Deer stands used in program for young hunters are stolen

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=...6&u_sid=582751

LINCOLN (AP) - Fifteen deer stands used by participants in the State Game and Parks Commission's hunter-mentoring program have been stolen.

Two bowhunters and their six teen-age proteges had installed the stands - places where hunters can stand and hunt from - in August and had logged many hours hunting out of them since the deer archery season opened Sept. 15.

"Who they really hurt are the kids," said Jim Tubbs, a volunteer bowhunting mentor for the Game and Parks Commission.

Tubbs and fellow mentor Steve Woitaszewski each had been teaching three Lincoln teen-agers through the program, which is designed for young archers who have limited or no opportunities to hunt.

The group had exclusive hunting rights north of Lincoln on the former city landfill, which is otherwise closed to the public.

On Friday, the hunters discovered the stands were stolen.

"Everybody was pretty depressed," Tubbs said.

The mentors owned six of the stands; the Game and Parks Commission had received nine as donations to the program.

Some were portable platforms; others were ladder models. They are valued at $50 to $100 each.

Each stand had been chained and padlocked.

The commission has been matching young hunters with mentors since 1998. The program is open to youths between ages 12 and 18 who pass the state's bowhunter education course. There are 65 youths and 20 mentors in the program this year.

The archery season remains open through Dec. 31. The mentors said they would continue hunting on the property this season.

Yes its on our Nebraska Game and Parks Forum too. A few hunters have donated extra stands for the remainder of the season. It is sad and they suspect that it was another hunter not an anti that stole all the stands. I hope he/they make a mistake and G&P catch them.

I enjoyed reading posts from one of the teenagers that was successful. The place was thick with deer too.

[Deleted by Admins]

that is ashame. for kids or not you just do not take something that is not yours. there has been a stand set up maybe 10 yards off my property for 3 years now and i do not think anyone has hunted it for that long either, it is in a good spot he will get the deer before they come on my property but ya know what it is still there growing into the tree.

this is most distressing. i hope they catch these punks. i mentor 3 kids myself and they would be devistated if they had no place to go. the woods is the place where they get away form the problems they have in the city.

this is just out right appalling.

hunt on hunt hard eat well

Every year I read about people having there stands stolen and it upsets me, this however makes my blood boil, and what is really bad about all this stand stealing is that most of it is done by people who call themselves hunters!

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

Scums!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had one of mine taken earlier this year. Reading this gets me ticked off all over again.

I have yet to have a stand stolen, but when it does happen it will only affect me.

This is saddening to me since those youth hunters are the ones that have had to suffer such a loss. I feel for them for the following:

I have a 15 year old son which I will never be able to take to the woods to hunt. He will never be able to draw a bow, shoot a firearm or enjoy many of the things which are encompassed by hunting. He has Cerebral Palsy but he can at least walk and feed himself. He is an Eplileptic, somewhat controllable by medication. He has profound to complete hearing loss, and physical control of a child half his age.

My two daughters, ages 9 & 10, have just recently expressed a desire to learn archery. Needless to say my heart has been filled with joy over their decisions. They may never hunt, although my youngest has the mind-set and the patience of Job, but if either do; any theif I catch in the act of stealing one of my childrens stands will have just overloaded their posteriors.

Theives, scabs, slobs, whatever you want to call them; they ARE NOT hunters. The mere commission of these acts vaults them out of the "hunting" category. My 2 pennies worth.






Shoot often - Hunt always

<font color=red></font id=red>Theives, scabs, slobs, whatever you want to call them; they ARE NOT hunters. The mere commission of these acts vaults them out of the &quot;hunting&quot; category. My 2 pennies worth.

Well put GForce!!!!!

It's truely a sad state of affairs when someone has to steal something instead of buying it. And the fact that these kids were involved doesn't help. Well when they find them, and they will, these jokers are going to do some serious time. You don't mess with state owned property. They'll have game wardens checking hunter's vehiles for the stands. They'll find them I'm sure. At least the kids will get a lesson in how crime doesn't pay.

KEEP IT LEGAL. KEEP IT SAFE. OR WE MAY NOT GET TO KEEP IT AT ALL.