checked 8 access points and couldn't launch a boat - too much ice, too shallow, whatever. We use boats to get to areas that are separated from the road by swamps. Enuf ice to make boating difficult, but not enuf to be able to walk in. Yet.

So far, the 6 hunters that hunted the weekend tagged 4 deer. Nothing special, but no contenders for the dink trophy. Hope I didn't miss prime time!