It appears as though someone made an attempt to steal my treestand this past weekend.
I went to take down my stand when I noticed a step was missing. I remove the bottom three steps, the ones where the step is removable but the screws stay in the tree. I managed to climb in the tree anyways, and remove my stand.
When I got back down I looked closer at the tree and could see where someone had screwed their steps in. I guess they didn't notice the padlock until they got up into the tree. I sure wish I could have caught the SOB in the act. My 12ga might have made him think twice before f*cking with my stand again. I wouldn't have shot him, maybe just beat him with the butt stock a little.
Maybe I got lucky but so did he.
You can take the man out of the woods but you can't take the woods out of the man.
"Celebrate your harvest with a Bloodtrail Ale(tm)!!"
"It CAN Be Done!"
Man that sucks. I will always padlock my stands after hearing of stand thefts. Ya, would it ever be nice to catch them in the act. I wonder if it is hunters the majority of the time or just anti's/animal activists? I would imagine if they had screw in steps, it would probably be hunters in this case. Or lads that call themselves hunters.
Glad you were smart enough to lock your stand Chris.
Hey man, out of curiousity, is that public land your stand was on?
I had a tree stand stolen last season of a piece of private property i was hunting on, I know who the prick is because i got him on my trail camera. Thank God he didn't see the camera or that would of been gone too. Nonetheless if i see him on the property when i'm there i can assure you he won;t be stealing anything of that property ever again or for that matter he won't be stepping foot on the land!
This season I decided to hunt from a ground blind it's much easier, safer and less expensive (theft). Seen many deer in shooting distance but was waiting for that buck. Time ran outl the wife had the baby earlier then expected so i guess i got myself the best trophy!
j wrote:Hey man, out of curiousity, is that public land your stand was on?
Jay
Yeah. Public land. I was speaking to another hunter on Thursday when I came out and I guess I gave out too much info on my stand location. I'm assuming it was this guy, maybe I'm wrong but I will definately confront him if I see him again.
You can take the man out of the woods but you can't take the woods out of the man.
"Celebrate your harvest with a Bloodtrail Ale(tm)!!"
"It CAN Be Done!"
I understand your frustration Chris and I understand wanting to catch them in the act, but I don't think typing
My 12ga might have made him think twice before f*cking with my stand again.
is right. Im sure every true hunter understands what you mean, but that is exactly what anti hunters use as propaganda. One statement from one hunter isn't any big deal, however, one statement from every hunter would be. I mean absolutely nothing against you, but I think all hunters have the responsibility to watch what we say. Just my thoughts.
"You have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, and publicity." - Eddie Rickenbacker, World War I pilot
I've had two stands and 20 feet of ladder sticks stolen at once, oh about 350.oo worth of equipment, they both were locked with a 5/8" python cable from Lowes they were able to cut the cable using somekind of cutter i dont think bolt cutters, yea i know your pain and i have a pretty good idea who did it, my dad said just forget it but i wanted to pound their face to hamburger, I think i will when i get the money set them up with a game camera with infared so i can catch pictures in the act!! CHRIS 4570 Someday they will have a shot at the buck of a lifetime in those stands they tried to steal or have stolen and just at the last moment the buck will turn and walk just out of shooting distance never to be seen again, i mean never, God works in many ways!!!!!!!!!!!!!!speedball.......
Guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I've been putting three stands on public lands for about ten years, one ladder stand and two hanging stands with ladders. Everything is locked in and all are very visible from roads, trails etc. The worst that ever happened is I lost a couple of ropes for pulling my bow up and one ratchet strap. I'm pretty sure I caught the "kid" who was doing it. Anyway, after "running in" to me hunting on the ground trying to catch the varmint messing with my stands, I never saw him again. My stands have been used by other hunters and I have no objection to that. I can't be there all the time. Wish I could. When I leave a stand I lean a branch up against the ladder. Branch gone - somebody climbed the ladder.
Couple of years back a friend of mine was heading into the woods to retrieve his hanging stand when he met another individual (I won't call him a hunter) carrying it out. My buddy never missed a beat. he walked right up to him reached out his hand, took the stand and thanked him for taking it down for him. The other guy didn't have a clue what to do. Of course it doesn't hurt that my buddy is 6' 2" 285lbs, either
I wouldn't have shot him, maybe just beat him with the butt stock a little. 
