iSnipe

I'd say if you can roll a rock around that stands 2ft. tall, to please get me in touch with your trainer. Even with my pipes I find it hard to roll rocks of that size.

iSnipe

thatmichhunter

Nope, when that happens I take them

gyro288

Sounds Like another case of GREEDY HUNTERS. If he does not want anybody hunting in his stand then it should be remove. It
is PUBLIC land for anybody to use any inch of that land. If you dont want people hunting were you are going to hunt then join a hunting club or lease some land.Besides that the main goal for public land is to share. There is not one thing on the planet unethical about. I let poeple hunt my stands every year hoping they have the privilage to harvest a deer.

markmon007

I actually stacked 2 rocks that were kind of flat. And it was closer to 1 foot now that I think of it.

Kid

On the State ground I hunt, you can put up 1 stand that has to be marked with your name, address and phone number. It can be left for the entire season and by site rules it is to be removed by Jan. 31. I was just up there scouting on the 3rd of Feb. and counted 5 stands still in the woods and believe I could find many more. Personally, I would never hunt from anyone else's stand, regardless of how long it has been there. To each his own.

mnprohunter

I guess in our state the law says that a stand on public land is up for public use. However, that being said, ethics tell me another thing. Its not my stand, not my work putting it up, etc. So, I wouldn't use it. However, if I was to use and the owner of the stand came, I would gladly leave....because the tree and land may be public but the stand itself is his/hers. Best thing is, leave it alone. Find somewhere else to hunt and put up ones own stand.

fastetti

When I thought about this topic a little more, I think we all forgot to mention one thing. Where in the country you are and how much public land is available. Personally, I live in Chicago and there are many more public land hunters than in other parts of the country. Theres a spot outside the city where anyone can bow hunt and people leave stands all the time. You can bring a stand in but most of the trees you can put it on already have ladder stands on them. In a situation like this, I would have no problem using someone elses stand. Im thinking that some of you guys that are saying no either A) only hunt private land or B) hunt vast expanses of public land where finding another area is always as option.

Some of you have to realize that in places where public hunting is extremely heavy, sometimes there are so many ladder stands up, you might as well hunt them. If I bring my climber in and see a ladder stand 20 ft away, Im going to use the ladder stand but keep my climber close by. If someone shows up to use that stand I would politely leave for another spot and tell them the action I have been seeing. If you place your stand in an area that many people hunt and get mad for someone using is when your not there and is polite to you when you show up, then I wouldn't want to hunt with you.

Now, If I was hunting a VAST expanse of land (thousands of acres) then I might be a little mad if I showed up if someone was in my stand. Think about it though. Someone could put a ladder stand out and leave it for years and never show up and ruin many other peoples hunting in that area for years to come. Its may sound bad, but leaving a tag on your stand that says "2010 Deer hunting Stand" then I would know that you are actually using it there and its not left from seasons past.

I really think that this has to be a case by case situation and really depend on the amount of land, the shape of the stand and if it looks to have been used lately. Im actually curious now to see if the the stands I walked by in college 6 years ago are still in the same spots. Hmmmm.....

Slinging Arrows

I work for a company that requires me to move roughly every 3-5 years. This thread hits home with me as I hunt public land quite often. First off, you need to research what the rules are for placing stands on public land. I know in IA that you can have a stand for the season as long as it is labeled (name, address, phone number), nothing is screwed in the tree and it needs to be removed 14 days after season is over. Secondly, why take a chance with someone elses setup and risk your own safety. I am sure many of you have seen the commercial on the hunting channel with the hunter falling from his stand and getting flashbacks to his family at home. Third, respect other's property. Final thoughts: I would be very unhappy if I found someone in my stand without my knowledge (especially as they had the opportunity to contact me, yes I follow all rules for hunting public land). Public land is just that, public. Private property is just that, private.

deerchump

Actually, it's exactly the same. By definitiion, public land is EVERYONE'S property.

LKNCHOPPERS

No it is not everyones property. You have access and most public land has more rules than private land. here in NC we have areas called Gamelands and each Gameland can have different rules. One near me only permits hunting on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Public land is owned by the State, a company or the Federal Government.