RE: Does this sound ethical to you!
i would find another place to hunt, possibly some other land. then i would go to the claim jumpers ladder stand the day before opening day. next i would drop trousers and take a healthy dump at the foot of his ladder stand and lightly cover it with leaves.
this way when he walks in to his stand before light, he won't see his surprise. he'll step in it, climb his ladder and realized what he stepped in. knowing this, he won't have any choice but climb back down (using his hands) where he previously stepped tracking his surprise all over his hands. but this is just what i would do.