Leaving Stands up on Public Land - Conflict? New Maryland regs.

[Ninering62]

You missed my point , if you’re on public it means just that ! You have no right to that location or your stand unless your in it ! I said if you don’t like that hunt some private with owners permission. But I thought if you told owner only you the owner of the stand was allowed to use it I would expect the owner to tell you to take a hike (I would) /Ed

Thats why I have him on Ignore.

 

[MTY]

This happened while I was bow hunting only. I had been watching a nice buck for a month or so before rifle season opened. About two weeks before season opened, I placed a stand and took my steps with me. Opening day I awoke to heavy snow on the ground, but I painted up, went to my stand, strapped on steps, and climbed up to wait. I was head to toe camo, and the stand was painted to blend in with the tree.

About a half hour after daylight I heard a god awful noise and a rifle hunter went past my stand at about 20 yards. He was wearing nylon snow mobile boots and was on the trail I expected the deer to arrive on.

I figured I would give him some time, hope he spooked the buck past me, and sat and waited. Shortly he came by again. By now I was thinking, "What an idiot!" and thought it prudent to wait until he was long gone before climbing down and having him make a sound shot.

And then here he came a third time, but this time he noticed my tracks in the snow. He followed them to the tree I was sitting in, looked all around to see where I had gone, noticed the clamp on steps, stood his rifle against a nearby tree and went to work trying to get the steps off. He looked up a couple of times, but I must have blended in quite well as he never saw me. After watching him for a few minutes I said, "Hi, how are you doing?"

He took off running, not bothering to take his rifle. Shortly, he came back and asked if he could get his rifle. He then explained that he had been walking for miles that morning, and that he thought he was about five miles from his truck. I told him to wait until I could get my gear together and that I would walk him to the road my truck was parked on half a mile away. When we got to my truck, he was parked right next to it.

 

[Ninering62]

This happened while I was bow hunting only. I had been watching a nice buck for a month or so before rifle season opened. About two weeks before season opened, I placed a stand and took my steps with me. Opening day I awoke to heavy snow on the ground, but I painted up, went to my stand, strapped on steps, and climbed up to wait. I was head to toe camo, and the stand was painted to blend in with the tree.

About a half hour after daylight I heard a god awful noise and a rifle hunter went past my stand at about 20 yards. He was wearing nylon snow mobile boots and was on the trail I expected the deer to arrive on.

I figured I would give him some time, hope he spooked the buck past me, and sat and waited. Shortly he came by again. By now I was thinking, "What an idiot!" and thought it prudent to wait until he was long gone before climbing down and having him make a sound shot.

And then here he came a third time, but this time he noticed my tracks in the snow. He followed them to the tree I was sitting in, looked all around to see where I had gone, noticed the clamp on steps, stood his rifle against a nearby tree and went to work trying to get the steps off. He looked up a couple of times, but I must have blended in quite well as he never saw me. After watching him for a few minutes I said, "Hi, how are you doing?"

He took off running, not bothering to take his rifle. Shortly, he came back and asked if he could get his rifle. He then explained that he had been walking for miles that morning, and that he thought he was about five miles from his truck. I told him to wait until I could get my gear together and that I would walk him to the road my truck was parked on half a mile away. When we got to my truck, he was parked right next to it.

You're a heck of a nice guy, I will give ya that.

 

[rangerod]

Thats why I have him on Ignore.

Yep. I think ported45

Public land does not mean you have the right to use private, personal property. To think otherwise is asinine; whether your state is stupid enough to have that opinion or not.

Might as well leave your weapon there at the stand so that some freeloader can use that, too! Good grief!

You completely misunderstood. You are forgiven cuz it happens.

 

[rangerod]

I don't hunt private land anymore because it became to much of a hassle dealing with land owners. Unless you lease you have no expectations of having private land to yourself. The more hunters on a piece of private land the more pi**ing matches you're gonna have. I grew tired of being thrown out because the kids, relatives or friends decided they wanted to hunt. The last straw occurred when another hunter left a gate open and the horses got out day after Thanksgiving. I knew it wasn't me cuz I was 200 miles away that day. The other hunter blamed it on me and the land owner chose to believe him. I wouldn't hunt private land anymore if the land owner payed me. Sorry about the rant guys. I certainly do understand that a land owner has the right to do as he chooses with his own land.

 

[MrTom]

Public land does not mean you have the right to use private, personal property. To think otherwise is asinine; whether your state is stupid enough to have that opinion or not.

Not in Minnesota. If a person hangs a stand on public property and is not in the stand himself, anyone can use it.

 

[eekjellander]

This happened while I was bow hunting only. I had been watching a nice buck for a month or so before rifle season opened. About two weeks before season opened, I placed a stand and took my steps with me. Opening day I awoke to heavy snow on the ground, but I painted up, went to my stand, strapped on steps, and climbed up to wait. I was head to toe camo, and the stand was painted to blend in with the tree.

About a half hour after daylight I heard a god awful noise and a rifle hunter went past my stand at about 20 yards. He was wearing nylon snow mobile boots and was on the trail I expected the deer to arrive on.

I figured I would give him some time, hope he spooked the buck past me, and sat and waited. Shortly he came by again. By now I was thinking, "What an idiot!" and thought it prudent to wait until he was long gone before climbing down and having him make a sound shot.

And then here he came a third time, but this time he noticed my tracks in the snow. He followed them to the tree I was sitting in, looked all around to see where I had gone, noticed the clamp on steps, stood his rifle against a nearby tree and went to work trying to get the steps off. He looked up a couple of times, but I must have blended in quite well as he never saw me. After watching him for a few minutes I said, "Hi, how are you doing?"

He took off running, not bothering to take his rifle. Shortly, he came back and asked if he could get his rifle. He then explained that he had been walking for miles that morning, and that he thought he was about five miles from his truck. I told him to wait until I could get my gear together and that I would walk him to the road my truck was parked on half a mile away. When we got to my truck, he was parked right next to it.

Nice guy you are for sure I wonder me being me if the wife would believe I missed that many times as my 3 arrow quiver was empty ? Nope she wouldn't we eat too much deer , she would probably turn off the local news

 

[MTY]

He did not come back for his rifle for 10 or 15 minutes. Can you imagine thinking you were all alone while you were trying to get the steps off, and God spoke to you from on high? I would not be surprised if he spent the time gone cleaning out his pants. That was good enough for me. I was lucky he did not have a heart attack on the spot.

 

[jlynch75]

In NY if the state finds a tree stand up on public land they take it down.

 

[HHI6818]

Our son is going to WVU in Morgantown WV and he hunted Coopers Rock State Forest last year. He locked tree stand to a tree and took tree stand sticks with him. Open day of deer season he’s up in his stand and hears something and it’s another hunter looking at his cell phone coming towards tree stand! Guy stops looks up and says your in my stand.. son said no this is my stand and asked guy what make is it. Guy mumbled something and walked off. Son knows the risk but some low life scum bag cut cable lock and stole his trail camera

 

[Squint]

I used tree stands on federal land for some 25 years, until age scared me out. We were allowed to put them up about a month early and take them down a week after season ends. We did put them up for a few years and padlocked them to the tree, and never had any trouble, but we did know a fellow that lost a couple of stands, but we suspect they might've been up too long. We finally quit as there wasn't that much competition for hunting spots, and it was 100 mile drive from home to put them up early. Here in the middle of Montana, I don't think there is as much competition for hunting areas as there might be other places. I know of a few fellows that did use somebody else's stand and nothing ever happened, and I wouldn't be surprised if mine wasn't used. I've always used ladder stands, so anyone could of used it. Generally, we would only be there for probably a week in about the middle of the season, and would take the stands down when we left. There were quite a few out-of-state hunters had hunted the same area, and by and large they were a more decent brand of hunters than a few people from over in western Montana. Some of them seem to think that if they were from the same state as we were that they had every right to do anything they desired.
Squint

 

[ported45]

Not in Minnesota. If a person hangs a stand on public property and is not in the stand himself, anyone can use it.

Glad I live in a state that upholds your rights to your personal property.

 

[Ninering62]

Our son is going to WVU in Morgantown WV and he hunted Coopers Rock State Forest last year. He locked tree stand to a tree and took tree stand sticks with him. Open day of deer season he’s up in his stand and hears something and it’s another hunter looking at his cell phone coming towards tree stand! Guy stops looks up and says your in my stand.. son said no this is my stand and asked guy what make is it. Guy mumbled something and walked off. Son knows the risk but some low life scum bag cut cable lock and stole his trail camera

WOW, jerks are everywhere huh. I love Coopers Rock. I've been runnin round & climbing & hitting caves there for 45 yrs. Sorry your son had to experience that crap there. I've hunted other state land around that area in Md Wva & Pa corner & let me tell ya, I've seen some crazy crap & way too many idiots & absolute jerks like that guy. BUt I've met some awesome guys too. I'm so grateful to have been able to hunt mostly private lands in my whole life.

 

[10acres]

Missouri allows you to leave stands up for specified times, but says nothing about others using your stands. I've left a climber on a tree for a couple of weeks locked to a tree in a way that couldn't be used without unlocking it. No issues, but if I were to go back to public ground hunting, I would opt for hunting on the ground. I have several Summit climbers but they rarely get used anymore.

 

[ThreePoint]

I hunted Nebraska MZ this season. On many public hunting areas, I saw tree stands left in trees. They are to be removed after the season, however, few follow that regulation.

 

[rgell1017]

Our son is going to WVU in Morgantown WV and he hunted Coopers Rock State Forest last year. He locked tree stand to a tree and took tree stand sticks with him. Open day of deer season he’s up in his stand and hears something and it’s another hunter looking at his cell phone coming towards tree stand! Guy stops looks up and says your in my stand.. son said no this is my stand and asked guy what make is it. Guy mumbled something and walked off. Son knows the risk but some low life scum bag cut cable lock and stole his trail camera

Something to think about stealing or hunting your stand without permission isn't good but check them everytime you start to get in and when you get in. We have found stand's with straps partially cut or loose and I'm not talking about rodents chewing on them. We have cameras all over the property and some are actually for deer.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Even tho it's legal here, i still would never use someone elses stand without permission from the owner. Legal yes, but also rude and potentially dangerous. I always inspect a stand after i latch my safety strap. I would be irritated to find someone in my stand but i not to the pount of getting in a shooting match. I cant seem to back down from a fight so i do all i can to avoid them. Also my wife wont be pleased if im in the hospital or jail.

 

[BadgerRidge]

In Michigan we've always been able to leave them up. But they have to have name, address, on them. And the regs state that anyone else can use them if they get there before you.

To be clear.. the stands have to come down at the end of the season here in Michigan. Been that way since my teens.

Relevant blast from the past story:

When growing up my scoutmaster was a DNR officer, and head of the local recreation area. In the 90's my friend (we'll call him friend 1) used to work summers for him when he was home from college... They always had issues with folks leaving the stands up, and it taking a lot of his resources to pull them down. Folks typically would forget they had them out there (but did have their name and number on them, easily readable from the ground like the law says) and my Scoutmaster would have his staff collect that info and make calls. The stands without ID info were to be taken down by his staff (by Friend1)... again draining rec area resources. But they weren't allowed to be thrown away as they were not their property, and could be evidence of an infraction... so they had to pile them up near a junk pile. The laws concerning placing and leaving stands didn't seem to have a reasonable remedy if someone didn't put their name/phone number on it.

I understand it was a common problem, and if polled the DNR officers would be against letting folks put them up temporarily, much less leave stands up all season. Just cause it created more busy work for them and a property ownership conundrum when dealing with abandoned stands.

So to the OP: if you poll the DNR they will fight against stands staying up all season with examples like I put above. Any law that allows stands to be put up should have remedies allowing their removal (by any good Samaritan) and transfer of ownership after post season abandonment.

Here, ~25 years ago, the short answer to the problem is Friend 2 ended up with a bunch of "free" stands that folks didn't put their ID info on, and the Rec area staff and my scoutmaster were happy to have them gone, but still had to deal with the ones with ID info. (I was off to college/USNA already or I probably would have helped Friend 2 quietly fix the conflict by pulling down unmarked stands after the end of the season). Remember: the staff had to have reasonable deniability as to where the stands went... if they pulled them down. Plus they couldn't approve someone taking someone else's abandoned property. But Friend 2 knew Friend 1's work schedule and those woods. When the unmarked stands went away before the staff got around to taking them down, everybody who was following the law won.

 

[HHI6818]

WOW, jerks are everywhere huh. I love Coopers Rock. I've been runnin round & climbing & hitting caves there for 45 yrs.

You must have been in great shape! Coopers Rock is a young person place!

 

[Ninering62]

You must have been in great shape! Coopers Rock is a young person place!

I've been going there a cpl times a yr since I was a small kid up until a fall & a motorcycle crash in my 40's. Yes, thats some rough terrain, nuthin flat & smooth. It was an awesome place to run wild, free climb & explore, hiking up the stream to find whole to jump off the rocks into was great too. But freezing water. I wouldn't fare so well trying to cover any ground around there anymore. I miss that whole region since I left Md 8yrs ago. I wish I could move back.