ok so my hunting partner showed me a tree that he found to hunt on public land. the tree had some old screw in steps in it so some one had hunted it before. looks like a good spot my partner marked it with a bright eyes.
when he took me back to show me the tree and all the sign the bright eyes marker was gone like some one didn't want any one else to hunt that tree.

so should my partner hunt this tree or just try to avoid the situation all together

It's public land so there really isn't much anyone can do if you hunt there. Although some people get territorial if you're in their honey hole so it might make for an uncomfortable encounter. Honestly, I would hunt the tree and if someone should get upset just handle it like gentlemen. You have as much right to hunt there as anyone else.

didn't some one just aska question like this??

Yes they did, I guess this is his buddy, so Welcome to HNI.

.....always an issue when hunting public land. Somone may have pulled the marker with no intention of hunting there. They do however now own their very own bright eyes.

It's been years ago but a friend of mine was hunting public land where it was legal to leave your stand up as long as it contained your name, address, and phone number. Well, he gets to his stand one day and he looks over about forty yards and there is a stand in an adjacent tree. After an hour of hunting here comes some guy headed to the stand. My buddy kind of waves the guy off, but he waved back, got into the stand! Two guys same trail, 40 yds about in a 2,300 acre military area.

Well he pulled his stand and never went back.

Show some respect, if there were steps already in the tree someone is already hunting that spot, go find another one. I dont care if it is public land, the outcomemay not be worth the final dispute, I cant remember if it was this past season or two seasons ago, a couple of hunters were killed by an IDIOT here in Georgia over hunting boundries. My best advice would be to find another spot, Im sure that he doesnt have the only good spot there.

I agree. If the tree clearly looks like someone is preparing to hunt it, just find a new spot.Some people get crazy about things like this and its definitely not worth a tense encounter. Ya just never know if that other person is playing with a full deck

you might also check to see if screw in steps are even legal on your public land, they are not on mine. Wouldnt want you to get caught and blamed if it werent legal.

public land no brainer, 1st come 1st serve....thats what you get on public land!

First of all,ifI spent time scouting around for a spot and this was the place I wanted,I would use it. On the other hand if someoneis there when ya get there move on...I cant imagine someone thinking they own the spot...What if this person s got several spots w/there steps in a tree,no one suppose to hunt them either?Might as well be there own lease huh?Nahhh
thats why its public