This is my first experience with a vandalized stand after 25 years of bowhunting. Thejerks tried to steal it by shooting the hang-on strap with a shotgun. It appears to be rabbit hunters. I don't leave my climbing stick so they couldn't reach it but instead tried to sever the strap and knock it out of the tree with sticks. I had bought a Walmart cable lock this year and locked it to the tree. After being hit multiple times the lock held tight. I need to order a replacement strap although it also held tight. I looked it over last night and decided it would still hold me so I climbed in and strapped up. Great night too, I had 12-15 does with 3 or 4 bucks chasing them. They all came in after the light faded to where I couldn't see my sight pins and left me pinned down in the tree. I just waited until all was clear before climbing down.
I hunt on public ground so I knew it was only a matter of time before I got hit, and this stand is the most visible of the three that I have out there but it's so close to the bedding area I wanted to leave it.

Sorry just had to vent!

Sorry to hear about your troubles Hunter 59, but i'm glad you still have your stand. Someone stole one of my ladder stands a few years ago from the middle of a 120 acres of private ground. I was suppose to be 1 of only 2 hunting it so go figure.

That's the good part of it. They wanted to steal it and use it so they didn't shoot the stand itself, just the strap. I was going to take it down but after such a good night last night I decided to leave it and hope they don't come back with cable cutters. Or maybe I do, if I'm in another stand about 40 yards away and hear them return! That would be interesting if not violent!

Yeah, I can understand your frustration, and I can even see being ticked off. There's just no call for that foolishness.

Do yourself, and us, a favor though, will ya? Edit your post to change some of the wording....Thanks.

I don't think you have seen the last of them. I suspect they ran across it while hunting and just didn't have the right equipment to steal it. But I have a feeling they will be back. In fact I believe it is inevidible. This time with the proper equipment. If I were you, I would either move the stand or hide some IR game cameras around.