Lost Another Stand...
 

Well we went out today to do some fine tuning and make sure everything was cool for the uncoming season and apparently someone thought my API climber would be better off with them... That's the second one I lost in 2 seasons but 2 different areas... I guess I should know better then to leavethem in the woods, but why to do people have F$#$#% with things that aren't thiers... Really gets me going...

Anyway just wanted to vent... At least it was now, instead when I take off work on the only day(so far)with the perfect wind and you creap through the new snow for 45 minutes to slip in on a big buck, and it's GONE... That'll get ya going...

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

That's a real bummer dude.

Gotta ask though, have you learned your lesson yet?:)
Thats gotta be a little expensive replacing stands every season.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

thats a bummer... sorry to hear about that

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

If you feel like chancing it again, and you are far in enough to not have to worry about someone bringing a set of 6' boltcutters, I wuld suggest that you lock them off witha steel cable and "cut-resistant" lock.

Here's what a cousin of mine does:
Get either a premade rubber-coated steel cable with loop ends at least 1/4" thick, or if you know anyone who has a cable crimper make one and sheath it with an old bicycle inner tube. Loop that around the tree and thru the stand and lock it up with a boltcutter-resistant padlock. They are a bit more money and not perfect but you can find them at Home Depot, etc. Just use a flap of rubber to protect it from weather and hid it so it doesn't glare in sunlight. It isn't perfect, and someone who really wants it can come back with a hacksaw and get it off with some work, but it'll keep them from being disappeared by anyone who just happens by.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I went out last year early one morning looking for the tree my stand was in and when i got to the spot i thought my stand was i found they cut my hole tree down!I took a lot of good deer out of that tree.:(

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

Now that was somebody who really wanted your stand, or for you to stop hunting there........

If anybody NEEDS my stand bad enough to cut down the whole d@mn tree to get one, I'll give them the d@amn stand.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

And to think, this is fellow hunters taking stands. That alone boils my blood. I've been fortunate enough not to have a stand stolen. Each time I go to my stands and see them still there I still feel relieved. I hunt private ground and have exclusiveness to the area however, it wouldn't be the first time I had to "ask" someone to leave the property. I think it's a matter of time and I'll wear out some tires looking for the theif.

I can't tell you how many stands I've stumbled across while hunting other mutual properties and it's never crossed my mind to steal the stand. What a low life.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

Not sure I've learned my lesson or not, I still have 7 stands on that piece of property alone... But it may not be a bad idea to get some Cables for them... At least keep an honest man honest...

Yeah it really does suck that a "Fellow Hunter" is the one stealing them... But as we all know there are "Low-Lifes" in every profession and sport...

I to Rob, have come across a many of stands even ones not supposed to be on the property but I would NEVER Steal it just for that fact that I wouldn't want someone to take mine... Guess that Karma doesn't work that way...

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

i've been fortunate enough to never have a stand stolen from me, but i have seen a few people hunting out of my own stands. When that happens, i bring out my deep voice and say HEY I Want To Talk With You. That seems to work because both times the guys in my treestandjumped down that ladder and ran off as if the devil was on there tail.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I had one stand stollen last year.It was within 100 yards of the landowners house.He will no longer give permission for anyone else to hunt on that property.As far as he is concerned they took it from him.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

Man sorry to hear that, thats a real bummer.

Ive had several stands stolen over the years. I wish one time we would hear a story where someone actually caught a theif/thieves in the act of stealing and got some payback for all of us.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I had a fixed hangon stand stolen in Phila, that was 18 feet up a tree without the steps. I went home for lunch & returned 1 hour later the stand was gone,

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

part two:

I've never had one stolen, nor would I steal one myself, but I have found someone elses stand on our private property a few times in the past.
(one SOB had it on one of the trees with the "posted" sign AND you could see they were using spikes to climb it) Those will be taken down and left tied to the tree with rope and a sign saying "next time I find your stand on my property, it's mine". (the one on the posted tree, I found the sign torn down and the stand put back up. That tree got wrapped over 4'with barbed wire about 8' from the gound, the standwas takenand a note left saying "now if you want it back you canask the Chief for it at the boro building")

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

sorry yo hear that dude. alot of stands get take here in my area as well!!

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

i have in the past lost many stands ., and they were on privite land that buts upagainst public land.,i learned my lessen., stands go in with me and out with me now ., and i had them paddlelocked also .,

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

oh p.s. i even had one stolen the day before bear hunting ., ahhhhhhhh[:@]., i feel for ya., i know what your going thru ., and this is a sore subject for me ., i have not ., nor would i ever take anybodys stuff.,

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

With the exception of not having a stand stolen, I agree with everything Rob wrote. I unfortunately experienced this sickening feeling last November...

My last trip to Bass Pro, I found that they sell rubber-coated Masterlocks all keyed alike in three packs fairly cheaply, as well as the steel cables which go along with them. At least it would force someone to really put a lot of work into it, and probably come back a second time carrying bolt cutters to getthe stand.

I feel, like Rob, it's probably other hunters (most assuredly it is) that are just moving through the area and take the opportunity that's presented on their initial pass-through. I was really ticked last time because I had some of those really expensive Cranford steps which can be removed and leave the lag bolt in the tree. No one got any of those, but it meant someone had to have had a climber with them to go up and get my hang-on stand, which absolutely verifies that it was another hunter!!!! Scumbag.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I hada stand stolen from me and it was locked to a tree with the first few foot steps removed. people are scum.and I felt raped. But What I don't understand is I went to a climber after that so I could take it with me. Why did you leaveyours in the woods after thefirst time?

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

2 questions.

1) Why did you buy a climber to leave in the woods?
2) How did you get down?

Sorry to hear about your stands.Theft is getting morecommon around here, anymore I buy the cheapest loc on stands I can get, and spend extra on the locks. One thing I use, and its not fool proof, is conduit hangers. I use a 2 hole conduit hanger, put 2 three inch lag bolts through the bracket holes and secure it around the seat tubing to the tree. Its not perfect, but most theives don't carry a socket set with them. Plus, it makes the stand very secure to the tree.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

That happened to a guy up in my area. So he wrote a letter to the paper telling the person who took his stand that he forgot one thing. That there was also a deer cam in the same area and he got all kinds of picts of the person taking the stand. He also said that if the guy returned the stand to a certain area he would not press charges. He gave him a certain amount of time to return the stand. If he didnt he would turn the picts into the police and have the guy arrested for theft. Well the guy returned the stand to the place and within the right amount of time. Best part was...............there was no cam. I talked to the guy and he said, what could it hurt to try? So he got his stand back by bluffing...........something you might want to try.......

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I hate when that happens!!!!!!!!![:@]I've had a lone wolf hang on and a API super baby stolen before. It makes you wish you had a trail cam hidden away. I never leave mine now. And this was on MY PROPERTY!!! If I ever catch someone doing it, I'll flip tha frucgg out for sure. It makes you want to run electrcity thru them. That would be sweet!

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I hear enough about stolen stands so that when I use them, I'm either in them or they are locked in my truck. Sad.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I believe Mr. George W. Bush said it best... "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice... uh... err... you can't get fooled again."

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

An API climber can easily be locked to a tree...Remove the pins that go into the chain, and replace with 4 long shank locks...If they take it they have to either cut down the tree, or cut the chain that is part of the strand...I too had a API Baby Grand stolen...once...

PS...I had a feeder stolen also....But, I knew who had taken...it took methree years before he cleaned out his shed...The sheriff returned my feeder...

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I had an experience with a lazy thief. My buddy and I left the woods for a couple of hours for lunch. When he got back to his stand his canvas bag that he left buried in some leaves at the base of the tree was gone. In the bag was extra steps, some rope, and a small pruning saw. The theif never touched the steps in the tree or the stand itself. I know he was lucky that his stand was still there, but even the smaller value of the stolen items had me pissed off big time.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

Stand theives should be strung up by their nads! It has to be one of the worse things hunting related that can be done to you.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I had one stolen, last year. I had hunted out of it, ONCE.

I had a good idea who took it......and my son WAS friends with both of the "suspects". They didn't know the stand was mine, but that's beside the point. I just told my son......that if they knew ANYTHING about my stand missing .....they should let me know, now.....or that I would prosecute them (yeah, I know.....but they're young).

I went back to the woods the next morning.....just "on a hunch".....and my stand was back up......steps and all.....down to my tow rope wrapped around the rung on the steps. It was perfect.

Nobody ever admitted exactly who did it.......but I got a letter from one of the suspects......that told me (I just know) it wasn't him. I found out later....it was the other one.

I have exclusive permission to hunt my area....and the landowner told me in no uncertain terms.....to take down ANY stand if I were to find someone trespassing. I'll oblige....after consulting with him.....but I don't see this as ever being an issue.

Jeff

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I write on my stands and steps. "Please don't steal this stand, I work hard too. If you want to hunt here please call 475-XXXX, Thank you" Seems to work, haven't had one swiped that was wrote on yet. Have lost a few before that though.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I write this ever year, but maybe I can find time to follow through with it this year.

We need to each pettion our states to take the hunting rights away from any individual caught stealing a stand...PERIOD.

2 years first offense
Lifetime second offense.

With the advent of low cost (concealed) cameras, we may be on the verge of finally being able to catch these SOB's.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

Orion.....

I've been saying it since last year....

THE GREATEST trail cam picture of all......will be the first time someone catches a thief stealing a stand.

Please, God.....

Jeff

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I heard someone in the sports shop talking about they had a pic of someone that backed thier truck up to a feeder and stood in the bed and unhooked it and stole it, even had the license plate in the picture.... I'll have to ask the shop owner if he knows where I can find that picture... I'm sure someone has to have one.... That would be Awesome though...

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I've been fortunate and never had one stolen. But I think about it everytime I want to leave on in the woods. Unfortunately, I rarely leave one set up because I don't want to loose it. And this puts me at a disadvantage.
It is a real shame that unethical hunters steel from us ethical ones. Although its not just hunters doing it. I know of one person that had a stand stolen off of thier property by a non-hunting neighbor. The stand was recovered under a pile of brush behind the neighbor's house.
This neighbor is one of those guys that has very little land but pretends he owns the entire woods. In the middle of hunting season this guy will let his kids ripp all over on a dirt bike and 4 wheeler (on other peoples property) but flips out if someone else puts a stand up even close to his property line.

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

I'm with ya guys, but with my luck they'd steal the freakin camera too.[&o]

RE: Lost Another Stand...
 

Not necessarily. Antis hike in the woods too and it wouldn't surprise me that the tree cut down was by one of them.