Tree stand etiquette

[Heetrie]

As I've been out scouting I came across an area about two miles from the nearest road that someone spent a considerable amount of time building two tree stands. It looks like they have been there for at least a couple of years.


The area is really good- water, food, and what seems to be a major thoroughfare. I'd put one up myself if these weren't already there. So my question is, would it be ethical for me to use theses tree stands? What if the original builder shows up? Would I have to vacate? Would it be dumb of me to leave a note on them to see if anyone else is planning on using them?

 

[jbone]

If it is on national forest land or BLM land, my thought would be it is available to whoever is there first......




JBone

 

[dryflyelk]

Building a stand on a location doesn't mark the spot as "yours" in my book. Leave his gear alone, and set up your own stand. If you're there first, you should be able to hunt that area.

If marking the spot with a tree stand "saved" it for you, I'd be saving a ton of spots. Kinda like putting your chairs out before a parade. I've run across a few spots where there are multiple tree stands over one water hole.

 

[ScottNM]

Outfitters are famous for trying to "own" public water holes etc. All I can say is bring a gun because most ot them do. My friend was threatened by them to do physical harm. He now packs a pistol and has had to stand his ground a few times. Its a first come first serve basis. Just like duck ponds. If you want to head out 4 in the morning then you get it. I would put up your own stand.

 

[nmelktrout]

First come-first served. But, as mentioned above, hang your own stand out of decency. It is also a chargeable criminal offense to harass hunters in some if not all Western states and in these instances, the threatening of physical harm is quite serious and would warrant involving more than just the F&G. I've seen one instance where a guide got in some serious trouble harassing hunters who beat him and his client to a public waterhole. If I remember correctly he was (ironically) prosecuted under a statute preventing the harassment of hunters. Be smart, know where you are, carry a map, and call in the G&F if you have cell service. Also, I've found that if you start asking questions such as "who do you guide for?," "What is your name?," etc.. that people may tend to cool down. No one is ever happy when they find anyone else in their "spot," but unless that spot is on private land, there is nothing they can do about it.

Definitely a problem we face in the Gila.

 

[AWHOLELOTTABULL]

First of all, building a permanent stand on public land is ILLEGAL!!!!!!! Second, don't lump all outfitters in with your BS there ScottNM. There are just as many if not more pissin contests by average Joe as there is by outfitters. First come first serve unless it's a portable that you can tell somebody put up recently and then that's another story.



It's always an adventure!!!
www.awholelottabull.com

 

[cpugsie]

So your saying that if I was the first one to put up my own stand that year that the waterhole is mine for the season? And what's portable have to do with it. Aren't all tree stands portable?

 

[Bucks4brains]

I would not get in someone elses stand portable or permanent, even though it is perfectly leagle if its on public land. If you want to hunt the water hole put your own portable stand up, the first one @ the water hole gets the spot, If you get there to late then TUFF LUCK !!

 

[AWHOLELOTTABULL]

Sorry to burst your bubble there guys but it's NOT "perfectly legal" to build a permanent tree stand (although there a many out there)on public land. The ones made from 2x4's and plywood and nailed to the tree are NOT portable and are ILLEGAL to put up. If you don't believe me go ahead and call the USFS and ask.

As far as "owning" the water hole for the season. Nah, not me. But I can tell you one thing, if I have worked my a$$ off in a particular area and put up a tree stand THAT SEASON and I go in opening morning and find somebody sitting in it, I will ask politely one time for that person to get down after that it's gonna get ugly. It's not rocket science here guys. Botton line, nobody "owns" the woods. We share. If you are too late getting into an area then too bad. It's your choice if you want to put up a stand or not. You have as much right to be there as anybody else. Is it good ettiquete? IMO No! But that's JMO. I would say you are flirting with getting your a$$ kicked if you sit in somebody elses tree stand though. Go buy your own and put it up. You didn't buy it or pack it in there so stay out of it.


It's always an adventure!!!
www.awholelottabull.com

 

[tailchasers]

If its portable I'd respect the claim but if its made out of 2x4's and such I'd say first come first serve but be prepared some hostilities if the constructor shows up. Read the gaming laws for your specific area and they should shed some lite onto the subject or even call you local warden...

 

[Willametteriveroutlaw]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-14-09 AT 03:12PM (MST)[p]Some of the guy I hunt with put considerale time into setting there tree stand locations and have multiple stands. If they find someone sitting in there stand, they ask once then the chainsaws come out. Their theory is, they put the work in and they deserve the reward. Last year they fell one of there own stands and deficated in the salt to end crowding on that location. I don't blame them to be honest, nothing is more frustrating than having someone horn in on months worth of work.

 

[ScottNM]

Does not matter if you have a two story blind with brick veneer. To say that has anything to do with ownership is wrong. Portable or doublewide trailer blinds do not have trump provisions. Its first come, first serve. Get there earlier tomorrow and its yours. God Bless

 

[grizzly]

I would never sit in another persons stand...but if I was, and it was on public land, when that chainsaw came out, I would shoot the guy, and be very much within my rights.

Grizzly

 

[Bucks4brains]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-14-09 AT 07:07PM (MST)[p]AWHOLELOTTABULL, I guess I missed something, I don't see in any post here where it was said its "perfectly legal" to build a permanent tree stand (although there a many out there)on public land. No bubbles burst here!


If you place a PORTABLE stand on a water hole where there are other stands just make sure you have something to video record the guy that is harassing you so a complaint can be filed.

I would first try to find a water hole or spring that is not occupied to place my stand, but water holes can be and are very limited.

 

[huntfish714]

I'm out of Idaho and hear anyway it is illegal to permanently place a tree stand or permanent blind structure. First come first serve basis even if it's not you stand especially if there is not "proper identification" on the stand such as a card with hunter name and contact info but since it is illegal I would say there probably isn't. I on the other hand would not sit in an illegal blind just in case a good old game officer came strollen in to check the water content or what ever. If you still have awkward feeling about placing a stand in the exact same location, find the main direction for where the animals are coming into the area and set your stand up somewhere down out of sight and shoot an animal before the other guy(if he shows up) even sees them.

I've had countless times hunting old game trails deep in Kaibab, AZ and just happen to look up and there be a guy in a tree stand just looking down at me, walk a hundred yards or so when that guy is out of sight and look up and there is another guy and so on. I finally wispered up to one of the guys one time and asked him if he knew that he was surrounded by other hunters on the same trail within muzzaloader range and his response was "Nope", he climbed down with his tree stand and made the most noise I've ever heard from one person before.

Good luck this year and God Bless!!! hope this help some.

 

[nickman]

Well, I guess it all depends on what kind of azzhole you want to be.

I cannot speak to the treestand issue, but if I spend all day Friday building a duck blind on the river and I show up Saturday morning and find retards in it...........they have trouble.

I will ask them to leave one time.

If I get ANY flack, I'll go and move my truck to as close as I can get it and break out the clay target machine.

Any person, with a childs portion of intelligence, can tell if a blind has had recent work on it. If it has, go somewhere else. If it has not, then I would say it was OK to use.

 

[ScottNM]

I think the question is: if you set up a treestand/blind on public land, does that make you a owner. As long as your stand is not being used, its whoever gets there first. It is not good etiquette to use someone elses trreestand. It is also not good etiquette to thing throwing a "bought by me sign" IE just setting up a stand, means you own it. My personal way is if I give the person with a stand prior to me getting there the first day. After that, if I get there earlier, the water hole is mine without using anothers blind. Personally, if I set a blind up, I will be there in the dark. A lazy hunter will get his reward eventually. I quess part of the issue is there is not always enough to go around. Therefore it gets tough. Plan on it.

 

[nmelktrout]

I'm with Scott on this one. I'm of the opinion that it is OK to get peeved if you get to your treestand and find some other idiot sitting in it, but I'd probably be more pissed at myself for not having gotten to it earlier. It's not right to sit in someone else's tree stand; hang your own or get out and build a gound blind if the owner comes along. And, like one of you mentioned above, go set up on the main trail coming into the water and shoot the animal before it even gets to the water! Luckily we hunt in a state where I've yet to see a "permanent blind," but we do have ground blinds and plenty of tree stands hanging over the prime water holes on public land. My understanding (per the F&G here in NM) is that here in New Mexico, it is a first-come-first-served basis that dictates blind/stand/water hole etiquette, regardles of whether it is a guide or some idiot who just happened to find "your" honey hole. If you and someone else have treestands hung over the same spot and you get there and the other guy beat you to it and is in his stand, then you are SOL for that day, just get there earlier than him the next morning. Better yet, find a spot that is in such bad country and so remote that you don't have to worry about any of the above. Remember, karma is as karma does.

 

[scopenstalk]

what would you guys do in this situation, I hunt an area thats pretty far back in only a couple of other guys hunt there every year as well but they kind of monopolize the forest the guy has 13 tree stands hung up in various places, and two of them are in this little awesome draw. the kicker is he leaves them there year round to try and mark his spot.......would you guys be brave enough to set a stand up close to em and say tough luck to him... he also pisses me off because he rides a dirt bike back in to his stand in an area thats restricted motor vehicle travel....

 

[ScottNM]

>what would you guys do in
>this situation, I hunt an
>area thats pretty far back
>in only a couple of
>other guys hunt there every
>year as well but they
>kind of monopolize the forest
>the guy has 13 tree
>stands hung up in various
>places, and two of them
>are in this little awesome
>draw. the kicker is he
>leaves them there year round
>to try and mark his
>spot.......would you guys be brave
>enough to set a stand
>up close to em and
>say tough luck to him...
>he also pisses me off
>because he rides a dirt
>bike back in to his
>stand in an area thats
>restricted motor vehicle travel....


This is what this whole thread is about. Like I said, you have to stand your ground. If you do not feel comfortable packing a pistol, then inform the G and F officer of that area prior to the hunt. Get his phone # and do what it takes to drive these bullies into ethical practices. It is starting to be done more now in the gila.

 

[nmelktrout]

As long as it is public land I'd hang my stands wherever I felt. Then, it's a matter of who gets to the actual spot first. If these guys are going to get nasty I'd chain my stands up. As for the motorized in a non-motorized area...I just know that I sure wouldn't want to have to push a bike with flat tires, cut fuel lines, and a gutted wiring system out for a couple of miles...(NOT good behavior) Also, pictures of the bike with a GPS showing coordinates and such always seem to get wardens, forest service and blm types all riled up...especially if they have the license plates of the vehicle towing them in and pictures of the same bike in the back of a truck or trailer. Use your judgment and attempt talking to the guys first. You never know, you might make new buddies, learn more about the area, and teach someone about the non-motorized status of the area.

 

[Gator]

You guys need to figure that there will be a problem if you climb into some-one else stand,(even if it's right) so you get this problem resovled before the hunt, Left a note (name address phone #) on his stand telling him that you intend to use his stand if he not in it.He can then move it or pack it in the day he intends to sit in it. You also get a hold of the GW and give him a heads up that there could be a problem with people putting up stands and claiming a waterhole. Must GW would like to deal with the problems ahead of time and not during the heat of a hunt when everyone is pissed.

The guy with 13 stands I would take a hike with FS or GW during the off-season(like right now) I'm sure some-one would like to remove them or tell him(the 13 standguy) that they are and can be used by any hunter that comes across them if that is the law for that state.

I wonder How each State Handles this problem.
I thought it was first hunter in first hunter has the use of that stand no matter who it belongs too. isn't it what's in the Rules and regulations.

ME if I had a stand in place and some-one beat me to it, I would just tell the guy to please come down because I was moving it(right now) so please get out and I would then take the stand down and move it somewhere else down the trail.

Ownership how do you mark you stand with a magic marker, a weld on tab, painted on name, I'm just saying how do you prove it your's, a piece of paper in a baggie blows away then what, Now it could be anybody stand.

As far as guides and stands I agree that if you set 30 stands up some of them will have people in them come opening day, and if it legal for you to set in said stand you need to hold your ground, get his name, guide number,hunters name,take a picture if you can, alot of hollering and chest pounding stops as it being record plus it shows who is right and who isn't.

So now is the time to resolve some of these problems.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".