Skopia

So my question is this. What do you guys do? Do you let these people move you out of your area? Do you pull your stand after each use? Do you abandon stands and use natural ground blinds?
Today, after church, I went for a walk and locked in 2 lock on stands that I have on private property. Been hunting there for about 8 years. I have never locked a stand in nor taken the last 4-5 pegs out because I was on private property and never saw a need. Things have changed now I guess.

gregrn43

I reckon I'm one of the lucky ones. My cabin is located 1 mile from the highway. Have to unlock a gate at the hwy drive 3/4 mile to another gate and then a quarter to the cabin. The north and west boundary is bordered by a Wildlife management area and its over a mile to the nearest road from there. The south boundary is owned by a person who does not allow hunting. Only have a family group who hunts the east side and there nice folks never have any problems with them. Its back in the sticks.

Semisane

We've been lucky too. Our hunting club campground is only two hundred yards off of a blacktop highway, with a pipe gate at the highway. We have nine shacks/campers there and lots of gear. Some of the guys even leave their 4-wheelers there during the hunting season. Nothing has "walked" in the ten years we've been there.

cayugad

I would not let anyone move me off my hunting property. Even if I had to change the manner in which I hunt. Maybe I have to go to a environment made ground blind instead of a store purchased one. Well then so be it. But I would still be hunting there.

The overall character of the "hunter" has changed. Gone are the days that when we met a hunter in the woods, all were friendly and cooperative and understood if they were putting pressure on another hunter. A total stranger would even help you drag out sometimes. There was no vandalism to cars, or threating notes left on windshields. It was have a chat with a stranger, maybe a cup of coffee, some good wishes and we hunted. Now its more of a take what you can, its my woods, and to heck with the other hunters.

driftrider

I wonder if a lot of that has to do with the QDMA/Trophy hunter mentality that is so pervasive today. Maybe folks used to value the act of hunting, but now they only care about the product of it. As a result, instead of seeing other hunters as kindred spirits enjoying the same passtime, they see them as competitors for the "big bucks" that they feel they deserve. Maybe I'm way off base here, but I see what you see with some folks, and most of the real ***holes are the ones who seem to care only about the antlers.

This is another reason for me to teach my kids that the value of hunting is in the hunt itself, regardless of the outcome. Big racks are the icing, not the cake.

Mike

Gotbuck

If they are shooting deer here is what Missouri is doing and have caught a great number of idiots shooting from roads. They set up deer decoys made by the University of Missouri that have remote control and move their heads tails, etc and film these guys shooting at the decoys. Here is the link

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...rch_type=&aq=f

It does suck to see what is happening nowadays but wardens are out there and like you said they have to get caught first. We have a lot of spotlighting around here and there are reports of wardens getting the upper hand as spotlighting is fairly easy to see and apprehend someone at night. If you get a trailcam they do make some that have an infrared sensor and do not flash so that maybe a possiblility for you. Other than being on the stand each day to catch these bums there is nothing that can be done unless you know the art of boobytraps which could be another way to capture the idiots, you could claim it was for hunting and I'm sure the game warden would agree.

driftrider

Setting a booby trap is an instant felony if someone gets hurt and/or trapped (kidnapping/false imprisonment). Get evidence and let law enforcement take care of it.

Mike

Gotbuck

Yea, boobytrapping could be wrong considering these SOBS would probably sue for getting hurt on land they trepassed on and would win in court nowadays.

WV Mountaineer

Just prior to the opening of our deer season here in WV I drove about 30 miles to a shooting range in Va. to sight in my rifle. Once I arrived the gate was closed with a sign that read closed due to vandalism. I then had to drive back to another shooting range located in my home state of WV. Once I arrived there the range was open but it looked like a trash dump with targets littering the ground every where. As hunters we take a stand against those who threaten our right to hunt yet It angers me to see these same people who call themselves sportsmen destroy what true sportsmen have fought to have and enjoy.

WV Mountaineer

bronko22000

You're not alone. I had a friend get his tree stand and ladder sticks stolen this year. The hunting ethincs of the younger hunters today is horrid. I would really like to put an old fashion bear trap a the base of my tree by my ladder and just wait for someone to try and steal it. It would probably stop them but then I would probably get sued.
As for poachers, I don't agree with the statement that "well if they need it for food....." Nonsense. Its flat out illegal...period. Haven't they ever heard of food for the hungry? Heck, I just gave 1/2 of my deer to my cousin becaue he can't hunt anymore. And gave some to my mother. I just kept a some steaks, about 5 lb of burger and 3 roasts.