What do you do, when someone sets up in "your" spot, on public lands

[Limbwalker]

I guess I can't remember the last time someone set up in an area I had planned to hunt. Happened a few times in Illinois, but those folks are crazy bowhunters. Since I've been back in Texas, I don't think it's happened yet. I don't think another hunter has even been through an area that I hunt in the past 5 seasons. I've never seen a footprint or any sign, and definitely not a stand.

Like I said, I never mark my routes to my stand locations, or the trees I plan to put my stands in. Only exception was one single tree I'd put a triangle-shaped set of reflective tacks in to let me know where to turn on a trail to my stand. Nobody else would ever know what that means but me, and it's nowhere near my stand anyway.

By never marking my trails or my trees, I guess folks just don't follow me in.

I'm sure it will happen soon enough, but when it does, I'll just go to one of the other places I have scouted and prepared. I have more than I can hunt in a season anyway. Guess I just enjoy scouting that much!

John

[roguecraft101]

I agree they have rules for a reason, but I have hunted public land my whole life and I have not seen any trees damaged by tree stands. When I find an area where someone has hung a stand I just move on. I'm not going to go tell the GW or forest service I'm just going to find another spot. I guess some folks just enjoy the drama and or the satisfaction they receive in some way of reporting a stand on public land. Yes, there are some things I would report such as poaching, spotlighting, etc. but not a stand in the woods.

Ok... I have never even hunted the national forest untill this year but let me step in here. If we all believed what you do we would all go out and find our favorite spot and then hang a perm stand there and claim it. When you go scouting there will be a stand every 100 yards that someone has hung or built over the years. Every spot with any type of possibility will have been scouted atleast once by someone over the years and you wont be able to hunt it either because it will be claimed.

[roguecraft101]

Ive decided that I am going to hunt up wind (400-450) yards of that location...found a good scrape line at the new spot. I am gonna let it ride this weekend, cause I dont wanna mess anyone up, but if the stand becomes a permanant fixture in that area, then I will include the FS LEO. This thread just goes to show that everyone has varying opinions and integrity when it comes to following the rules. I guess we always want to think because we do the "right thing" then everyone else is going to do the same...but the day and age we live in people think more and more that the rules need not apply to them because they are somehow exempt from it. I follow the general rule that all people are good and have good intentions, until they give me a reason to question their actions...maybe I am niave but, thats my measuring stick of a person. Thanks for the feed back, I think I'll play nice this week(end), and if its still there this next week (cabled on still) I will include the district office. Like I said also, I have other places to hunt, so Im not gonna let this situation steal my joy of having the oppurtunity to hunt!

I hate to say it but by knowing of a violation and not reporting it to the authorities arnt you also making yourself liable for the violation? Someone answer this please! I do know that if you know who robs a bank and you dont report it you can go to jail right beside them.

[PastorIke]

you are talking about hanging a stand early (slap on the wrist fine...if that) and robbing a bank (kind of a felony I think ) ) so...apples to oranges in my book...I see someone run a red light or drive through a stop sign, or drive over the speed limit everyday, but I dont call the police or Highway patrol everytime I see it

[Italianxbowuser]

Unrelated, but Pastor, I think i am going to carve your avatar on my pumpkin this year

[roguecraft101]

you are talking about hanging a stand early (slap on the wrist fine...if that) and robbing a bank (kind of a felony I think ) ) so...apples to oranges in my book...I see someone run a red light or drive through a stop sign, or drive over the speed limit everyday, but I dont call the police or Highway patrol everytime I see it

I was meaning it on a moral standpoint =P Ofcourse they wont come throw you in jail for not reporting this. I didn't think I had to specify that bit. (and obviously I didnt) But on a moral standpoint we are all responsible for making sure other idiots dont break these rules and ruin what the rest of us enjoy.

And don't forget... a GW has extensive power and how much of it you recieve is depending on his attitude or mood at the time. Hunting from an illegal stand and harvesting an animal would make it an illegal harvest. And for that a GW can seize anything that he believes you used to harvest that animal illegally. (inculding vehicles bows guns camo hunting gear freezers you stored meat in the underware you had on that day) and slap you with some severe fines. I have personally seen a guy, his wife and his friend lose 5 guns, a tent, a brand new 4x4 crew cab and everything inside it and in the field with them at the time for fireing off an unplugged shotgun at some dove.

So a slap on the wrist might be the common punishment handed out but it is far from the extent of what could be done.

[roguecraft101]

Unrelated, but Pastor, I think i am going to carve your avatar on my pumpkin this year

I thought about this earlier today when I first saw it... =P Reminds me of the bone collector icon.

[nagybucks]

Yep...I don't think I wanna get into a big stink and include FS a week before the season starts...I believe that both of us might miss out then...I think I'll just get in early. To share though, what is a courteous distance away?

Hundred yards is very resonable with bows. Go in very early and if something is said tell them you didnt know they were in there. But u have hunted this area for years. Even if u flash your light at him he is going to his stand. At hundred yards he wont see you anyway until the big one you shoot is dead. Id do the 100 yards and get in early. Say around 5 am if not earlier.

[PastorIke]

I hunted upwind all weekend last weekend and never seen any other vehicles or activity in any of the woods I was in...rain probably kept them away...saw deer too, so I'm just gonna enjoy my new spot up wind!

[Limbwalker]

Good for you! Good luck. Sometimes, it's the lazy folks who are most willing to break the rules anyway, so they might not even go out there more than once or twice.

John

[USNCPO]

I haven't really seen too many people around the area where I'm hunting at LBJ. But, this morning I went out to one of the spots I've been hunting and found piles of corn. Very frustrating to find corn around the spot. Last thing I want to do is get busted for hunting a baited area and it was someone else who put the corn out.

[BTLowry]

The public land where I hunt allows a person to leave a blind "in place" for up to 72 hours. Nowhere have I read that a blind must be removed from the hunting environment for a set period of time after being "in place".

I interpret that to mean I can put my equipment up and leave it for 3 days. Then I can move it to a new location and the clock starts again.

I'm, in no way, staking a claim to a spot. I simply choose to hang my stand and secure it to a tree with a cable lock to prevent interfering with others who hunt the same unit by making excessive noise taking it in and out of the woods.

I'm fortunate that I live less than 10miles from where I hunt, which means I'm able to get out there frequently and update my stand's location.

Pretty sure you are OK. Not 100% sure so you might check with the manager or local GW.

I dont think you can just move over 3 trees but if you move it a considerable distance you should be fine

[bigz71]

I haven't really seen too many people around the area where I'm hunting at LBJ. But, this morning I went out to one of the spots I've been hunting and found piles of corn. Very frustrating to find corn around the spot. Last thing I want to do is get busted for hunting a baited area and it was someone else who put the corn out.

Another case of someone not following the rules

[Bowman4444]

I respect all the hunters on public land. To me it's first come wins, it's all public. You just don't know who else is scouting the same area. I learned not to leave my stand in an area unless I'm just positive no one else is in the area. I left my stand in after a morning hunt, expecting to return that afternoon, just to find out someone beat me in, and setup in the same area and was hunting, out of respect I gave up the area and even left my stand because I didn't want to mess him up. Sure I was ******! But that's the way it is. So from now on I pack in and out every time. Just have alternative spots you can go to if that happens. If you hunt public enough it Will Happen! Just go in knowing that.

[cowboyway]

No such thing as "your spot" on public. It stinks, but its true.