cal516

I ran into this issue last year and it has surfaced again this year since a piece of public land was released from Corps of Engineers and now listed as a WMA. A buddy of mine introduced me to it last year. He had been hunting it for the past 20 years. I had arrived at the parking area and was getting dressed when another hunter showed up already in his clothes. He was polite enough to ask where I was hunting since he realized I had arrived first. He just wanted to make sure were not going to crowd each other. But also mentioned he had hung his stand already. This was during bow season. Since then it has switched to gun and the area has become crowded. I was again dressing for an afternoon hunt when a vehicle pulled up and they simply nodded and walked off. I new where he was headed. A perminent stand he had hung. I spoke to the guy about 2 weeks prior when the locals were pissed about the land being turned into WMA and ATV's were no longer allowed. He acted as if I was "intruding" on HIS property because he stated he has hunted there for 20 years. When he showed up nothing was said. Not a, Where are you headed? Lets work something out? Nothing. Anyway, just seemed rude and with no consideration. As per WMA regulations, no perminent stands are allowed on public land.

Sangster

guess next time you'll get dressed quicker!

Bone_Collector

This is a big pet peev of mine as well. first of all you should not rush to get dressed or to your stand location that will accomplish nothing. the only advice is to show up earlier. I hunt WMA lands in TN. I too thought that permanent stands were illegal, but a call to the TWRA confirmed that they were not. They did say that on public lands hanging a stand does not reserve that area for you and that if another hunter was there the owner of a permanent stand should vacate and hunt another area even if it means hunting from the ground. Unfortunately you can't make them hunt somewhere else.

Now when i say permanent stand i just mean one that stays overnight. I would talk to him again and let him know that you understand that he has been hunting there for awhile, but your not playing race to the stand, but if you're there first you expect to hunt that area and are not going to have him hunting right on top of you. If he says no or gets mad and you are sure that the stand is illegal, call the game warden.

Nubby_Stalker

On any land owned or leased from the DNR in Wisconsin, it is illegal to place " permanent stands...such as chain on / strap on stands that stay out overnight. It is also illegal to use screw in type steps or climbing spikes / gaffs. They also require that a tag of some sort with your name, adress and a phone # be on the stand / blind somewhere.

We use home-made ladder stands made from 2x4x12's and plywood that can be lain down at the end of the day and simply strapped to a tree the next morning...with 2 people its really simple and if some numb nutz wants to steal them, so be it....only cost me a trip to work to get more scrap wood.

cal516

I use a climber...I also hunt WMA in TN. Like I said the area got real busy once WMA took it over. I remembered the guy from last year. He walked right under me going to his stand at around 7am. I usually get in my stand by 430am when gun starts.