Public Land Stand Etiquette Question

[Sytes]

There's a wallow with a tree stand on public land in an area Ive frequented over many years. It's a hard to find location so likely used by just the person who placed it and that's about it.
I've never used it though always figured if it's on public land as a fixture, it's open to public use.

I've also come across a couple on a popular island stretch in a main town I used to work within where human and deer activity is frequent as heck. Some reason I personally wouldn't use a stand in that setting.

Both are public land - both are public stands, imo. I do like the idea of leaving a note and the nice touch of a smooth bottle of whiskey if I hammered something from the stand.

 

[JTHOMP]

I don't know about elsewhere but the places I hunt stands have to be left in a "nonhunting position" so anyone that leaves a stand attached to the tree is breaking the law. Not a law I care about, but still they have no grounds to complain for myself or anyone hunting there. One of my favorite spots I had scouted in early Sept and loved it. No sign of people, but it was still early. By the second weekend of October there must have been a group of people that decided to hunt the area. One locon exactly where I wanted to hunt, two hammocks up in trees assumingly used as make shift standing, two ladder stands, and a trail of flagging tape that followed almost the entire way from where I parked the boat to the locon.

Hunted that whole season following the flagging tape trail in and out to where I hunted. Killed some squirrels, two pigs, and should've kill a nice buck but screwed up. Never saw another person or boat in the area.

 

[Walkathon]

I've hunted on public in areas where there are permanent wooden built stands that have been in place for decades. The owner may have died years ago, who knows. I've never hunted them, but I don't think you can claim a spot indefinitely.

 

[Brian in Montana]

Public land is public. That's pretty much the end of it, IMO. If you run into someone, be polite and maybe make a new friend. I've done that a couple times.

 

[Rancho Loco]

Unreal the amount of people saying they would hunt out of another mans treestand.


Ethics have clearly flown right out the proverbial window. Unreal. It sums up my season seeing these kinds of posts.

Please let me know how leaving a stand up and thinking it claims a patch of public ground is ethical in your point of view.

 

[efw]

Unreal the amount of people saying they would hunt out of another mans treestand.


Ethics have clearly flown right out the proverbial window. Unreal. It sums up my season seeing these kinds of posts.

Are you saying it would be unethical to hunt out of the stand that’s been left there, or in the area of the stand that’s been left there, which is what I understood the OP’s original question.

I don’t think it’d be unethical for another hunter to use my stand but I wouldn’t use another hunter’s because of liability. Especially those old wooden ones referenced elsewhere here. I don’t care to injure myself on someone else’s poorly placed or structurally degraded stand.

If you’re saying it’s unethical to hunt the area of someone else’s stand that seems to run counter to the idea of public land altogether. I assume that isn’t what you’re saying?

 

[jmveverka]

Just reviving this post as I did not see any others on this topic and was thinking about it the other day. Hiked in scouting a new area in the National Forest last week - not too far, a little over a mile, but further than most guys will carry a stand - and found a nice saddle area with rubs from multiple years, a couple good trail intersections and plenty of acorns. Stood there a minute looking around for the best location for a stand and lo and behold there was a stand in the exact spot I probably would have chosen. Now there are plenty of places to hunt out here and the sign was not THAT outstanding so I probably wont hunt it. But I was pondering the ethics on the way out and I personally would not have any issue walking in and climbing up that stand to hunt. I also would not be offended if someone was sitting in one of the three treestands I have out on Public as long as a couple of ethical considerations were taken:
1. Get in super early. If you're going to hunt someone elses stand, get there early so that you beat them to it. That way if/when they arrive, you can leave and their hunt is not interrupted. I would much rather walk in to my stand and have an awkward pre-dawn conversation about someone leaving my stand than to be sitting in my stand and have someone walk in to try to hunt it after first light.
2. if you are going to get in later, are coming in for an evening sit, or are planning to walk past the stand to hunt another spot, try to determine from as far away as possible if someone is sitting there. If they are, back out or give them as wide a berth as possible.
3. Always defer to the person claiming the stand. If someone comes in and says it is their stand, then move, maybe it is but maybe it isn't, but if you know its not yours then defer to the next guy.

That tree stand may be someones property, but it is on public land and in my opinion is fair game.

Follow-up question, the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest regulation states: "Tree stands left unoccupied for an extended period of time is prohibited." Any idea what "extended period of time" may be considered?

 

[azelkhntr]

Well thats a win. Good sign and a stand already in place for your convenience.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Follow-up question, the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest regulation states: "Tree stands left unoccupied for an extended period of time is prohibited." Any idea what "extended period of time" may be considered?

On a lot of public, stands must be removed when the season ends. Some public they can’t be left overnight, period. Worth a call to the local office. If it’s still up, there’s a good chance it’s a violation at this point.

 

[tzone]

I would hunt your spot and not worry about the other persons stand.

Here it would be an illegal stand anyhow because you can't leave your stand on public land overnight as it needs to be removed daily. I believe the rules are different for state forests, like 14 days or something like that. Because it is illegal here, I take a picture of it with GPS on and send it too the DNR who then monitors it or goes and takes it down.

I bet you're really fun at parties.

 

[LopeHunter]

I bet you're really fun at parties.

Not OP but there are places out West that look more like a dump than a pristine bit of public land. For example, there are AZ waterholes with 10 game cameras on posts driven into the ground, trees with several limbs cut, old lawn chairs bolted to trees, etc. I absolutely would do anything I could to get those eyesores out of the way because some of those items have been abandoned and the cut up trees may never recover. Some of those using public land are slobs and should not be encouraged to be slobs even if they have a tag.

 

[Gerald Martin]

The land is public. The stand is private property. Hunt the area at your convenience but don’t ever sit in another person’s stand. Pack in your own and put it where you want to hunt.

 

[WyoDoug]

Most states require your name and address be clearly posted on a stand. If it is not, check with the property owner and see if permission was granted. The landowner can then call Game and Fish who would remove the stand.

Now for legitimate stands, it is common courtesy not to hunt within 100 yards of a stand or a blind. Sometimes that is included in regulations especially for HMAs.

 

[tzone]

The land is public. The stand is private property. Hunt the area at your convenience but don’t ever sit in another person’s stand. Pack in your own and put it where you want to hunt.

In MN/WI that is not the case. In areas that stands can be left over night, if someone beats you to your stand and is in it...not much you can do about it but wave to them. It's legal for them to be in it.

You can't anymore, but MN used to allow you to build stands on state land. Some were pretty elaborate.

 

[JTHOMP]

Regardless of legality I would rather sit in a port-o-potty at the Taco Bell festival than sit in someone else’s stand without permission.

 

[bluespruce]

Would you take a nap in someone else's tent if the owner wasn't present? It's unoccupied and on public land after all.

Ethics aside, I'm not going to entrust my safety to some random person.

 

[Bob-WY]

In some places it gets silly. There's an archery only walkin near us, you can't walk 200 yards in any direction without seeing a stand. funny part is, my wife and I did hang one, nothing within site (100+ yards). In all the hours in there, she saw someone once. Me twice (once "way over there"), the other I happened to notice a stand that wasn't there before. About 30 minutes after sunrise the guy came along and climbed up. Nothing can be done. After a bit we both got down and chatted, he apologized didn't see our stand when he hung his. We agreed, even at 35 yards we both were on different runs into teh area and if we happened to both be there, we wouldn't screw the other one up, but he normally hunted mornings we normally hunted evenings, so no real issue. Nice guy!

 

[SAJ-99]

I would never, EVER, hunt another mans stand on public land. BUT..... food for thought....true story.

Last year I was hunting public land in Illinois. I had walked in to scout a funnel area I was familiar with and walked up on a climber hanging on a tree very close to where I planned to hunt. Bummed out someone was there already I backed out and hunted another area the rest of the week. On one of my last days there I went back to check that area and the stand was gone. No telling how many days it had been gone either. May have been pulled just hours after I was there. Another thought that comes to mind is what if the owner of said stand left it there a month ago, don't hunt it again all season, you just don't know. I would hunt the area if you want to....it is public land....BUT if you run into the other hunter be polite, and have a conversation. Then move on if he plans to continue to hunt the area. JMO

In Illinois, all tree stands have to be portable and removed daily. My point being, it depends on the state rules. In Illinois, if someone tries to "claim" a spot by putting up a tree stand, they might find that tree stand gone one morning. Someone can call the local management office and they will remove it. Not sure if they still do, but the DNR used to have a big sale every spring of all the stuff they confiscated.

 

[MO Betta]

The rules vary from state to state and most make them pretty clear. In Missouri conservation areas, stands can hang from September 1st and have to be out by February 1st.

I haven't seen anything in writing about sitting someone else's stand. Mainly out of caution I wouldn't do it, generally because I don't trust how most people take care of their equipment. Rusted out bolts, rusted cables hidden under rubberized coatings, frayed straps etc. I don't put my life in someone else's hands if I can help it.

We're not allowed to use anything that damages the tree, so no screw in steps, etc. I generally take everything in and out with me but if needed I would leave the stand up and pack out my climbing sticks, at least make it harder on thieves.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I am saying that entitlement to use another mans treestand is wrong. If you want to hunt a spot come in and put a treestand up next to his if your "That guy". Dont take advantage of someone else's hard work to use it for your benefit.

For the record there are a lot of places that I leave a stand to only hunt it 1 time a year (Where it is legal to leave a stand)

This thread reminds me of why I take my climbing sticks and lock my treestand in the upright position. lol

That or I just use my climber and let lazy people figure things out on their own.