It sounds like a rather silly law, but it all started when some rube decided he could sit in someone else’s tree stand without asking … and then getting all bent out of shape when the owner showed up to hunt and told him to get out.

In an overwhelming vote of 34-15 the Iowa Senate this week passed a law that will require public-land deer hunters to affix metal nameplates to their tree stands when leaving those stands on public ground.

The bill was introduced by Sen. Mark Segebart (R). He said he introduced the legislation when he received a call from a constituent who said he showed up in the woods on opening day of deer season and found someone else sitting in his stand. This led to an exchange where the other man initially refused to leave. It is legal in Iowa for public-land hunters to leave their stands in the woods overnight.

However, what’s more odd is that the non-owner was legal in his choice to climb to and hunt from the tree stand. Iowa’s public-land deer hunting regulations is written that the law states that any hunter can use a tree stand if it is left in the woods overnight. In other words, if you hang a stand, you had better beat others to it, otherwise they can legally hunt from it. 

According to the new law, hunters will be required to affix metal tags or plates to their stands if they are to leave them in the woods overnight. The plate must include the hunter’s hunting license number. Hunters who do not place tags or plates to their stands will be subject to a $20 fine.

What the new law does prevent, however, is liability lawsuits. According to the Iowa law, by hanging ownership tags on their stands, hunters cannot be held liable if another hunter is injured while using that stand.