Treestand etiquette - when it's not yours

[Woods Walker]

"My 38 was in the house or WWs' three "S" would have been in effect. ( The dog, not the trespasser)'

Come now, Ohio, that's what the third "S" is for!!!

[mhouck06]

Etiquette? On public land?

If you are going to rely on etiquette, then you are going to be SADLY disappointed. I've been sadly disappointed with the etiquette I've experienced on private land with other hunters who had permission to be there, not trespassers!

To me, on public land it should be no different than fishing. Who ever gets to the spot first get's to fish it. If you lave a chair there to "claim" your spot then don't be shocked or upset if it gets moved, or someone's sitting in it. At that point all you can reasonably ask him to do is to get out of the chair so you can take it to the new place where you are going to fish. You don't own the ground that chair is sittting on.

This is today's world. Stands will be used. Trail cams WILL BE STOLEN. Fact of life.

I guess I can say I have been lucky to this point.. Never had to deal with this before this season and have never had a camera stolen.
Private ground I would have been upset.. Public land, like I said, it is what it is. We just move. Thats not a big deal. I still think regardless of where your stand is public or private.. people shouldnt sit in it. Like I stated before, we have had people set up 15 yards from us. Oh well, thats all part of the game.. Someones screws have to be loose and almost falling out to think its ok to sit in someones stand. I cant imagine that thought even entering my head, no matter how good the spot is. I did have this happen last year with another guy at another spot. He was pretty violent and wound up at the time, but after about a week we figured it all out and still keep in touch. That to me is etiquette and sportsmanship. I guess I have too much faith in everyone else.
I'll just take it as I have been lucky and move on. Usually, where I am from people do show respect. If a stands there most of the hunters around here adapt to it. Small town living/hunting has its perks.

The only thing that sucks about not owning the private land in fishandhunts case is I have seen the land owners in cases like this just shut hunting and access down to everyone when problems arise.
I still wont give up public land opportunities, I have access to a 2500 acre patch of private ground that is managed pretty well.. Still doesnt beat having a succesful hunt on public land imo (headaches or not)

[Ohio farms]

I'll be more prepared next time Woods. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

[oletimer]

I guess most of us have had this opportunity at one time or another. I have had one person who had permission on the private property come down and appologize over and over. Then a year later this guy on another property put a stand up about 30 yards away on another piece of property that I too had permission to hunt. My stand was a lumber built stand that I had hunted in for 20 years. When I got there the first morning of rifle season it was pre- light and I saw this guy over there. He told me I needed to leave and I politley told him this was where I had hunted for some time and the stand was very visable. He had his stand pointing at the land I was on where he had no permission. I just told him to sit tight and shut up there were plenty of deer there for both of us. Well he got down cussing and started shooting in the air yelling. Not very comfortable feeling but he did leave and the stand disappeared the next day along with his permission.. You never know even on private land.
Just like the fellow that puts his stand up on the property line. Have one behind the house that has two stands and a blind all within 10 feet of his dad's property line. I have kicked him off my place and the other land I have sole permission to hunt.
Unfortunately these are the things that drive us all crazy. Been a problem for years and sure is not getting any better.
On the other hand shared stands can work very well too. If you and the older "gentleman" can come to an agreement it may work out well for the both of you, Just need to have good communications, I have shared stands with other friends over the years and it has worked out very well. We find spots we want to put a stand and help each other hang them. Might give that a try.

[Homunculi]

the past year i was ground hunting only .. this past year i got a stand .. and my "friends" at the archery range have offered to let me hunt their stands while they are not there ... i thanked them for the offer because where i have my stand i am the sole hunter for the property ...

though i am glad they offered .. i do not think i could use their stands the platforms are small and my 12 1/2 boots do not fit on them well

i might feel a little different about hunting someones stand if i was able to let them hunt mine .. plus i do not know their hunting habits and what they do in their stands .. and they do not know mine

as of now i will not hunt a stand that is not mine .. and if i have to change properties and find a new location i sure as hell would not set up on a property line or set up near another stand ...

might be the way i was brought up .. dunno ...

i have a little bit of a problem right now i been the sole hunter of the property for years now and one of the cousins wants to bring his kids to hunt to teach them ... and i been spoiled to be the sole hunter for years ... he is family i know so i just have to suck it up ...

but on the other hand .. a friend of mine just bought some property 3 miles south of my house ... works on F-16s and is traveling a lot ... might be able to get permission there too i have known his father for 35+ years ...

[DEER30]

I have caught others in my stand before and I had no problem at all in running them off. Especially when they did not have permission to be on the property, let alone in my stands. I have also allowed others to hunt my stands in MD because I am not in town often enough any more to hold a claim over them. I do ask that when I am up, that the others do not hunt my stands as I may be in them. as a matter of fact, this past saturday, another hunter spooked 5 deer from under me as he was heading to my stand. When he saw that I was already there, he turned and walked back out. This person, I later found out, did not have permission to be there.

It is pretty rude, disrespectful, and a few other choice words that I won't say here to hunt another's stand without permission. Hanging stands takes a lot of hard work in scouting, selecting a position, and installation. I know I hung mine for myself, friends, and family to use not Joe Smith looking for an easy payday.

To all stand jumpers out there, shame on you!

[JPH]

Here's a twist on the question.

Control of the Iowa farm I have hunted for many years changed hands suddenly and I lost the spot I was to gun hunt two weeks before the season. Some friends have been kind enough to let me on 40 acres that they will not be hunting. It's a one time offer but as serious hunters I know it was a real act of generosity. I met them there last weekend to look around. They showed me the two stands they had there and how to get to them. I prefer to hunt my own stands and feel like I'm cheating if I don't, but when I started talking about places to put my climber, my hosts seemed a little uncomfortable. I let it drop as I had the sense they would rather I not get too comfortable there. For whatever reason, the unspoken message is that they would rather I use their stands and leave mine at home.

So I'm faced with a situation where I've been kindly offered a place to hunt but I have to hunt in stands that I did not put up. It's a weird sensation to me. Anyone have to deal with that?

[Ohio farms]

A friend invites me routinely to hunt with him on some private property in an urban zone. I use one of his tree ladder stands. He also has a standing offer to hunt at my farm using my stands. We both feel that we are guests at each others place. I, personally do not have a problem with it. I wouldn't expect him to bring his own chair if I invited him for dinner, would I?
Now if your concern is the safety of a stand that you did not put up, then I certainly would understand that. I understand the idea that if someone else put up the stand, you really didn't do the work to determine where it should be placed, but you are a guest of a generous person. I'd be grateful for a last minute offer and take advantage of it. Good luck

[Sailfish]

I wouldn't go bonkers if I found someone in my stand, but I certainly would have a discussion, and it would last well past dawn and beyond. Even if it were with myself at the base of the tree my stand sat in.


I'm glad this thread arose.
I recently encountered a happening on my lease with the landowner and I wanted to discuss it with others. Since I have always hunted family land I just don't have a full grasp on leases, hunting and hangin stand and LO's.

This is my second full year on 500 acres (I am the only archery person). I was the newbie. I was allotted an area that was "mine" affectionately known as the "Doe area". I could do whatever and no one else bothered me. My own stands etc etc. Problem is........i've never seen a buck(on camera or live), only does, and were not allowed to shoot them.

I talked to the LO this year about "my area" and the lack of productivity and he did mention again I was the newbie BUT a few fella's dropped out (there are only 4 of us). I asked about this one, well wooded area called the "tiger stand" area and he said yes I could hunt it (Its on the other end of the property) this year as well. I scouted, set up camera, etc found what I needed and hung my own stands (there are MULTIPLE existing stands on the property) and killed a buck opening day (I have one left). He said great job, you might want to save your last deer for rifle (I thought into this and it almost appeared to be a statement not a suggestion...)

I called him last week since opening rifle is this Saturday to see who would be hunting near the tiger stand (just wanted to know who was where etc so I don't walk over or near them on the way to my stuff) and such. He said he borrowed a fella's backhoe for a month and was paying him back by letting him hunt the tiger stand, but he'll show me another area I can go to. I said, uhm, ok, I still have my stands up and I could grab one out of there, and he said yeah you better get them out (if this is only a payback for the fella, why do I have to get them all out? Funny feeling #2) Then as we talk I find out not only is it this fella but its his wife too!! Ok I said, see you Monday.

I get there, he shows me the area no one is hunting, decent area, longer shots than I would like, but within reason. I've seen deer there so no big deal. He points me to an existing stand. I have walked this area and know the woods behind it are thick and there is a now mostly dry crick bed that deer cross and walk down and I mentioned "this is great, I could put something along there". Then he mention another spot and another spot, and one of them is near a small waterhole and I'm like oh yeah this is turning out great!! So I have all these options...........and then at the end of the drive................he just casually states "So we'll see you out in the "doe area" Saturday then" Once again more of a statement than a question.I'm like well what about xxx and he's like yeah, well you won't want to do that with fresh hung stands and all. But he knows darn well I don't have stands up at the "doe area" either and i'd have to move new stuff there!! So i'm in a daze at the moment..........drop him off back at the house and go out to get my stands.

I drive over to the tiger stand where I killed the archery buck and find a freakin feeder hanging in the opening of the trail to my kill spot (freaky bells and whistle #whatever). It appears this couple has now been given the "tiger stand" as there's. WTH happened to me moving up from newbie status???

I got my gear out, went to doe area and set it up.

I get the alleged whole payback backhoe stuff, farmers around here trade alot out, but why offer/show me all my other options yet strongly encourage I hunt elsewhere, I am paying afterall. I have a friend who is his cousin, she said the talk Thanksgiving was of the "newbie" who got the first deer this year (Bells and whistle #??)

He is a SUPER nice man, mind you he's not all "gosh darn gee" and pure of sin, but genuinely a nice fella.
I'm into the whole journey thing not just the destination when it comes to this. I like clearing lanes, scouting, scent control, keeping my presence minimum, moons, all that stuff. Heck I want to do mini-food plots. But if it's just going for naught if I am going to be third-rate it sort of takes the fun out of it for me.

Is this often typical of LO's? Is he trying to please everyone? Spread the wealth (I didn't get one deer last year)? Just taking advantage of the nice guy (me)?
I don't get it.

[JPH]

...if your concern is the safety of a stand that you did not put up, then I certainly would understand that. I understand the idea that if someone else put up the stand, you really didn't do the work to determine where it should be placed, but you are a guest of a generous person. I'd be grateful for a last minute offer and take advantage of it. Good luck

No, it is not a safety issue. It's a good stand in what looks to be a good location. The only stipulations are that I try to take a doe or two and hold off on bucks until I see something I want to put on the wall. That is how I generally operate anyway. I agree it is an enormously generous offer for a group of diehard hunters to let me on, on short notice. I have no intention of complaining or doing anything other than what they want.

My hangup is more about my own stubborn streak. I don't want to feel as if I'm not earning it. I bow hunt another place with a landowner. He always offers his stands to me and I always decline. I respect the opinion of the hunters who run the new place and chances are, had I scouted it myself, I would have put my own stand in that exact tree. I'm already over it. I'm just curious is anyone else feels that way.