I scout early and set up my stands in August. I've hunted my best spot a few times early in the season but took a couple of weeks off to let it rest for the rut. I went out Saturday for my first rut hunt and I found a ladder stand 30 yards from my treestand witha pile of carrots under it! [:@]

I climbed into my stand anyway and hunted for an hour. I had deer in front of me when this kid comes crashing through the woods at 5 pm and climbs into his ladder stand. The deer bolted. I climbed down and asked him when he put up that stand. He put up his ladder stand on October 30th. Pretty late if you ask me. He said he had permission from the landowner. I was ticked but I didn't want to ask him to take down his ladder stand (it was a big steel homemade contraption). I agreed to move my stand being the nice guy I am.

The next day I moved my treestand about 100 yards away. Again I've got deer in front of me again when this moron comes into the woods an hour beforedark. The deerscattered again and I never saw another one. I went to go talk to him once it was too dark to hunt but he was gone.

I can't believe he had the balls to put up a ladder stand so late in the season. I alsoam going to tell him that he needs to either get into the woods earlier or don't come at all. It's the peak of the rut and the deer move all day long. Don't come barging in an hour before dark and expect to see deer. This guy is really screwing up my hunting spot! [:@]

Well, I understand that's frustrating but if he has permission to hunt the land there isn't really anything you can do.Definitely talk to him and see if he can get there earlier orsomething, that sucks when he's busting your deer.

As for putting up stands late in the season... I move stands ALL the time, pre-rut, rut, 2nd rut it doesn't really matter where I hunt. I don't think that's as much the issue as finding him a new spot.

Good luck.

Tell him that he's scaring away the deer by getting there so late. He probably just doesn't know any better.

Yesterday I hada guy walk by my stand three times between 3:30 and 4:19 pm (@ 25 yards, then 12 yards, then 20 yards) I tried getting his attention but he was stomping around too noisily to hear me and he never looked into the trees. I would have certainly given him the 'short' course on finding a spot a tad bit before the last hour. [:@]

What's the deal....do you both have permission from the same landowner being as you're so close to one another? Or are you both hunting kind of on a property line? I'd tell him what's up.

The landowner will let anyone hunt who asks him. There are 6 people bowhunting this 80 acres that I know of. Once gun season starts its gonna get even worse. I need to find someplace else to hunt! That's part of the fun in hunting in Michigan I guess (750,000 other guys to battle it out with [8D])

I've had this little corner all to myself so far. It's a funnel near a bedding area and a deep ravine. It's a great spot. I killed a nice doe on Oct 7 there but I was really thinking the rut would be awesome - until this guy moved in on top of me!

maybe he works or goes to school and can't get there any ealier .I work till 3:30 and rush to get that last hour of hunting

I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL!!!!
today i was in the woods, and a shotgun bird hunter comes in the woods(tresspasing) and walks around in a feild im hunting, wich is 40 yards away from me, than he comes over to me and talks to me than walks away, and shoots at something about 50 yards away from me and i hear the pellets bounce of the trees around me!!!
of course i dident see a deer, since he came in at the perfet time at 4 am.

I know where your coming from.Sunday afternoon,I am sitting in my best stand.located about 200 yards off a bedding area and right between the bed and the food source.The problem is that the bed is on the next property.

(The signs are awesome and I have only hunted the stand twice all season and have seen 1 decent buck and passed several others.)

Anyway,I get in at noon and there is already a doe 30 yards from my stand.I see a small buck at about 1:30 and then I hear it.A four wheeler.Then I hear voices.Then I hear the four wheeler drive right through the bed area,and then it stops.Then the next thing I hear is some idiots hammering nails into trees.They are building a permanent stand in the middle of a bedding area,that holds good bucks,during the rut.

They are building this stand from 2:00-3:30 in a bedding area DURING the rut and 1 week before gun season.[&:]


The way I have it figured,they have pretty much ruined this spot untill atleast January for me.Sure,the area is loaded with deer and with rifle season starting this weekend,the chances something might be pushed by are ok,but I prefer to hunt instead of hoping someone will push something to me.And the big ones are pretty much gone now.




You say this is a kid,take him under your wing and teach him.It sounds like he might need someone to help him out.

Having done most of my hunting on public land I have seen, met, and been infuriated by all sorts of "casual idiots".

If you can, try to imagine yourself in this senario;

You are kid, you don't have much money, your folks are divorced you don't see your dad very often because he lives in the next county and works a lot.

You've read every Field&Stream and Outdoor Life in the library and managed to save up the money to buy a bow, took the class, bought a license, some camo and made a stand in the shop at school.

You knock on a bunch of doors eventually finding a place to hunt, you even identify one of those "funnels" that you read about in the magazines. There's a stand nearby but you haven't seen anyone in weeks. Figuring it must be a rifle hunter's stand or a leftover from last year you set up.

Because of school, work, travel (ride from mom), etc. you can't get to "your spot" until 4 or later. You are determined to get a deer. It's really the only thing that get's you excited (besides that new girl in english class), so you hunt the best you know how.

If I was that kid (there is part of him in me), I'd hunt too.

With twenty five seasons behind me and 20 times the disposable income I had back when I decided to learn how to hunt, I often misplace the perspective of that kid starting out. I still get angry when someone discovers "my spot" (on public land), walks by at the "wrong time", etc. The only thing that has saved my sanity is remembering all the stupid stuff I did as greenhorn and when I can, trying to make aquaintance with, and offer advice to those bumbling and stumbling about.

What I'm trying to say is before you hate this "kid" you might try to find out where he's coming from and try to advise him on how to make the most of his limited opportunities without disturbing others.

Good Luck
U_R

I'm that guy entering the woodsmany times with only an hour or so left because sometimes that's all I can get, so I'm there. I can't worry about messing other guys up,although I do go out of my wayand do the best I can to avoid other hunters.