Tree stand theft
 

I hunt public state game lands in PA 99.9% of the time. I use a ladder and strap on's and do not like to carry them in, or put them up each and every morning and evening that I hunt. It is so much easier and quieter to just walk in and enter your stand. I am ready to take my ladder stand out now, although I will wait till closer the beginning of the season before I hang my hang on stands. I have had fairly good luck by only losing 1 to theft but still have to worry about them all the time. I do cable lock them to the tree, but if someone wants it bad enough they will come back with bolt cutters. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deter this low down behavior by those few ---$$--- hunters that think they are sportmen.

RE: Tree stand theft
 

I use a length of chain diped in liquid rubber to keep it from making noise with a cutproof padlock. The other thing that I do is to run a cable thru the rungs from top -bottem. I had a ladder stolen and the stand part still chained to the tree 16' up.

NRA Life
DU
NAHC Life
Pheasants Forever

RE: Tree stand theft
 

I make sure to have good cover...ahrder to see the stand from the ground. Also, I'm somewhat tall...so , I make the steps farther apart making it harder to climb. One last thing. The bottom 3 or 4 steps I use large nails and take them out of the tree when I leave. Make the holes big enough and deep enough in the tree to put them in and take them out. That works for me too. Lastly...lock it to the tree of course.

J

RE: Tree stand theft
 

All good suggestions, but as you said, if they want it bad enough they will get it. I have had the misfortune of having two stolen. One thief was determined. I had taken out the last 4 steps and locked the stand to the tree with a coated chain. The thiefs shot the lock off!

Good luck!

RE: Tree stand theft
 

Best way is to not leave it over night on public land, remove it if your not in it for a period of days, it might be a pain but it will be less costly. It will even disappear on private land as many here can atest to. I lost my game cam on private land.

RE: Tree stand theft
 

It's a shame that you have to worry about this. It could be worst and in other countries you would have a lot of other things to worry about. The only thing I could suggest was lock ons and steps.

I prefer my climber but a freind has dozens of stands all over the county lock on to trees. He must do well against theft because every year he may take me to a new location with a comment like, you hunt in this area. I'll be accross the street. I have a stand I put up two years ago. I don't know if it's still there. After the hunt he'll confirm it was still hanging. For the steps he got a two part system, a screw anchor and a detatchable step. When you leave only a numb is sticking out where the step attaches.
The lock on can be any brand but I couldn't help you at all with the steps. I think the company he used went under but I thought anouther picked up where they left off. Maybe someone else has seen these types of steps around. Last thing is the fact it helps to hunt a very high hieghts 30'. That also is a detterent but also a must where I hunt do the the amount of deer moving through the area.

Good luck.

RE: Tree stand theft
 

I realize you don't want to be carrying stands in and out every time you hunt...but...The best way to stop ,stand theift , is to use a climber and take it with you.....I have about 10 different portable stands that I hang every year...(Private land) But I always see more Deer when I'm hunting from my climber!!! Why????? Because I'm hunting a different area each time!!!!
I noticed that the first time I hunt from a portable is when I see the most Deer. The more I hunt a stand, the less I see...It pays for me to move around, and a climber is the answer for me!
Just my

RE: Tree stand theft
 

There is no way that I will carry my stands in and out every morning, not the hike I have. I will just try and hide them well.
I would invest in a climber, but the woods I hunt here arent very climber freindly ( lots of branches lower on trees)

Anyway theft sucks. If I lose a stand I will go looking for it.

RE: Tree stand theft
 

I hunt the game lands in PA. I use a self climber I carry it in and out . It's against the law in PA. to damage any trees with nails or srew in steps on the game lands.

RE: Tree stand theft
 

I lost 2 stands this past year to some SOB, so I know how you feel. I had them padlocked and the steps were removed. Like has been said if they really want it, the stand is gone. What I am going to do this year is use my climber more and I bought a set of Lone Wolf Climbing Sticks. The climbing sticks are very quick, quiet and easy to use.

RE: Tree stand theft
 

The other problem with that set up - especially on public land - is that others will use your stand. You never know if they scent the area up, take a deer you've been working for, or just piss on your tree for the hell of it. A good light-weight climber is not as easy as just climbing into your stand early in the AM, but there are some great benefits.

RE: Tree stand theft
 

gwt yourself the lone wolf alpha system....i have it and can get in any tree in minutes...u can leave the strap around the tree that u attach your stand to..no on will need that:) good luck

RE: Tree stand theft
 

o...or get the double bull t2 blind..i have that too and the deer walk by it when it is set properly

RE: Tree stand theft
 

Removable steps will help deter thiefs, but they're not gonna work 100% of the time. You'll find a lot of lowlifes carrying screw-in steps around with them just for the sole purpose of stealing treestands.

Chaining/cabling/locking a stand to the tree will also deter thiefs, but once again not all the time. Too many people with hacksaws and bolt cutters out there these days.

The only way I've ever found to stop thiefs is simply to take the stand with you when you leave. Hunting out of a ladder type stand isn't very much fun when you have to take it up and down all the time, so why don't you try using a climber or hang-on? I use Loc-On and Gorilla stands and they're very easy to get in and out of a tree. Usually if I'm leaving it only overnight and coming back in the morning I'll leave it up, but if I'm gonna be gone for a few days I take it down. The thing is, you usually don't have to take it all the way out of the woods with you. A lot of times I'll bury my stand under a deadfall and cover it up well enough that it can't be seen even when I know where it's at. Thiefs are never gonna find it then.

Last but not least you can sit out in the woods 24 hours a day and when the SOB comes by to steal your stand you can shoot him in the back and bury him in a swamp where nobody will ever find him. :D

RE: Tree stand theft
 

Removeable tree steps will keep most away. But it's sorry to say if they want it they will take it. Unless you plan on making a stand like the Alimo a dirty theif will prevail. [:'(]

RE: Tree stand theft
 

I can't believe I am saying this (more laws), but I truely think two things must happen for this growing epidemic to decline.


1. States need to enact laws that take away the priviledges of those that steal stands or cameras (etc.).

If convicted, they would lose their hunting priviledges for 5 YEARS.
If convicted twice, LIFETIME ban on hunting AND fishing.

(2) strikes you are out.
I'm not waiting for 3.

2. ENFORCE #1. ABOVE!!!

RE: Tree stand theft
 

Well great if they are a hunter. What they are anti-hunters? Don't think all stands are stolen by hunters. There are enough laws on the books. I say that stealing a legally placed stand is harassment AND theft. The hard part of course is to catch the thief. Makes no difference how many laws there are, you still have to catch them.

RE: Tree stand theft
 

its not that we need MORE laws, i think we need to be able to fine the crap out of them. garnish their wages to pay HUGE fines... i mean dont get me wrng but grand theft is anything over like 600$ in Il i believe. between the three stands i have they are DAMN close to 700$ so if some one were to steal all of them i want them to be held acountable. now proving that they took it without FINDING the evidence in their pick up would be easier said than done. or they should be put into a ring with some unruley dogs that bite yer nuts....

RE: Tree stand theft
 

Uncle Norby...that's why it is so great to see hidden camera technology becoming affordable for everyone.

Caller ID killed the widespread crank call phenomina of the late 70's / early 80's (barring Crank Yankers).

The hidden camera, will take a bite out of a lot of theft in the next few years.

RE: Tree stand theft
 

My advice is put up another stand hiden from your original stand. Sit in the second stand just like deer season your benefits will be seeing what deer a now using the trails by your original stand and you will be able to shoot the stand thief with a good old bludgen tip just about the time he decides he wants to grab that stand. You probably would also have a shot at winning americas funniest home videos if you tape the event. Not to mention cops. Just a thought

RE: Tree stand theft
 

This is a problem as some of my friends have had their stands stolen. I am not sure about your state, but WI regs say that it is just as illegal to leave a stand in the woods overnight (at least on State owned or land under the control of the DNR). Don't get me wrong...I am not for stealing stands and hope it never happens to me, but I know I have ran into situations where I wanted to hunt a certain spot on state land and couldn't because I saw another stand there. I didn't want to set up next to it out of respect for the other guy. I have also set up my stand in the dark in the morning just to have someone else come walking in 5 minutes before light and get in his stand that was 15 yards from me (I didn't see it). If you look at it this way, all stands on public land should be taken down each night. I take mine down every night when I leave when on public ground. After doing this so many times, it doesn't take long to put it up and take it down fairly fast and quite. just my $.02

RE: Tree stand theft
 

i dont know if you can leave a stand hang overnight on public land here in maryland , i do know that you cant use spikes or pegs that enter the tree, i would only recomend that you leave your stand hang overnight if your gonna hunt it the next day, i have seen stands left in public lands here that gave other hunters the feeling that the stand was to mark a spot,claim the area for their selfs if you will, and has lead to the removal of said stands with a call to the dnr, so maybe you should check with the dnr maybe they removed the stand , i leave my stands on public land overnight with the understanding that they may not be there when i return that is just rolling the dice and playing the odds,,, well gl