Got this question one time from a hunter named Dave:
Mike: One day I was sneaking into my bow stand as quietly as I could. When I got about 60 yards away, I looked up and some guy was in my tree stand, hunting! He waved at me to get away. I didn’t know what to do, so I just stood there. He kept waving and waving me off. I got so damn mad I was steaming. I just left and I felt bad about it and still do. I feel like I wasn’t much of a man that day, but what else could I done? This was on public land.
Dave: Stop beating yourself up, you did the right thing. Your only other choice would have been to go up and confront the guy, tell him that was your stand and to get the hell out. But the way that clown was acting and waving, I doubt he was going to listen to reason. Things could have gotten ugly in a hurry.
Confrontation in the woods is never good, and it can cause people to do crazy and dangerous things—like, true story, go get a chainsaw and start sawing the tree down!
If this happens again, I suggest you stand back as you did, but as you’re leaving, look back at the guy and holler something like, “That’s my stand man, don’t come back!” Then go. That will at least get him to thinking, and hopefully he won’t pull such a stupid stunt again.
(Knowing how pissed I would be if this happened to me, I was going to suggest above that instead of “man” you yell “a——“ or the like, but that could cause trouble you don’t need. Better to take the high road, make your point and leave.
Then come back in a day or so and pull that stand and go hunt somewhere else, away from that nitwit.
I understand that by law in some states, a tree stand on public land becomes part of the public domain and therefore can be used by anybody. That might be the law, but in our code of conduct it’s a bunch of BS. Anybody who would hunt another man’s stand without permission is a skunk.
You guys that hunt a lot of public land, has this or something similar happened to you? How did you handle it?
Pack stand in Pack stand out each time on public land. Problem solved. hard work defeats all problems and earns you deer.
I have to agree with Ian. Take the stand in/out when you hunt and you won’t walk up on someone “squatting” in your stand.
Sorry boys but my stand is leaving with me right that minute, with or without the guy in it. I would politely ask why he was in my stand and ask him to leave and if he didn’t, my cell phone has IDNR’s phone number stored in it and I would let the conservation officer explain manners to the clown!
Well, the plane pulling the “get out of my stand” sign behind it may not get the desired results; but the Hilary and Rosie pictures would keep me from sitting in that stand for sure. LOL!
Maybe some flaming arrows hitting the tree the guy is in just underneath his sitting position will encourage him to leave. Maybe booby trap the stand after the guy leaves with a few of those stinky rotten egg smelling stink bombs, maybe a couple hidden under the seat or on the foot platform. Make some really scary bigfoot screams and shake some tree’s while it is still dark in the morning or evening. Maybe hire one of those planes that pull the signs behind it reading “Get out of my stand” and keep circling the area. Tie a few hungry mean pitbulls to the base of the tree as a welcoming the next morning. Cut the base of the tree with a chainsaw almost completely through the night before a very windy day. Put a picture of Hillary Clinton in the stand, that should scare him away. If it is a double seater tree stand put a picture of Hillary and Rosie O’Donnell.
BTW, Hanback that “hollow man” picture of you is spooky….Just an FYI.
Not 100% sure what Indiana law is for a situation like this, but I do know that a hunter’s (legibly written) name, address, and phone number have to be affixed to that particular portable stand. Does this give the owner permission to kick someone out of it on public ground? I don’t know.
I agree with Luke on this one. As much as I’d like to climb that tree and confront the SOB, that isn’t necessarily conducive to acting gentlemanly and proper. You could just plop down and start hunting then and there, thinking that you might win the “battle of attrition”, but if the individual lacks common courtesy it could end up getting ugly in some fashion. If that dipshot (not a spelling error, actually) doesn’t have enough respect for your property, I’m guessing they have an equal amount of respect for themselves, which means it might end up in at least a(n) heated argument. I think I’d leave and then call a property manager/DNR officer to ask for help on that one. Although they may not have any legal right to do anything about it, they do have the right to at least discuss this with the individual. After all, it IS public ground. Officially the guy (who is tresspassing in your stand) doesn’t have any right to shoo you away from that area. I know that I”d be super livid if it happened to me. Overall, it wouldn’t be worth a criminal record, and/or a heart attack to start a “wrastling match” with the joker.
In PA, stands left in the woods overnight on public land can be used by anyone – first come – first serve. So, in PA, the only option is to walk away. I hunt public land a lot and because of this type of thing exclusively use a climber. I’m getting older – it sure would be nice to not have to pack in a stand every hunt. Regarless of the law though – only a real idiot would sit in someone else’s stand and refuse to leave.
Man that is a crappy, tough, and lose lose situation. Especially for we hunting types that aren’t keen to walking away from an…well. So I agree, he did the right thing. Deal is, I have been known to go the other route as have so many others and it can end badly. That guy is a chump and a thief as far as I’m concerned. Def know your laws about that stand on public land. If it was legal for him to be there, I don’t know that there is anything that could keep you from recovering your property, i.e. your stand/ladder/etc, right then and there. Your already there, right? However that would certainly cause a confrontation so consider that. Be safe for sure. Maybe a call into Law Enforcement (preferably away from him) would be wise if the POS won’t let you recover your stand right then. Or maybe you use him to your advantage and hunt an alternate route your deer will use after that monkey spooks them. I believe an inquiry into the guy and his actions with the state or local game wardens would be beneficial. Maybe they have had problems with this guy before, or in the least would like to know about him and talk with him about ethics and respect and a case for potential hunter harassment. This can be a very dangerous situation and game wardens know of the potential consequences of that guys actions. Maybe the next guy he “steals” a stand from won’t walk away and then someone gets hurt or killed…it has happened before. So at a minimum I would report it.