What to do when you come across a tree stand?

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I've given this a fair amount of thought over the years. Leaving a stand set up implies ownership, and plenty of people would be ready to argue their claim with someone who set up near "Their spot". A few would abandon their own stand if someone was there first, and many would move along; honoring the "claim" whether its valid or not, or even whether the stand-owner is even going to be there that day. The "Claimer" is counting on that, make no mistake about it. Good, fair minded, sharing people and good sportsmen are the easiest to screw over.

The only fair system that I can think of is a regulation that requires every stand on public land to be taken down every day; or failing that that an abandoned tree-stand can be used by anyone who wants to use it. That would take care of the "Claimers" in a hurry. When that stand quits being a property claim and starts being an advertisement you'll never see another one left hanging.
 
Ok so I move on. Now on my way out, I realize that the tree stand owner never did show up. Now I may have given up a sweet spot for nothing.

If you think you should give up the spot because someone planned to use it sometime, can't you at least allow yourself to hunt there while he isn't using it?
 
Again though, picture the scenario.....

Your sitting there, and you have a huge buck walk out in front of you, moments away from a clear shot when........

Tree stand owner comes out of the bush and scares off your buck.

Where I hunt there is lots of crown land, so I would find somewhere else, in hopes that others do the same.

If I find someone camped out right at the bottom of my stand, I'm gonna be pissed.

F it I would probably let off a couple shots as I walked out cause you are a ####! Try and prove I didn't see a deer, and took a shot at it. ;)


So you would be one, too. Then as bmorsh suggested in post #6, you can become life long friends.
 
One day a few years ago I was walking to my stand and as I approached the area, I saw an orange blob in my stand. I immediately cursed under my breath and withdrew to hunt elsewhere. The next time I went to my stand I found empty beer cans wedged in a fork in the tree.

So much for respect.

I pulled that stand at the end of the season and have not hunted there since.
 
I believe the Sask. regs ( Please correct me if I am wrong ) states that a stand/bait site has to be marked with the owners name and phone #. Also' no one is allowed to hunt within a certain distance from the stand and the stand must be removed by the end of the season.

Outfitters have stand sites all over the place on crown land. We simply avoid areas with other peoples stands. There is room for every one who wants to make the effort and it avoids issues. In Sask if you can't find your own stand site ( crown land ) you can't be looking very hard. Or try a climbing tree stand and you can go anywhere.
 
Agreed and well written
I've given this a fair amount of thought over the years. Leaving a stand set up implies ownership, and plenty of people would be ready to argue their claim with someone who set up near "Their spot". A few would abandon their own stand if someone was there first, and many would move along; honoring the "claim" whether its valid or not, or even whether the stand-owner is even going to be there that day. The "Claimer" is counting on that, make no mistake about it. Good, fair minded, sharing people and good sportsmen are the easiest to screw over.

The only fair system that I can think of is a regulation that requires every stand on public land to be taken down every day; or failing that that an abandoned tree-stand can be used by anyone who wants to use it. That would take care of the "Claimers" in a hurry. When that stand quits being a property claim and starts being an advertisement you'll never see another one left hanging.
 
Actually in Ontario if you build a stand on crown land you forfeit ownership rights to it by law. It is not legal to build a blind, stand or any permanent structure on crown land and have no right to it's use according to any of the C.O's I ever spoke with on the subject.
 
Just seeing a stand would cause me to move on. The main reason I am out there is to get away from all the conflict and crap that I get from work and interacting with idiots. Don't need to deal with it in the bush.

Would rather come back from a hunt feeling great instead of complaining about some jerk in a tree.
 
This reminds me of going to a vacation resort and seeing all the towels on beach chairs all day without anyone claiming them until 3PM. Totally ridiculous and disrespectful. If you're not supposed to leave a stand overnight, don't cry if someone took the general area next day and beat you to it. It's just like fishing, early bird gets the worm. Imagine putting chairs and towels on your favorite fishing spot and expect others not to fish there. So what if you spent the time scouting and putting up a stand. If you're not there, you're not using the area and open to someone else using it. It's public land and no one has ownership right over another unless you are physically there using it. Even then, it's because others aren't allowed to harass you, not because you own the land. If you want to claim ownership over an area, buy some land.
 
I hunted Crown Land most of my 60 year hunting life...never used another hunters stand...had well understood boundaries with neighboring camps...I can see the Respect Declining for this aspect of Hunting...I'm Happy I have Private land to Hunt...But there are always guys who push it, last week 5 hunters trespassed on my place, said they were lost, climbed a newer Page wire fence to trespass...We talked...Spoiled both our days...Next morning I'm sitting in pitch black at 5 AM...Here they come again with flashlites,climb the fence, We talked...said they were lost again...Spoiled both our days again...You can't fix STUPID
 
For myself if i come across a stand i would first look at the stand and see if it's actually being used. In my area many people build a stand on a new cutting, use it for the year, but then never come back once the cutting grows up a bit and they move on to the next "hot spot", so if it hasn't seen use, i don't have any issues hunting near it, but i wouldn't sit in it without knowing and talking to the owner/builder.
On the other hand if it looks like it's had recent use, is in good shape, or if the builder comes up and wants to use it, i would move along and find another spot. I have been looking for a new spot because of this very issue, the area i have hunted the past several years just sees too much traffic, with people driving by and walking by on a regular basis. The last straw was this year on opening morning there was someone sitting in my blind and wouldn't leave even after being told to move along, and then had his friends all come over and try to push me out of the area.
 
Again though, picture the scenario.....

Your sitting there, and you have a huge buck walk out in front of you, moments away from a clear shot when........

Tree stand owner comes out of the bush and scares off your buck.

Where I hunt there is lots of crown land, so I would find somewhere else, in hopes that others do the same.

If I find someone camped out right at the bottom of my stand, I'm gonna be pissed.

F it I would probably let off a couple shots as I walked out cause you are a ####! Try and prove I didn't see a deer, and took a shot at it. ;)

That is just an a$$hole thing to do! Why not have some b@lls and express your displeasure to the person. If it gets you nowhere then simply find another spot. There's no need to act like a d*ckhead. That's the kind of thing cowards do. JMHO.
 
I think some of you guys need to understand that not every hunter is a stand hunter.... Personally, I am a big advocate of having to take your stand home with you.... helps avoid all of this crap...

Contrary to the belief of some, putting up a stand does not mean you were there first... How do you know someone hasn't checked out the area?... How do you know someone doesn't plan on doing some spot and stalk in that area?.... Again, putting up a stand does not lay claim.. all you have done is create a place for yourself to sit.....

All too often I see people setting up 5-10 stands over 50 acres of land.... Does this give that person exclusive rights to that acreage?.... I don't hunt deer on crown land but if I did I would feel free to set myself up anywhere I wanted... If I come in and buddy is sitting in his stand then I would move on out of respect.... but I certainly don;t think you can claim a spot with a tree stand when you aren't even present....
 
I've given this a fair amount of thought over the years. Leaving a stand set up implies ownership, and plenty of people would be ready to argue their claim with someone who set up near "Their spot". A few would abandon their own stand if someone was there first, and many would move along; honoring the "claim" whether its valid or not, or even whether the stand-owner is even going to be there that day. The "Claimer" is counting on that, make no mistake about it. Good, fair minded, sharing people and good sportsmen are the easiest to screw over.

The only fair system that I can think of is a regulation that requires every stand on public land to be taken down every day; or failing that that an abandoned tree-stand can be used by anyone who wants to use it. That would take care of the "Claimers" in a hurry. When that stand quits being a property claim and starts being an advertisement you'll never see another one left hanging.

Agree 100%....If you want to show respect to other hunters, remove your stand at the end of the day!!!
 
Soon people will be scouting out areas and start putting flags up to mark their territory. Too many #######s out there always proving that society is going to ####.
 
Well - One needs to bear in mind that some crown land is leased to hunt camps. I'd think twice about occupying space in their lease area during deer season. Back to the OP, what would you do if the tables were reversed, and you showed up to find someone near your stand?
 
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