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hunting state wildlife area confusion???

As for those that know me, they can attest that I'm not a very smart guy, but this makes absolutely no sense to me. I'm thinking about hunting a SWA this year and was looking at the reg's where it states:

" It is unlawful to: establish a permanent structure or plant vegetation. Only portable blinds and tree stands for big-game or waterfowl hunting can be erected on SWAs and no earlier than 30 days prior to the season for which they will be used. No nails can be driven into trees. Man-made materials for blinds or stands must be removed within 10 days after the season in which they are used ends. Any other portable blind or tree stand used for any other purpose must be removed at end of the day they are used. The owner’s Customer Identification number and dates of use must be visible on the outside of portable blinds or underside of tree stands. Placement of blinds or stands does not reserve them for personal use, they may be used by the public on first-come, first-served basis."

So, am I to understand that my pop-up blind or my tree stand must be taken down nightly? And that I'm supposed to put my CID and the dates I'm hunting on them?

Um, IF I have to take it down nightly, why do I have to put down the dates I'm hunting? Or do I even have to take them down nightly?

Can anyone shed some light on the intent?

I think the phrase "for any other purpose" is the key. Otherwise why can you put up a treestand 30 days before the season?

If you call the CPW, please let us know all the different answers you receive.

Even a smart guy would have trouble making sense of that pile of gibberish!

To me it reads: "If you're NOT hunting (the 'any other purpose' part) you must take your blind down daily. If you ARE hunting, you can leave the blind up for the dates it allows, but you have to put your name, CID, and the dates on it. AND, take all your trash with you when you're done, AND don't hurt the trees."

I don't use blinds, but if I did I would call the warden(s) whose area you are going to hunt in, to see how he interprets that rule...

And they don't want you to nail up a wooden tree stand like guys did in the old days, you can use screw in steps. I'd suggest using a cable lock to secure a stand from theft and if I wasn't going to be hunting for a few days, I would removed the first several steps, I also would jam some twigs in the holes so next time I get there in the dark, I would know where the holes are so I didn't have to restart a new screw hole. I've gone to just hunting from climbing tree stand last season and like it a lot better if your hunting some place with smaller trees.

Tried calling CPW, held for 30 min and hung up. I'm sure they're pretty busy right now.

oldgoat - great idea on marking screw-in step holes.

JDM, as mentioned above, if your hunting you may put your stand or blind in 30-days prior to opening of season, and remove at end of season as stated in regs.. non-hunters using blinds or stands have to remove daily.

When I'm not in my treestand, I lock the plat form up closed so no one can get into it, and I use quick sticks instead of the screw in type, that way I can take the sticks down if I'm not using for a day or two-much easier than screw in's, but I still put my CID & dates of use per regs., I do this for legal reasons, if someone uses your stand and gets hurt, your liable for that persons injuries because it is your property, not CPW's. If you have a question about that PM me and I'll explain an incident that happen. With a blind I don't leave it up for even a day, had two stolen on the SWA's, and one stand that I had put up a week before season. Best of luck!

The other key phrase is “big game or waterfowl hunting”

Portable blinds or stands used for any other purpose, ie, small game, turkey, non hunting, etc. must be removed daily

If for big game or waterfowl, you can put it up 30 days before the season, removing it no later than 10 days after. Otherwise, yes, remove daily.

U just can't make a permanent stand the never gets taken down . If you use a ladder stand or hang on. You can leave it up for the season but need your ID info on it. And if someone gets in it before you it is theirs to use. I personally like that because people back in the Midwest would put stands up all over the place on public land and never take them down. Then, if you hunted near one they would freak out on you claiming it was "their " spot. Nothing gets under my skin more on public land then that tactic. As if buying a 60 dollar stand just secured someone sole access to some public land. I like that the regs make it clear no one here can play that game.

I once climbed up into an old wood stand in the dark out on the Bob Elliott SWA. Somebody else came along, shined their headlamp up in the tree, saw me, mumbled a profanity, and fumbled around at the base of the big tree for a few minutes before moving on.

When it got light, I could see a couple wads of toilet paper down there... Guess he never got the memo that human elimination doesn't bother deer. Maybe it made him feel better in several ways. ;-O

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