What to do when you come across a tree stand?

[pomelum]

when youre on public land i find to very stupid to let your stuff there and go, expecting it will be there next week.
you are abandoning your stuff. no ones there to stop criminal- if it is considered a crime to clean the forest of trash hanging from tree.

 

[canadian hunter312]

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Hey, I didn't mention the names of them did I? Besides, judging by the lack of human sign and trails, I'd say some of the public properties I've hunted in the last couple years haven't seen anyone else for a few years.

What if there were a bunch of tree stands on the few areas that were good on the property? Are you just going to pack up and leave because someone put out a few stands in October and has hunted out of them once or twice for a couple weekends? Its nice of you to move on, but if they aren't utilizing a prime area there's no reason for you not to either.

Confronting people on public land vs private land are two different things. Regardless how they might retaliate, if they're on you're property and you don't want them there, get them off. Follow them to their vehicle and write down their licence plate and let them see that you're doing that. This way if they get pissed off and want to rob you they might think twice as they know that you know who they are. With any situation, if you approach people in a professional manor and be polite they're usually not going to do anything, if you yell at them and tell them to get in their car before you call the cops, they're going to leave with a bit of a grudge.

The local conservation authorities do have many small properties you can hunt on yes. For the population as large as Southern Ontario, there isn't much public land though no. And for the very large hunting population of Southern Ontario that doesn't have land to call their own, some of the places are pretty chaotic during different hunting seasons. The LPRCA property near mine had 6 cars in front of it last year an hour before sunrise on opening morning for the controlled hunt for example. Also a lot of the properties have a lot of joggers, dog walkers, cyclists, horseback riders, ATVers, ect going through them during the day, so with small parcels of land it easily pushes off anything in them. So yes you're right that there is public land, just most of the blocks from my experience seem like they're either pounded or have a very high use for other recreational values. In my eyes that's not ideal for quality deer hunting.

I typically hunt hard-to-get-to area's and not along the main trails like many around here. That said, if it's an old permanent stand I have no issue hunting the same spot, but if it's a portable stand I typically move on. While it's public land, I still move on because someone else has clearly taken the time to scout the area, figured out where to setup, and took the time to hang their stand and usually screw in some steps. It takes some decent time and effort to find and setup in some area's I hunt so I respect others and find another area as I use a climbing stand so it's far easier for me to relocate than it is for someone with a fixed stand.

What's the better option? Walk another 1, 2 or maybe 300 yards to find another spot to setup or setup beside another hunters stand and risk a confrontation with an angry fool that results in hundreds or thousands of dollars of damage to my truck (not worried about myself, said angry fool would be spitting teeth if he wanted to play) on his way out? Southern Ontario is infested with deer and there is tons of land to hunt. Why bother risking it just to prove a point that it's public land and anyone can hunt in that exact spot?


Let's say you found a secret spot after hours of scouting and you spent another hour to setup a fixed stand. Then on the day you decide to hunt you have an odor eliminating shower, cleanse all your clothing, drive who knows how far to get to the spot, quietly sneak into your stand, and then all that time and effort is a waste because some self entitled hunter decided to setup his stand right besides yours "because he's allowed to do so". Not only that, but he contaminated the area with his piss and crap, was extremely loud walking in and setting up, and spooked the deer into the next county essentially ruining the area for you for a week or longer.



"Also a lot of the properties have a lot of joggers, dog walkers, cyclists, horseback riders, ATVers, ect going through them during the day, so with small parcels of land it easily pushes off anything in them."

Wildlife that regularly sees these activities are not effected at all by them and they often only trot a very short ways if startled by people participating in these activities, much less than when they're spooked by a hunter. Wildlife doesn't see these people as a threat. In fact, a wise hunter can use this to their advantage and use those people to push deer towards him. Most hunters think like you in that they don't bother hunting area's that have a lot of people using the land for non hunting reasons. You know what that means to me? Zero hunting pressure and easily hunted deer

 

[xeon]

Let's say you found a secret spot after hours of scouting and you spent another hour to setup a fixed stand. Then on the day you decide to hunt you have an odor eliminating shower, cleanse all your clothing, drive who knows how far to get to the spot, quietly sneak into your stand, and then all that time and effort is a waste because some self entitled hunter decided to setup his stand right besides yours "because he's allowed to do so". Not only that, but he contaminated the area with his piss and crap, was extremely loud walking in and setting up, and spooked the deer into the next county essentially ruining the area for you for a week or longer.

Jeeze not much of a secret spot you got there haha

But I do agree the right thing to do is move on. However, you can only be pushed off so many great spots on a small chunk of property before you have to eventually stop giving in to others. I'd rather setup in a climber near someones stand and later move on if I had to if someone actually did show up. Probably wouldn't hunt near another stand on a weekend, but on a weekday you'll have a fairly good chance of being alone I would think.

If they damaged your truck at least you would get a free treestand out of it that night right?

 

[Superbrad]

There seems to be a recurring theme here where people feel tree stands are the only way to hunt deer... When I hunted public land I would never hang a stand figuring it might dissapear to theft... I would go in and scout and check sign, maybe set up a scrape dripper or bait station and follow trails and tracks etc to position myself for the best chance...

Does the fact that I didn't bolt a stand to a tree mean I put in any less effort than the guy who finds the same spot and does so?...

I still hunt some nearby public land in spot and stalk fashion, allowing my stand areason my private land to be undisturbed... Should I be required to avoid doing this just because someone else puts up a 100 dollar ladder stand he bought at crappy tire?... I don't think so...

 

[captonion]

There seems to be a recurring theme here where people feel tree stands are the only way to hunt deer.

It's actually called waiting... Hunting requires more effort, and skill..

 

[Superbrad]

It's actually called waiting... Hunting requires more effort, and skill..

I don't knock them for that... Still a lot of work required and proper scouting / playing the wind and monitoring etc.. Just don't think their stands mean they are "hunting" any more than I am or they have claim to the area...

You run dogs... What are you doing? Waiting I would wager... But yes, takes work to train dogs... Some people hunt by driving around with a double double looking for opportunities... Others are proud of taking game with 500 plus yard shots... In the end I guess we all have our own views on what "hunting" is...

 

[contaucreek]

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 except my integrity as a fellow hunter

This..

 

[captonion]

I don't knock them for that... Still a lot of work required and proper scouting / playing the wind and monitoring etc..

Nor do I.. I have/do hunt from a stand.. It requires minimal work/skill, but does require alot of patience...

You run dogs... What are you doing? Waiting I would wager...

True, but it requires alot more work and marksmanship than does stand hunting... I prefer hunting the Benoit way..

 

[liberal-hater]

On crown land,...

I think a bigger question is: how the hell can a gold hat own land? Always wondered that...

 

[Superbrad]

Nor do I.. I have/do hunt from a stand.. It requires minimal work/skill, but does require alot of patience...


True, but it requires alot more work and marksmanship than does stand hunting... I prefer hunting the Benoit way..

Agreed... And all of us have to share public land (if we use it) regardless of hunting method... Therefore stand hunters vs get no "special rights" to said land just for having put up a stand...

 

[freddyfour]

Hey, I didn't mention the names of them did I? Besides, judging by the lack of human sign and trails, I'd say some of the public properties I've hunted in the last couple years haven't seen anyone else for a few years.

We only hunted two of these bush on two separate days just for something different as we have a few private properties we mainly hunt. We didn't see any other trucks or other hunters either day but did find a gut pile at one of the sled entrances. Didn't come across any stands or sign of other hunters and imagine from the sizes of these two bushes no one is dogging them because they are to big.

 

[Slaymoar]

I don't do treestand, so I might be the douche here.. I push bushes, which can potentially push deer towards someone's stand, or disrupt their only shot of the day.

However, I look for the most remote locations I can. If I pull onto a road and find trucks, I keep moving.

 

[Brian46]

do you not normally "push bush" only when you have shooters waiting on the other side? Or do you mean you try and sneek up on game in the bush yet tend to scare them before seeing?

 

[Superbrad]

do you not normally "push bush" only when you have shooters waiting on the other side? Or do you mean you try and sneek up on game in the bush yet tend to scare them before seeing?

Depends on the hunter... When I "push bush" It means slow stalk and walk and following known trails and trying to see them when they are in the course of what my scouting tells me is their daily routine...

 

[Superbrad]

Bottom line... If we are using legal hunting techniques this is a moot point... Treestanders do not own the land...

 

[Slaymoar]

do you not normally "push bush" only when you have shooters waiting on the other side? Or do you mean you try and sneek up on game in the bush yet tend to scare them before seeing?

No I just follow a trail or a preset landmarking and go slowly. I snap twigs here and there but I'm generally very quiet... usually I take 5-10 steps and pause for a minute and listen. This way, so far, I have encountered many deer in the forest. I don't look for antler markings or anything other than notice how fresh some droppings are. If no droppings at all then I might be at the wrong place. Other than droppings, the main thing I wait for are sounds. Snaps and thuds = something big. Stay silent until you see what shows up, and so far I have only see deer and the odd coyote (no thuds with coyote).

 

[Brian46]

Bottom line... If we are using legal hunting techniques this is a moot point... Treestanders do not own the land...

neither do the other hunters using different methods. You don't see tree stand hunters chiming in about how trucks, atv's and ground blinds left unattended piss them off because so and so is claiming the land........ Why are tree stands such a big deal? I have hunted for close to 30 years in BC and can easily count on 2 hands the number of tree stands I have seen and never had a problem with the owner of one claiming the land. Truck and atv hunters have been far more brazen with their ownership like attitudes over the years, even had a crooked logging company try and say they owned the land when they had a timber lease, I think the owner went to jail finally for all the stuff he did

 

[Slaymoar]

neither do the other hunters using different methods. You don't see tree stand hunters chiming in about how trucks, atv's and ground blinds left unattended piss them off because so and so is claiming the land........ Why are tree stands such a big deal? I have hunted for close to 30 years in BC and can easily count on 2 hands the number of tree stands I have seen

I have seen over a dozen this season while hunting for grouse in southern Ontario.. not to argue, just seems to be very common around here. There was never anyone on them though, just cheap 2x6 hammer and nail stands..

 

[freddyfour]

neither do the other hunters using different methods. You don't see tree stand hunters chiming in about how trucks, atv's and ground blinds left unattended piss them off because so and so is claiming the land........ Why are tree stands such a big deal? I have hunted for close to 30 years in BC and can easily count on 2 hands the number of tree stands I have seen and never had a problem with the owner of one claiming the land. Truck and atv hunters have been far more brazen with their ownership like attitudes over the years, even had a crooked logging company try and say they owned the land when they had a timber lease, I think the owner went to jail finally for all the stuff he did

There is a very big difference between deer hunting in BC and in Southern Ontario. You have to take that into consideration when reading posts. There is a lot more hunters crammed into a few small spaces here so running into tree stands is a lot more likely then you guys out west. If a 150 acre bush has 12 stands in it and you want to hunt there then we are all going to have to share the space no matter how you chose to hunt, period!

 

[captonion]

If a 150 acre bush has 12 stands in it and you want to hunt there then we are all going to have to share the space no matter how you chose

If that was the case one might want to spend a bit in gas to find a different spot to hunt.