Is it just me? Would you ever?

[Liv2hunt]

Not hunting the early season this year, still finishing up meat from a late January muzzleloader deer. So, today I went to the state woods I hunt to hang my stand for regular season. I hunt a very remote spot, about a mile from the nearest parking. Ive been using the same tree for nearly 10 years and never saw another hunter. I only bow hunt this spot, and last year decided to pull the stand down (a hanger), because I wanted to put it at another location for gun seasons. I left all my steps and hooks, etc.. in the tree, not cheapies either.

Today, there is a stand in the tree, pretty obvious that it has not been used since last year. There is only room for one hunter in this spot. I know its state land, and maybe its just me, but if I found evidence that someone was using that tree, I wouldn't set up there just so I didn't have a hassle while hunting.

Well, I'm not one to take down someone elses stand on state land, but he damn sure isn't using my steps:cool: Besides, I need them for another spot. Turned a one hour trip into 4 hours since I was starting from scratch.

There is a pretty good group of regulars that hunt these woods and we all work together as best we can, we all meet at the parking area afterwards, help on tracks/drags and try not to interfere with each other. Maybe its me, but there is a difference between what you have a right to do and what's right to do.

I'm pretty sure I know the type of person that did it and I'll bet the Jack*** will actually be mad when he finds out that he has to hike back out and buy 15 steps in order to use his stand:p I can only hope its opening morning of shotgun season:D

Sorry for the rant...aggravating day.

[bigolebuck]

I don't blame you, actually I would have done the same thing probably even more. I wouldn't worry about it that much even though you have been hunting there for 10 years now!
Maybe that just means that there is another spot out there that is better than the old one. I have 3 different zone that I hunt, all within 5-10 miles that I have stands in... I jump around, it is never good to over hunt a specific area...

Anyways Good Luck!

[PhilCVG]

I would have taken the steps also. It is people like this that make me wonder.

[R & R]

Still your steps but you know some ppl. have 10+ set ups on state land. Most likly the guy has been watching the spot & when u took down your stand he felt he could move in. Just leave a note with a phone # before you start call fellow hunters Jack@&*.
We hunt a small wma & have a spot that if the guys hunting it miss a year we are moveing in.

[Liv2hunt]

R&R, its not that I'm laying claim to this spot...It is state land and I know that. But, I didn't just stumble on it either, it came from many hours/years of getting to know the movements until I fine tuned this trail location. I've maintained the shooting lanes for years. If I didn't leave 15 steps, bow and bag hooks in that tree and walked in today to find that someone beat me to it....no problem, my bad. The name calling comes from someone being a lazy azz and using my stuff. No work involved, no cutting lanes, just climb up, hang a stand and poof, instant spot. No homework to do, must be good because this guy left his stuff here for next year.

I have another location in the same WMA....removed all my stuff 2 years ago, someone moved in the next year...no problem, even though I wanted to hunt it again, too bad for me. He never used it for some reason(I marked his bow string), but I still would never step in it, Just not right to me to use his stuff.

It is what it is...state land, minimal courtesy

[Drenalin1]

It is so nice to know guys like R & R are in the woods.. Welcome to NJ:nuts:

[ganggreen]

I'm with R&R on this one. The guy probably thought you moved on.

[SNJBOWHUNTER]

How could he have thought he moved on and left steps and hooks in the tree. :naughty:

["String Music"]

R & R....The guy left his stuff and steps in the tree! Who the heck leaves steps and other stuff in the tree that doesn't expect to hunt in it! I dont care if its public land...There are ethics amongst hunters that should be followed...You dont hunt someone elses stand...Now I know that you will go off on your soap box about no one has the right to lay claim to a certian area and so on....But if you dont hunt with a climber how the hell are you supposed to hunt without leaving your stand and stuff in the tree? The guy obviously took down his stand because a stand looks obvious in a tree and could be stolen...He left his steps and stuff in the tree so he could come back next year and just throw up his stand....If I were to walk into a wooded section and thought I found a tree that looked good but somebody had tree steps in the tree and there bag left up in it...I would count it as a loss and move on! Or am I just the only sane person thinking that?:nuts:

[meatonastick]

R & R:p all I have to say is WOW.

[George Ackley]

Can you Nj guys use steps and hooks on public land???????
And are you aloud to leave them in a tree when you leave ???
You dont have to remove every thing from public land when you leave???

[ganggreen]

well then, shame on him for being lazy and leaving his stuff in the tree all season.

["String Music"]

well then, shame on him for being lazy and leaving his stuff in the tree all season.

Its not about being lazy....Why would you take down all your steps and stuff if you have been hunting it for 10 years...Most people I know will take down their stand and leave their steps in the tree....The reason you take your stand down is because it is more obvious to see in a tree and better chance of getting stolen! Wether you agree or disagree with him for leaving the steps in the tree or not...You hafta agree that climbing a tree using someone elses steps and hanging a stand in that tree is un-ethical!

[Liv2hunt]

well then, shame on him for being lazy and leaving his stuff in the tree all season.

Hardly:rolleyes:, I don't even now where to start. Its state land, damned if you do, damned if you don't take or leave your stuff. Equipment stolen or spot taken....pick one, its a shame.

Lazy..Ha, the only thing I want from bowhunting is to not be bothered and be alone. I work very hard at it and walk in farther than most, even mountain bike in the get away from the crowds. Its not easy on state land, in the most populated state, but so far what i've been doing has worked. I forgo and pass by many better locations, just so I can get away from the competition.

As for someone "watching" this spot and waiting, no way. At least not by someone who located it based on deer movement. They even hung there stand with their back to the main trail that always produces deer. Any bozo could have found it if they took 5 minutes to scout around a bit.

Hell, I don't even have a problem with someone using it after I left...I wasn't going to use it for the gun seasons anyway. But if I found the location and just had to use it, because the 15,000 other trees in the WMA weren't good enough, I would have removed the other equipment and put it in a burlap bag at the base of the tree with a note explaining that I thought you moved on.

What it boils down to for me is that now I have to either abandon what I've learned about the area or deal with someone who is going to have an attitude and possibly spoil a hunt for me because he is mad that I caused him more work:confused: I would never put myself in that position and can't understand why anyone else would.

I know the place well enough that I know each person by their boot prints, no kidding. I am very observant and use every bit of evidence to my advantage, wether it be left by deer or humans. This has every indication of someone, probably a small gamer, finding the location by accident and throwing up a stand for gun season, with the mind set that it would be alot easier to use it than do their own scouting and set up.

To some of you, Thanks, glad to see some support of ethics. Its like I said in the original post, there is a difference between what you have a right to do and what's right to do.

[Capt. Paul]

Liv2hunt, People that do that stuff are not cool. The only problem is they have the right to be! Not that I would do that, but it is public land and no one has the right to claim a spot! I hate saying that, but it's the truth. We really should not leave are stands in the woods and assume that it means it's our spot, even though thats the way we feel, me included. just because you build a blind on the public wetlands doesn't mean it's your pond and no one can ever use that pond but you. I've had people come in to a piece of woods I hunt and put up a seat 30yds. from me, I don't know what the hell these people think, but it is a pain dealing with that mentality. You could place a seat right next to him being you know where the deer come from and cut him off, maybe he would get the hint!:fight: Good luck!

[phnagel]

I hunt a small wma in woolwich. The first year i hunted there the co told me that i could not leave a stand in the tree. Had to take it with me when i left each day. Told me he could issue a ticket.

[R & R]

R & R....The guy left his stuff and steps in the tree! Who the heck leaves steps and other stuff in the tree that doesn't expect to hunt in it! I dont care if its public land...There are ethics amongst hunters that should be followed...You dont hunt someone elses stand...Now I know that you will go off on your soap box about no one has the right to lay claim to a certian area and so on....But if you dont hunt with a climber how the hell are you supposed to hunt without leaving your stand and stuff in the tree? The guy obviously took down his stand because a stand looks obvious in a tree and could be stolen...He left his steps and stuff in the tree so he could come back next year and just throw up his stand....If I were to walk into a wooded section and thought I found a tree that looked good but somebody had tree steps in the tree and there bag left up in it...I would count it as a loss and move on! Or am I just the only sane person thinking that?:nuts:
Sane person?????? """"Just leave a note with a phone # before you start call fellow hunters Jack@&*.""""" I think this was the most sane suggestion.

[R & R]

I hunt a small wma in woolwich. The first year i hunted there the co told me that i could not leave a stand in the tree. Had to take it with me when i left each day. Told me he could issue a ticket.
He lied or you heard him wrong.

[JJV79]

Not sure that it's legal to use screw in steps on state land in NJ, let alone leave them in a tree. If they've been left there long enough maybe the person assumed the site had been long abandoned since everything would have looked old.

[Liv2hunt]

I hunt a small wma in woolwich. The first year i hunted there the co told me that i could not leave a stand in the tree. Had to take it with me when i left each day. Told me he could issue a ticket.

He's wrong, the only thing I ever found on the books is listed under WMA regulations, which states no cutting or damaging vegetation. I believe there are no perminent duck blinds allowed on certain WMAs also.

Some of you guys are reading to much into this and throwing alot of maybe this and maybe that into it. I to am making some assumptions that may or may not be right about the guy who hung the stand. It was aggravating, right or wrong. If I wind up having a conflict with him because I removed my steps, then I'll know my assumptions were right. If not and perhaps I bump into this guy and find out its a misunderstanding, so be it, I'm big enough to admit my wrongs.

R&R, why is just my responsability to leave the note, might have been nice to find a note when I got there..."Hey buddy, not sure if your still using this, didn't see anyone here for a month after the stand dissappeared, call me..." A note like that and I would have told him to turn the stand around so he could see the deer trail:D

Time will tell, we're just beating a dead horse now

[JJV79]

Anyway, good luck with your next spot. Keep checking he may just move on.

[yobuck]

I'm trying to comprehend this and having trouble one side believes if he leaves tree steps and hooks in a tree that entitles him to the tree for life until he removes the steps/hooks etc on public property...

The individual that put his stand in the tree that had steps and hooks is unethical...

This is sad behavior among sportsman/woman
I truly hope you guys can work this out.

[BUCKSHOT]

Ask no questions punch him in the mouth lol

[Flintlock]

Common Sense!!!! It is just common sense that if you see steps and other items left in a tree, it is pretty safe to assume someone is hunting it. Shooting lanes cut in the brush that haven't grown over, obviously means that someone is maintaining the area. State land or not, it's just common sense!!!! Move on to another area, because if you see activity, there is a good chance someone is using the area. Move on, find another spot! It was clearly the work of someone who was being lazy and figured he scored a good spot without the hassle. If I came across a stand like that I wouldn't want to hunt it because when you are in the tree at 5AM and someone comes in to get in the stand you are now in, then an argument starts and hunting is done for the day anyway. Very non-productive if you ask me, a little common sense goes a long way!!!:please:

[ganggreen]

hunt private land, problem solved

[PhilCVG]

hunt private land, problem solved

Yeah and heck so much of it exist in southern NJ why would anyone hunt public?

:confused: :D

[BuckHammer43]

Here's a suggestion for you - when you start down the tree, fold the stand so it is not so obvious and take out the steps lower than 10'. I use strap-on steps and it's fairly easy.

It doesn't stop 'em, but it sure slows 'em down. :thup:

[Liv2hunt]

Here's a suggestion for you - when you start down the tree, fold the stand so it is not so obvious and take out the steps lower than 10'. I use strap-on steps and it's fairly easy.

It doesn't stop 'em, but it sure slows 'em down. :thup:

Great advice, I always did it, but I guess after so many years undisturbed, I became complacent. The steps that were in the tree were API Skyhooks
136
For years, I would carry the first 6 in with me...But on this stand I just tightened the bolts down.:rolleyes:

But for the new location, there are 6 in my truck;)

Its a shame API stopped making them, great product:thup: When I heard they were stopping, I bought up all I could find.

[jacktyler 820]

Listen, if your in the woods and you come across a spot that has steps in the tree leave it alone. Find yor own spot the guy may have had a problem with his stand or didnt want to leave it. I've had a few stands stolen that were chained, if everyone had a little more respect for the next guy maybe you'd be shotin the big ones to.

[bigolebuck]

I cant believe there are still guys who use screw in steps! They are the most dangerous way to get in and out of your stand! The only reason I say this is because I had a friend who was getting out of his stand one evening slipped and fell and got a screw in under the arm pit and almost bled to death.. He nearly hung 15' off the ground for 2 hrs..

[theBassman_nj]

I have hunted public land for years in NJ. If you take the time and find a good spot you need to put a stand on it. I have had stands stolen on public land. If you do not hang a stand someone else will. Then you will feel bad hunting in that area if they put a bait pile. If you put up a stand in public land you do not own that area but it is wrong to climb in some one elses treestand and hunt over their bait.
theBassman_nj

[David599]

I leave my stuff in the woods all year round. I hunt off the beaten path. However, I've come across many stands, even two feeders and a trailcam. I leave it alone. Just because its on state land, or private land, or military land, its not yours. It still not yours when nobody is looking.

Ive had guys come in next to me and at times have come next to other guys, by accident. Easy to move off a little bit.

And even though I've had a few things stolen, Im still not going to rationalize and think its ok to retaliate...

early on, about 18 Years old, I had one fit of anger. I had a lock on with steps (screw in) and orange ribbons to my stand. Somebody ahd removed my steps, and taken all the ribbons off. It was a bad move advertising but before light tacks... public land...

I had trouble finding my stand, but I did and it was locked on so he didnt get that. I just couldnt get to it as he took the steps...

Without a place to sit, I walked around reconning the area. It turns out this guy had built a mini tree fort out of wood in the woods, maybe 150 yards away. He could have left me a note, I would have gladly moved..... he may have been there before me... not sure... what he did was steal the steps and take my ribbons... it was hard to find at that time... I found a pile of my ribbons at the base of his tree fort...

He expected to hunt his stand opening morning. I went to the woods with a friend, and I was deep but my buddy was closer to the fort... and he heard a lot of cursing that morning I can tell you...

but in general I tolerate a lot and dont want to argue with anybody in the woods and we need to work together as a group...