What is the rule about using a ladder stand you find while scouting.The person who put it up put a name tag on it, but due to a late entry into the woods you find it empty. Is if fair game until he comes and kicks you out or is there a "rule" that you leave it alone.

If that were your stand, would YOU want someone hunting in it??

Don't hesitate to hunt the immediate area but I would say 100% leave the stand alone.

i wouldnt want anyone hunting my stand that is why i pack in. i figue why do all the scouting and then set up a stand and say to everyone hey here is a spot. i was walking through the woods to check a camera i put up when i came across a stand. Just got me thinking as to what the general rule was.

You never touch another hunters stuff.

I disagree.Leaving stands in the woods is not allowed in many states. Lots of times it a person just to lazy to remove it at the end of their hunt. The way i see it is its public land if i want to hunt a spot and some guy has left his stand there its not my prob i will hunt that spot anyway. i either A hang my stand right where i want to next to it or B hunt his. it is a chance you take . many people leave their stands thinking it is a way to claim that area. public mean public in my eyes. it isnt fair to the next guy if someone leaves their stand in that area. play by the rules or dont play at all

well i wouldnt hunt it, Unless the sign was to good to pass up...lol. but would never take or stealanother persons stand

Well in Missouri we can leave our Stands out all season.I just leave them alone.When I was leaving a Hang On out I would take the Ladder and hide it.

big rockpile

im not saying i would take it i wouldnt. all i am saying is in md you cant leave them out. i work hard to hunt by rules and i expect other people to also. all i am saying is i see it as if a person wont respect the rules well then i wont respect his stand because he obviously did not respect the fact that public land is for the public. ive seen more than a few stand in the woods with garbage and bottles of pee by them. that is ignorant to my hunting. you get what you give.

I would think people that leave their stands in want to be able to slip in and get in them without noise. I hunt public land once in a while.They might have put that stand up in September.I can't understand why people would steal another bowhunters tree stand. It just doesn't seem right to me. It goes against everything I believe about people that bowhunt.
I would just leave it as I found it and hunt elsewere. you would have no idea as to the habits of the hunter. Does he smoke, leave scent everwhere etc?I think it best just to go somewhere else and hunt.