What would you do?

[larry ipock]

What would I do? I would tell the guy good luck, move my stuff and never hunt public land again. That's exactly what I would do.

Some of us only have public land. But that would be beyond frustrsting.

 

[brassmagnet]

Unfortunately that really happens.....a lot. It's by far and above my biggest gripe about public. My brother actually has an old junk climber he uses to decoy those folks. Hangs at the base of a tree in the wide open so it can't be missed, and sure as the sky is blue somebody sets up within bow shot of it every time.

I bet he's fun to drink beer with!!!!

 

[Ski]

I bet he's fun to drink beer with!!!!

Indeed. He's the funniest guy you could ever hang out with. If you don't believe it, just ask him

 

[Gravey]

We scouted the weekend before and hung our stands (as we were allowed to do).

Since it's legal to leave stands for this hunt I'd be a little pissed if the guy saw it and didn't care. On the other hand maybe some folks put out multiple stands and pick one and let the other(s) sit empty therefore claiming a spot and not hunting it. Tough one for sure.

 

[MickThompson]

I've got a spot on public I found about 8 years ago. Killed 3 nice bucks and some does out of it over that time. Always hunted out of my climber. Some time later a jack wagon hung a lock on with screw in steps.

I've never seen anyone else in there. Should I abandon my spot because their illegal activities claim the spot?

 

[Ski]

I've got a spot on public I found about 8 years ago. Killed 3 nice bucks and some does out of it over that time. Always hunted out of my climber. Some time later a jack wagon hung a lock on with screw in steps.

I've never seen anyone else in there. Should I abandon my spot because their illegal activities claim the spot?

No. You should call the warden.

 

[ImThere]

Yea he's the Moron. He scouted. Found a tree and hunted. Beat all the other Elmer's there.

 

[Headhunter]

It sort of works both ways. I'd probably climb the tree my stand was on and tell the MF that he better be fast on the draw.

I had a friend that did it years ago on an Archery hunt at Hiwassee Refuge. He had hung a hangon in a tree the evening before the hunt. He got there the opening morning and found someone hung in the same tree. There were some words, and David climbed into the tree and killed the first buck that came by. Needless to say, the other guy didn't have a very productive morning.

Wrong! It is public land, If you want the spot, get there first. You being a prior law enforcement office should know that. That is how I look at it, if I left a stand, blind, etc set up on public land and someone got there before me, I would hunt somewhere else.

To me that would fit the definition of hunter harassment.

 

[scn]

Wrong! It is public land, If you want the spot, get there first. You being a prior law enforcement office should know that. That is how I look at it, if I left a stand, blind, etc set up on public land and someone got there before me, I would hunt somewhere else.

To me that would fit the definition of hunter harassment.

It isn't close to hunter harassment. You really don't have a clue sometimes.

 

[Headhunter]

It isn't close to hunter harassment. You really don't have a clue sometimes.

More like you don't. You are disturbing his hunt and once you climb the tree when the other person was there first, or poop in front of his stand, etc. you are harassing another hunter. I can guarantee you a lawyer will see it as harassment.

Also, you are calling this person a MF and then proceeding to hunt right next to him because he beat you to the spot on public land. I guess since you were a law enforcement officer at one time then you get to people you own a spot on public land. NOT!

 

[scn]

More like you don't. You are disturbing his hunt and once you climb the tree when the other person was there first, or poop in front of his stand, etc. you are harassing another hunter. I can guarantee you a lawyer will see it as harassment.

Also, you are calling this person a MF and then proceeding to hunt right next to him because he beat you to the spot on public land. I guess since you were a law enforcement officer at one time then you get to people you own a spot on public land. NOT!

LOL

Where, at any time, did I say anything about pooping by his stand, troll?

Oak Ridge is a different type of hunt. Hunters have access for one (?) preseason scout day. If they leave a stand on that day, it isn't like they are trying to own a spot for the season.

IMO, the person setting up feet away from that stand is just as guilty of bad behavior. It isn't a race to a spot. And, yes, I have dealt with that on a turkey hunt when I was first to a spot heading to a gobbling bird and had two hunters run past me to try to get there first.

IMO, the person that set up by that stand knowing there was a high likelihood due to the nature of the Oak Ridge hunt that someone would be hunting there was just as guilty of bad behavior.

Again, you don't have a clue about what the statute actually says.

 

[DMD]

Since it's legal to leave stands for this hunt I'd be a little pissed if the guy saw it and didn't care. On the other hand maybe some folks put out multiple stands and pick one and let the other(s) sit empty therefore claiming a spot and not hunting it. Tough one for sure.

One problem is, people will leave a stand and then never show up. I've see this happen often. I've been hunting some public land this year. I went as far back as possible to get away from anyone. I've been very fortunate in that I haven't seen one person, and I've hunted it often. But, as I was walking out the second time I'd hunted back there, about a 100 yards from me was a loc on stand. It's really thick in there and I couldn't see the stand from my stand. I thought about moving from my spot the next time I hunted, but ended up in the same spot. I hunted that spot many times this season, I haven't seen anyone in that loc on stand, nor any sign anyone has been back there. You just never know.

 

[Lost Lake]

On one WMA that I rarely step foot on anymore, I've noticed that adjoining property owners are slipping over on the WMA and leaving ladder stands and hang ons. I actually talked to one of them after hiking 3/4 mile back in to a spot that I'd hunted for years and taken some nice bucks from. He said that he hunted them on occasion, but left them up to keep people out of his honeyhole that's close by his property.

I didn't ask if he had Area Manager permission, as I didn't care anymore. Combined with the YouTube advertisement that was drawing new hunters into the area like wanderers in the desert, I knew my time was over there.

It was time to move on and not fight it. Life is too short.

 

[scn]

One problem is, people will leave a stand and then never show up. I've see this happen often. I've been hunting some public land this year. I went as far back as possible to get away from anyone. I've been very fortunate in that I haven't seen one person, and I've hunted it often. But, as I was walking out the second time I'd hunted back there, about a 100 yards from me was a loc on stand. It's really thick in there and I couldn't see the stand from my stand. I thought about moving from my spot the next time I hunted, but ended up in the same spot. I hunted that spot many times this season, I haven't seen anyone in that loc on stand, nor any sign anyone has been back there. You just never know.

Very true.

On public land that is hunted every day, I have a big problem with stands being left between hunts. It is almost as much an attempt to "reserve" a spot as anything. I have zero issues with anyone setting up close to a stand in those situations because there is a very high likelihood that the stand owner won't be hunting that day.

The Oak Ridge hunt is very different. Hunters have access for one (?) scout day a short time before the hunt. If I go to a spot and see a stand, I would figure there is a high likelihood that person is going to show up for a pretty coveted hunt. If I choose to hunt within feet of his/her stand, I do so with the knowledge that there is a pretty big chance that my hunt is going to be disrupted in some way. If they choose to hunt their stand, there are zero regulations against them doing so. If it is a good enough spot, then maybe it is worth the gamble that "life" has prevented that hunter from showing up that morning. But, IMO, it wouldn't be worth the hassle of what is very likely to take place.

 

[Lost Lake]

Very true.

On public land that is hunted every day, I have a big problem with stands being left between hunts. It is almost as much an attempt to "reserve" a spot as anything. I have zero issues with anyone setting up close to a stand in those situations because there is a very high likelihood that the stand owner won't be hunting that day.

The Oak Ridge hunt is very different. Hunters have access for one (?) scout day a short time before the hunt. If I go to a spot and see a stand, I would figure there is a high likelihood that person is going to show up for a pretty coveted hunt. If I choose to hunt within feet of his/her stand, I do so with the knowledge that there is a pretty big chance that my hunt is going to be disrupted in some way. If they choose to hunt their stand, there are zero regulations against them doing so. If it is a good enough spot, then maybe it is worth the gamble that "life" has prevented that hunter from showing up that morning. But, IMO, it wouldn't be worth the hassle of what is very likely to take place.

What the guy did to your friend in your other post was a crappy way to treat another hunter. It went beyond being an ass in my opinion.

But the situation at Oak Ridge that you describe, and on a few similar hunts can be a little different, especially since it's a short hunt.

If a person goes in before daylight and sets up in a spot they're very familiar with, and doesn't need to scout it, and doesn't know someone has put stands in there the day before, it gets tricky.

The fellas with the stands there are not going to want to leave, even though first come first served is still in play and they should move on. That's why not allowing stands to be left unoccupied at any time could solve the biggest part of the problem.

Knowingly hunting a spot with stands in place is, IMO, asking for messed up hunts and nothing but trouble.

 

[Headhunter]

Very true.

On public land that is hunted every day, I have a big problem with stands being left between hunts. It is almost as much an attempt to "reserve" a spot as anything. I have zero issues with anyone setting up close to a stand in those situations because there is a very high likelihood that the stand owner won't be hunting that day.

The Oak Ridge hunt is very different. Hunters have access for one (?) scout day a short time before the hunt. If I go to a spot and see a stand, I would figure there is a high likelihood that person is going to show up for a pretty coveted hunt. If I choose to hunt within feet of his/her stand, I do so with the knowledge that there is a pretty big chance that my hunt is going to be disrupted in some way. If they choose to hunt their stand, there are zero regulations against them doing so. If it is a good enough spot, then maybe it is worth the gamble that "life" has prevented that hunter from showing up that morning. But, IMO, it wouldn't be worth the hassle of what is very likely to take place.

It is public land, unless stated, leaving a stand DOES NOT reserve the spot. Would I set up near someone's stand, most likely not, if the person who leaves the stand is not there first, they should find another spot. No matter the situation, whoever is first has priority to hunt that spot. You are wrong.

 

[themanpcl]

I hunt public in IL every year. I know the area but I have a place that I like to start on Friday. We arrive Thursday and hang my stand and then go to another area to hang my brothers stand. If I see any stands close, I will relocate and if someone comes in earlier Fri morning and hangs near me (doubtful they will beat me to the woods..lol) then I will hunt the stand early and one of us will move most likely. That's public hunting out of state. My brother found out that people do take exception to you hunting out of their stand when they aren't there...lol

 

[Specializedjon]

It's a douchebag move on his part, but like others have said, first come first serve. There's a little thing called etiquette and respect that's lacking these days. That goes both ways.

 

[Ski]

On one WMA that I rarely step foot on anymore, I've noticed that adjoining property owners are slipping over on the WMA and leaving ladder stands and hang ons.

I found that on one my local WMAs. It was a ladder stand in a pretty dang good spot, which wasn't the problem. The problem was the line of peanut butter jars screwed to trees on the trail coming from the thicket out in front of the stand. I called the warden & the stuff disappeared. Two years later I was scouting in early spring pre green up and found where somebody used shears & saws to cut walking trails through a clear cut area then marks the trails with pink loggers tape. Not 200yds from it was an abandoned pop up ground blind with a rotting doe lying in front of it, not even a backstrap cut off of it. I've never been back.

 

[Lost Lake]

I found that on one my local WMAs. It was a ladder stand in a pretty dang good spot, which wasn't the problem. The problem was the line of peanut butter jars screwed to trees on the trail coming from the thicket out in front of the stand. I called the warden & the stuff disappeared. Two years later I was scouting in early spring pre green up and found where somebody used shears & saws to cut walking trails through a clear cut area then marks the trails with pink loggers tape. Not 200yds from it was an abandoned pop up ground blind with a rotting doe lying in front of it, not even a backstrap cut off of it. I've never been back.

Dang..

Sometimes it's just not worth fighting that kind of mentality. I've seen paths hacked through thickets that a Panzer tank could go through and not touch the sides, for 2-300 yards over limestone bluffs and cedar glades.

I just walk away, and try new WMA's. It happens all over though.