Tree Stand Ettiquette
Connecticut
So I found a new spot of state land last week that looks pretty good. While scouting I came across about a dozen tree stands within a mile. Every time I found a spot to put a stand up there was already at least one there. Is it wrong to put up a stand in an area that is already claimed? How far away should I set up mine without causing a problem? Thanks for any input.
I wouldnt set up there just for the simple fact that theres already tons of hunting pressure there. On state land i look for the hard to reach spots where im the only one crazy enough to drag a deer that far. Deer go where they feel secure. A dozen treestands and associated hunters dont give them that secure feeling. But its state land so you have the same right to hunt there as they do.
"Claimed" on state land is bogus.
If the other hunter is on his stand when you get there, yeah, don't get any closer than, say forty yards.
IMHO, they should only allow climbers on state land, problem solved.
Do the stands look active? Do they have a permit number attached if on water company property? Understand why they setup there and move at least 100 yards in the bedding or feeding areas direction. Make it difficult for you.
PUBLIC LAND.
Only a twit would set up right on top of another hunter, but it takes a special kind of _____________ to park a stand in a spot and expect the rest of the world to avoid a promising area. I've even heard tales of guys who set out a whole bunch of stands they have no intention of hunting just to pressure other folks into leaving an area that they want for themselves.
If you're really willing to go out of your way to accommodate another hunter, that's big of you, but as mentioned, you should check out those other stands to see how many of them are actually in usable condition... I hunted a patch of state land one year in ML and (until I got a good distance from the access point(s), I was never out of bow range of at least two stands, and I could usually look around and see at least a dozen. Then I checked 'em out and they were all widowmakers; rusty metal, rotten straps, peeling paint....
I'm not too keen on the idea of avoiding an area just because somebody else might want to hunt there this week, but avoiding an area because somebody left their stand to rot 10 years ago just doesn't seem like it's helkping anybody.
And with all that said....
It kind of depends. If you've scouted and followed the tracks and read the terrain and you figure out that "this" is a good spot to hunt, then hunt it (unless you arrive to find somebody there already, and if light permits, you should be checking that stand from a good distance through your binocs). OTOH, I'm pretty sure that some people are not above "scouting" an area just by looking for other hunters' stands and setting up on top of an area that someone else has basically pointed out to them by attempting to stake a claim to it.
JMO, those kinds of people deserve each other....
I agree Bill, bogus. They shouldn't be allowed for many reasons. I like to hang a stick on the ladder or footpeg to see if the stand is being used. It's surprising how many don't get touched all season. I see some in the same spot for years without being used at all, just pretty much abandoned. Safety risk, littering, and just being a special kind of.......
Hunt away... Have a plan b in case someone is there when u r
Some of these are old and some are newer. One has spikes driven into a tree for steps so I don’t think they intend to take it down. I hope to get some time in there tomorrow to look around for foot traffic in the snow. Not much time left to hunt there this year but I’m trying to plan for next year. I did find one area that is thick And knarly and didn’t see any stands but found a lot of sign. I guess that would be a good place to start.
Put yours up and hunt with snow on the. Ground you should know who is using what
All fair game, just stay out of others stands, had three clowns sitting in my stand this year when I got to them. One guy tried arguing with me that first come first served applied, lol aholes
"One guy tried arguing with me that first come first served applied"
Well, actually, it DOES.... though you would be entirely within your rights to take YOUR stand and hunt somewhere else.
You own the equipment, but not the tree, so JMO, you were each about half-right.
The way the state looks at it, if you leave a stand on public land, and it's not occupied, it's fair game for anyone to use.
You guys are class acts. With Thousands of acres of state forest throughout the state why would you sit in another hunters stand or setup on top of him. Pretty poor ethics. Plenty room in forest to find an area for yourself. If someone already found a promising spot & set a stand give him space. Theres nothing wrong with someone putting fixed stands on stateland. Alot of guys dont have access to private & if not hard enough to find a good area on state they gotta worry about some clown setting on top of them or sitting in there stand. I have never sat in someones stand let alone hunt on top of them. I go find a different area. Guess its ok to steal there stands & cams too. After all its on state property & you have a right to help yourself to them as well
I've hunted state land my entire life and the ONLY time I left my stand in the woods it was hidden in the brush, not handing from a tree. I did this to avoid having to lug it in out on the long hikes to the stand.
If I was still hunting and come across a great looking run, followed it to a bedding/feeding area and when it came to picking a stand location found someone else stand there I would do one of two things.
(1) check out the stand - if it's old and the tree is growing about it, I'm putting my stand up when I arrive in the morning. (2) if it looks like it's new, I find another spot. I hate being near anyone else, just ruins the hunt for me.
With that said, I don't think anyone should be hanging stands on state land and leaving them in the trees. I'd like the state to pass a law stating that, then we'd avoid these discussions.
TC "You guys are class acts. With Thousands of acres of state forest throughout the state why would you sit in another hunters stand or setup on top of him. Pretty poor ethics. Plenty room in forest to find an area for yourself. If someone already found a promising spot & set a stand give him space. Theres nothing wrong with someone putting fixed stands on stateland. Alot of guys dont have access to private & if not hard enough to find a good area on state they gotta worry about some clown setting on top of them or sitting in there stand. I have never sat in someones stand let alone hunt on top of them. I go find a different area. Guess its ok to steal there stands & cams too. After all its on state property & you have a right to help yourself to them as well"
I take it you didn't excel in reading comprehension.
"The way the state looks at it, if you leave a stand on public land, and it's not occupied, it's fair game for anyone to use."
UHHH, I've got to see that in writing, before I believe it.
IMHO, carry it in and carry it out each hunt. If you stash it, you do so at your own risk. Stolen tree stands are not stolen if you abandon them in public areas.
If I can't hunt from my own stand, because someone else is sitting in it, he would be my audience as I play my harmonica, and I know a lot of tunes, that I don't mind repeating.
"Plenty room in forest to find an area for yourself. If someone already found a promising spot & set a stand give him space."
What if you found it before he did, but you just didn't think to try and stick a big "RESERVED" sign on it because it's PUBLIC LAND and you wanted other hunters to be able to hunt that place just as readily as you yourself could... because only an __________ would claim a reserved seat???
Because if your point is that a guy who is NOT willing to be an ass regarding public ground should somehow be obligated by "etiquette" or "ethics" to leave it unmolested for someone who IS an ass....
I disagree.
Carry out what you carry in...on a DAILY basis not seasonal or worse-never.
Been down this road many times. Lets just say for argument sake I'm rich but wanna hunt state land. I buy and place 500 loc on tree stands. This whole pc. of state land is mine. Move on and find your own area.
Lots of good points. That said, Wild Bill nailed it to me... Yes, occasionally I still use a fixie on state land... but overall, a rule where it was climbers or "stand must come and go every hunt" would solve this problem well.
Here's what I would lay money on.
The guys saying "it's ok to leave a stand on state land and others should find another place to hunt" are probably doing it or have done it in the past.
The guys saying "first come first serve, put yours up along side his or use his" are the guys carrying in and out each time.
There's a spot I hunt, state land of course, and last year there were a couple of stands and game cameras within a couple hundred yards of where I was hunting. Didn't know it was there until I still hunted late in the season. This year, there are 2 tree stands in a different area I've hunted, but I don't see anyone else in there. I hate being near other hunters, so I always look for another spot.
Thanks for the opinions. The state land I usually hunt has very few hunters to deal with so I’m not used to sharing spots. Lol. This spot must be pretty good with this many stands on it. I guess I will need to ask Santa for a climber.
