Tree Stand Ettiquette Plus

[John Wade]

Help me out here as I'm new at this tree stand stuff. If you've put up a few tree stands and when you show up someone's sitting in one of them. How do you non lethally get them out of it. Will they know enough? What do you say and how do you say it so something stupid doesn't start and ruin something I've been looking forward to for some time. Is it best to just walk away rather then get in an arguement with someone that is armed and already has no sense of right and wrong.

Additionally, someone put up a couple of really nice comfy ones, though not hidden like mine. Problem is that one of his puts me right in the path of fire he'll have (my stand is a little to the left actually and he'd have to be 15 -20 yards wide and really suck with a bow to ding me.) I doubt he even knows I would be in mine as it is hidden with smaller shooting lanes To remain hidden and enticing to deer, I'll be wearing full camo with my special antler-camo baseball cap over my camo balaclava. (Just kidding about the antlers.) It is without a doubt in the better spot if the scouting we've been doing of the last month is any indication. Who takes precedence. I suppose I could move to another but the whole idea of getting there in the early, undressing in the cold to switch into descented fatigues and get strategically in place is to not disturb the hunt. Season opens this Saturday, and I'm pumped. I just don't want to get an arrow pumped into me by the ignorant or the inconsiderate. So lay some words of widsom on me based on reall experience.

BTW, that thread where we talked about bears and trichinosis. A couple of hunters from France took their meat they shot here in Canada back, cooked up a bunch and infected, i think about a dozen people. Paper said poorly cooked and if left untreated could have killed them.

One more thing. What is it about this forum that everyone's spelling is so bad? I'm a professoinal writer but as soon as I start typing a post for this forum, it all goes out the window and the next thing I know I'm wearing a straw hat, chewing on a piece of hay, going yuck, yuck yuck, He ha! The only grammar I know now is the one I used to visit as a kid. Is there a cure? Just look at the errors in this one post.

John Wade
www.johnwade.ca
519-457-9559

[BUCKSHOT]

Hey John
Correct me if I am wrong here, but, it sounds like you are hunting on Public land! If that is the case it sounds like you are in for some hardship!

The other guy is just as entitled to hunt the area as you are!
You might be able to speak with him and try to figure a schedule which will work for both of you!

The guy that is in your stand, not good! I would ask him if I could have my stand and readily vacate! Personnally!
You may be out of a hunt that day, morning or whatever, but, so will he! And it sounds like you have options although your plans will be screwed for a while!

If the guy in your stand doesn't give it up, it would be a good idea to avoid a conflict, you never know who your dealing with!

It sounds like you have invested some time and effort in locating these spots, it's too bad some people are inconsiderate, but you never know, it is possible the person will be reasonable and you can diplomatically win your spot back!

It would be a tough call, without being there!

Sounds like you need to find some private land, or a spot where you know there will be no other hunters! IMO

P.S Don't worry about your grammar, you are still getting the point across!

HUNT SAFE!

[A.W]

A think yur jist lucky thit A dinae type wae a Scottish accent. If a did yae widnae ken whit A wis tokin about. Might huftae go doon a road fur a dunna tae get a punna butta fur a murra.

ps. My spelling is out the window too. Never could figure out how to spell my accent.

[Hi5]

Remember the fellow called "Vang"? He was just convicted of shooting all those folks who were rude to him in attempting to chase him off their hunting grounds.

Even if it is public lands, you still own YOUR stand. You don't own the tree, or the surrounding lands, though. He can hang off a limb above you or below you, if he wants, or the tree will hold both of you.

[Kjay]

Like it was mentioned above, If you are on public land (Crown Land) then other hunters are just as much entitled to the spot as you are. It is like the dock issues, the owner of a Home (cottage) may own up to the high water mark, but the do not own anything that is extended past that. Thus up in places like meaford Big Head River or the Notty where docks are on the river, you can fish from their docks for steel head and salmon perfectly legal. So if someone is in your stand well maybe you may want to just wait for the hunter to get out and go and get it, hopefully they havent taken it.

Good Luck All, and Good luck with your stand issue,

Kris

[kendo kid]

John,
If you have that much pressure on public land you are not hunting deep enough or far enough from the main road.

Switch to a climber and it solves your problem. Also you do not mention the steps you palced in the tree to get to your fixed stand. If they are your steps simply go up 5 high and start taking them out while Mr or Ms Squatter is in the stand. Or take two out when you leave from your hunt. They sell steps that can be removed with a turn or two of the lag bolt. Lots of possiblities. Hunt Deep, Hunt unseen, Hunt all day.
Kendo Kid.

[boogap]

That guy who put a stand with yers in his lane, you could still use it. On the way in make sure you stop by his first and see if hes up there. If not got to yers and yool see him coming in just holler over.

The guy in yer stand, talk to him ferst. He probly thought it was a gun hunters, figerin if the owner comes heel just move. If hes ignrant, sup to you. easiest thing is to walk away....and uncock the exomag usin his truck tire! (just kiddin )

Private land is the way to go, though.

BTW I used my redneck spellckecker on tis heer post....

[Woodsman]

In our province, permanent stands are illegal on public land and will be torn down by authorities. So, if you built a permanent stand on public land, it's fair game to anyone. If it is a takedown stand you own, it is yours (make sure your name is on it) and can ask for it back.

[pdislow]

i just hope he does not steal your stand. i had that happen twice during gun seaso close to 30 years ago. good luck

[Boltshooter]

As to the shooting lane question, there is no easy answer, but I would say that whoever put up their stand first is in the right, and the other person should definately move! No justifiable way to force them to move, though.
However, the other question regarding treestand hijackers seems easy to me. Of course, you can't use lethal force to remove them from your stand, but you certainly can use intimidiation, since he has commited a serious offense by stealing your treestand platform, which is your definite property. If confronted with this situation, I think the smart thing to do (for the record, I have never done this ) would be to sneak within 60 yards of the tree stand, hunker down behind a fallen log, and put an arrow about four feet below the feet of the guy in your treestand. When he hears the "THWACK!", and sees the quivering bolt imbedded in the tree, he'll get out of that stand pretty fast! If your stalking skills are where they should be, and your camo clothing is as good as you claim, he'll never see you, and even if he does see you, since he is probably armed with a vertical bow, he won't be able to do any damage to you at sixty yards, if you are lying prone behind some kind of cover. If he leaves the treestand to run after you, lead him on a chase, then lose him and sneak back to your treestand. If he's a poor sport, and calls the authorities, the arrow will be gone by the time they show up, and the hole filled in with dirt. If the guy in your stand is a fellow crossbow shooter, he is one of the brethren, and you should be able to work things out without resorting to such drastic measures.


Please take the above with a grain of salt, as you can see I have too much thinking time on my hands.

[Woodsman]

..and then you can go to jail for attempted murder charges and never own a weapon again!

I'd try a little diplomacy and approach the fellow with a smile telling him that this is your stand and see how he reacts. If he gets nasty, tell him he can use the stand this morning but that you will be using it after that. If he still doesn't show any signs of cooperation. Just move away and get the authorities.

I'll bet the guy gets out of your stand kind of embarassed and likely just used it while the owner was away. Just don't get mad, aggressive, or insulting. It's all in the attititude and this is where things could escalate. Remember, it's public land and it's a stand left on public property. Ownership is debatable at best.

[Boltshooter]

..

I'll bet the guy gets out of your stand kind of embarassed and likely just used it while the owner was away. Just don't get mad, aggressive, or insulting. It's all in the attititude and this is where things could escalate. Remember, it's public land and it's a stand left on public property. Ownership is debatable at best.

Yes, the tree is publicly owned, but your stand platform belongs to you, exclusively and 100%. You bought it. You set it up. Where does anyone get off preventing you from using your own platform?
I would have absolutely zero toleration for this. Luckily it has never happened to me, since I hunt on private land. I might just get myself into trouble

[bowhuntingriskyricky]

I hunt on my own land, and never leave a stand in the woods. The Primary reason is that you educate all the deer in the area so they avoid your stand and move their travel route just out of your sight. Especially so for mature bucks. You may get some yearlings and button bucks come by. Your best chance is always the first day in a stand for a mature buck.
Secondly, you should never hunt the same stand (tree or ground blind) more than once every other week, if that, because you are polluting the area every time you use it. So if you leave a stand in the woods, you are educating deer plus leaving it vulnerable to theft.
Third, by leaving a stand in the woods, you are also educating other hunters in the area, and alerting them to your scouting strategy. You should always leave an area as though you were never there.
Climbing and hang on stands are your best bet, depending on the type of trees and cover are available.