Is it ethically OK to put a stand right on a property line? We asked our D&DH Facebook fans this question and the feedback was fairly evenly divided between yes and no, with over 1,000 people who voted. About 20% of voters said yes after speaking with the neighbor, while 33% said yes regardless of if the neighbor likes it or not. Forty-seven percent of voters said no, a stand should be a minimum distance from any property line.
A few voters also took to the comments section to share their opinions.
Casey Henderson
If you’re on your side of the fence and taking shots only on your side, set up wherever you want.
Urie Byler
Growing up on our home farm we had an agreement with our neighbors, they’re allowed to shoot across our line and we’re allowed to shoot across theirs but no crossing the line unless you’re retrieving a deer.
Andy Downs
If you can follow the rules and wait until it crosses the line before shooting like ur supposed to, then NO issue as long as the neighbor knows you may be recovering it from their property, but will NOT shoot onto it! Sometimes the options for hanging a stand may be limited and you have no choice if you want to hunt the area.
Obviously the stand must not be facing the neighbors land either
Jim Willes
While my vote was yes regardless of neighbor, I must also say if you have to track into said private land you are at the mercy of the landowner.
Jesse Holmes
I have 2 ground blinds set fairly close to my property line. The “back” of the blind faces the property line so my shots are into my property. I am fortunate enough that my neighbors don’t care and appreciate the fact that any arrow I shoot will be going into my property.
And yes, this set up has cost me a couple of shots but I would rather have happy neighbors than mad ones.
Jw Sumrall
If its my side of the line I’ll put a stand anywhere I want
Al Hall
Better to shoot away from your neighbor than shoot towards them.
Mike Gosekamp
As a landowner and lifetime hunter I’ve always been curious about the basis for the concern voiced by the NO voters. My neighbor and I communicate frequently and we always hang a piece of blaze orange when we are using blinds close to the fence
In my part of Ky people are protective of their land but seem to get alone fine and friendly if boundaries are respected by folks.
Cantrell Keith Rebecca
As long as your not shooting over on their side should not be a problem
Cheryl Ahlers
My neighbor put a stand a few yards from our dividing fence then complained to me about our neighbor to the east putting a stand near his dividing fence line. Shake my head. I stay clear of hunting near property lines for safety and courtesy.
Daniel Ellie
If its facing your own property, its all good, it may be the only way to play the wind on a trail….use your property
Bedsole Outdoor Adventures
Most states have stipulations. Here are a couple I am aware of:
1- if you personally own the property, you can place the stand right on the property line. However shooting a deer on the neighboring property is prohibited without permission.
2- if the property is leased or rented; the stand must be at least 50ft off the property line.
Zachary Klemp
Why would you only hunt 180 degrees of your property line. Move it off and hunt 360. All sitting on the line does is say I’m hunting the neighbors.
Jim Confer
This is a seriously hot topic, that literally boils down to the relationship you have with that neighbor. There are WAY too many variables to have a cookie cutter, 3 answer selection. It’s a sincerely different conversation when everyone is working together, amicably, versus having neighbors who have 25 of their buddies and family members killing every deer they can kill, on or near the line. Or anti hunter neighbors. Or psycho neighbors who try and sabotage everything they can to ruin my hunts – I had one of these. Or neighbors who kill deer on their side, and track them onto your property consistently without your permission, right through your bedding areas. Or Amish neighbors who won’t hear of you hunting their land, but send 12 unarmed Amish guys into yours, to drive your deer onto their place so they can shoot them – I’ve seen this first hand. If you are blessed with neighbors that you can be friends with, that’s the best case scenario you can expect. Here’s my advice, this goes a long way folks. Talk with your neighbors in late winter, and participate in projects on both your properties, that benefit both your properties, in spring and summer. This gives you both an advantage, allows you to get to know one another personally, and gives you both advantages that would otherwise had gone by the wayside in both properties. Show respect and consideration for them, they’ll return it typically. That breeds a great relationship that will stand the test of time. That’s the best you can do, right there.
Larry Kaiser
Why would you? Find a better place
Conclusion
If there’s one clear takeaway from our poll and the flood of comments, it’s this: hanging a stand on the property line is far from a black-and-white issue for deer hunters. While some hunters feel strongly that “your side is your side,” others believe courtesy, communication, and common sense should set the boundaries long before a stand ever goes up. Many said a good relationship with neighbors can make or break a hunting season, while others pointed out that sometimes terrain, wind, and deer movement leave you with limited options.
Ultimately, the ethics of a property-line stand come down to respecting the law, respecting the line, and respecting the people who share it with you. Good communication — and good neighbors — can turn a potential conflict into a cooperative hunting season. But as this debate shows, where you hang a stand is often just as much about relationships as it is about deer.
