I am just courious how long do you leave them up for? In some states, on public land I know that if you leave your treestand up for a perior of time, after hunting season. They become porperity of the forest service or public property for anyone who finds them and there are no laws against taking them (stealing them). Don't you worry about people stealing them even if they are on private property? I have had my tree steps stolen over a elk wallow stand in the middle of elk season. I thought it had been a joke from my hunting partners because the stand was located several miles in the backcountry, and it was not locked onto the tree. Maby who ever took the steps thought it was too far to pack out the stand? I now lock every stand no matter where it is.