HuntingBry

Each year I try to advance myself and the methods I use to improve from the years past. Some hunters are happy with hunting the same stands and the same properties, using the same methods and shooting the deer that present themselves. Kudos to them, but for me I try to change something each year to challenge myself further. Whether it be taking on tactics I've never used before, raising the standards of the bucks I will take, finding brand new properties and hunting them, or adding elements such as filming into the equation I always try to take a step forward to make myself a better hunter.

Well, I'm wondering why I even bother. Today I went to check on the stand I will be hunting Saturday morning for the PA opener and hang my camera arm to minimize the noise I make in the morning. What do I find? A pile of feces at the base of my tree. This is the second time I've found this in less than a month and I found another pile on the path that I walk in on covered with brush.

Obviously frustrated I went to the land manager and told him about it. He asked if the ladder stand that is about 100 yards from where I am is mine and I told him no. He said that he thinks he knows whose it is and that the guy does not have permission. Being that there are no other stands in the vicinity and I have a good relationship with the other hunters on the property I'm betting it was him. The land manager told me to throw him out if I see him.

It's bad enough that I have to share the property with other hunters that do not take the same care as I do to be a low impact hunter knowing that the least bit of pressure will send the bucks onto a nocturnal pattern, but now I have to deal with this?[&:] I'm not in a position to purchase my own land, and in this economy I couldn't get a mortgage to do so anyway, so I have to rely on hunting property owned by others and likely sharing it. I can deal with that as I always have since I started hunting, but this is a bit much.

I do know this, come Saturday I will make a special point to check on that ladder stand at some point during the day. If there is anyone in it they will be confronted and I will be direct in asking about the feces since nobody else is in that area but he and I. I will also be clear that he does not have permission and have 911 dialed in my phone before I get there so all I have to do is hit talk to get the police there should he give me any trouble.

I have read horror stories like this before here and always felt for those going through them, but now I have my own to tell and it really makes me wonder why I try so hard to hunt around here when there is so much to overcome.

Thanks for letting me vent and I truly hope that nobody else has to deal with what I am dealing with because it really takes the fun out of what we love to do.

Schultzy

Sorry to hear that Bry, I too would be frustrated as hell! I hope It works out In the end for ya.

shrewbeer

I'm pretty sure deer do not know the smell of human sht, only that its a different smell. That does suck though.

Scott07/OH

I feel ya man because I have the same situations with trespassers. My buddy and I stopped a kid in our hunting woods with a bundle of firewood. We are the only ones with permission and politely asked him to leave. We didnt want any trouble because we didn't want him to mess with our stands, he then left. Long story short, we came out of the woods after moving a stand to find 3 police cars by our car.

The story was that..... we tried to shoot the kid and sell him drugs!!!!!!!!!! We were in complete shock!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I could not believe this. We got padded down and they checked us for guns and drugs. I still can't believe what happened that day. We are nice kids and graduated at the top of our class. Our town is small and we actually new the cops. In the end they thought the situation was funny and we all had a good laugh.

In that same woods I have had a kid walk under my climber with a scoped rifle, Twice!!!!

I also have these neighbors threatening to rip a stand down on one property, a place where they don't even have permission!!!!!

Some people these days

GMMAT

I have the same things to deal with, Bry. My poaching neighbors suck the fun out of a lot of my efforts.

I can't control them, really.....and I've grown to accept that. It doesn't stop it from being frustrating, though. They get away with trespassing and poaching all the time. Just ain't right.

HuntingEd

Tell me about it, last year I had an awesome spot I thought I was the only one that hunted it...

We'll some Tresspassing SOBstole my trail camera I set up there... I felt violated... I also found his stand...[:@]

PatrickMc

get the landowners permission to remove the stand. it can probably be legally considered abandoned anywayif he doesnt have permission to be there. take it down and leave it with the land manager for pickup.

Kreagerm

I think I would be sitting in that other stand just so when he gets there we could take care of this matter.

I only hunt from portables so my area of hunting is always changing, something to think about.

HuntingBry

Thanks guys, I appreciate the thoughts.

Jeff, I actually thought about your situation when this happened this morning.

Patrick, I'm sure I could get permission to remove it, but honestly I want nothing to do with a guy like this other than telling him to leave.

Kreagerm, my stand is a portable hang on stand. I like to keep mobile too. I put my hang ons up early though so I don't impact the area too much during hunting season. I've been preparing this stand site since June.

virginiashadow

I call 1-800-Drp-tine.