Went in this afternoon to hunt, got to my tree, only thing left was my strap that I hook-in with 20 ft. up the tree. This is private property-archery only. There has been a guy slipping in there gun-hunting for a couple years, he had a climber in a tree line that I found. I did not steal his stand but I did contact the game wardens, took them in there to show them. He took his tree stand out, then on Dec. 1 , he came walking through right under me, I told him he was not supposed to be there. He said he was lost, so I pointed him in the right direction. Now my Rapid Rails and 3 strap-ons are gone. I GUESS YOU KNOW " THIS MEANS WAR!!!" :knothead:
Sorry to hear that. I've had more stands stolen over the years than I like to recall. That realy stinks.
I've been reading a lot of threads lately where guys are catching thieves in the act on trail cameras. It's worth a try because not only do you get the guy for trespassing, you can prosecute him for the theft.
Try to have a Merry Christmas in spite of this.
-Ron
Mike, I know exactly how you feel. I had a Chippewa Wedge-Loc stolen last year. The thief came back with a pair of bolt cutters and stole my stand and 3 Lone Wolf climbing sticks. All of which were chained and locked to the tree. He did leave me the three cut locks. Being a retired detective I processed the locks for prints but unfortunately it was December so he probably had gloves on. I look for that stand every time I hunt that patch of woods. I have identifying info scratched into it discreately.
Mike,
always take your bottom two rails out with you when you leave- he will have to work really hard if he wants to get it then.
I had my first ever stand stolen this year went their 1 hour before light only to find the stand missing. I was P. O. But the next day i got the biggest whitetail in my 34 years of hunting.
doug77
I have had 4 stands stolen!
Haven't had any stolen yet, but still remember what my Dear Old Daddy tried to teach me about liars, cheats, and thieves. A good old scatter gun might do the trick.
Mike, Pap-paw used ta say "One way or t'other, ever feller eventually gets what he deserves."
Sorry you can't make it tomorrow...but we'll see you at the club 1st weekend in Jan. I got a package fer ya....
That sucks!! Maybe he'll get caught in the act one day and somebody will throttle his head!!
it does suck no doubt...but don't discount that many anti hunters have gone to stealing stands to start this kind of dialogue among hunters...beware...but it still really sucks
heartshot
I lost a ground blind this year during muzzleloading season up here in NY. My mother, who passed away last year bought it for me. Very disgusted with the locals around my hunting land. It's Private land with jerks poaching along the edges of it with assault type semi-auto rifles during the single shot ML season. Called the DEC but they said unless they catch them in the act, there is nothing they can do. H I loath slob hunters. Seems like there are lots of them around me. Especially if they hear that a record book buck was taken on your land or nearby. Brings out all the slobs with the illegal hunting firearms.
I feel your pain bro. I have had my share of problems hunting both State and private land. I have resorted to using a climber most of the time. It goes in with me and comes out at the end of the hunt. Its a shame that a few ruin it for the many. As others have stated, what comes around goes around and that person will pay the piper some day. Look at it this way, you get to bye a new stand, bigger and better than the one stolen.
The price he pays is he has to be him-a genuine bottom-feeder who has no soul or conscience-his own private demons are workin' on him!!!
Look on the bright side.Now you have a quarry with no closed season.Thief hunting is tremendous fun.Good luck.
That is a bummer and you have every right to be upset.
But, let's see:
You have a bow, he has a gun...
Assuming it is the same guy, he's already shown a willingness to break the law. (trespassing) You now believe he has gone a step further to stealing. If you're right, he's probably done it for revenge that you got the wardens on him. So emotions are high.
"War" probably not a good idea and could get dangerous.
People can do crazy things. Remember the Wisconsin situation, a few years ago, where a number of people were shot and killed by a gun hunter trespassing and using their stands on private property.
I would never wish this on any law abiding sportsman, but on any slob who has no respect for someone elses' property? I hope the SOB pulls a humpty dunpty and has a big fall. That's Kharma!
I had a double bull blind trashed on my property by someone that didn't know how to take it down. Broke two of the poles and just left it in a tangle. People don't seem to know right from wrong anymore.
Dick
This year I had two pair of scratched up sunglasses stolen from my van. They did not want my lunch, my stools or tree seats or my my backup bow. The time before they tried to get my backup bow, I missed with an HTM at 70 yards, just, and hit my van. I blame it on the cross wind. I would have used a broadhead, but I was afraid I'd hit my bow. The idiot thought it was a warning shot and surrendered, he paid me for the dent and then some to keep me from shooting the next arrow or turning him in. Seemed funny at the time, but if he would have been armed, the next arrow was a broadhead.
A coworker found one of my tree stands sitting on the ground while he was squirrel hunting (company land) and took it to the shop. Someone had stolen the 3 section ladder and hadn't gotten back to get the stand.
I hope to someday come across the ladder sections because they are very uniquely made by me and very identifiable.
Dennis
Hunt a Military Reservation so things are fairly secure, but they do walk on occassion. I have found the more work it is to get in and out of a spot the less likely you are to loose stuff.
Had my F-150 opeened and lost @$4,800 of hunting stuff. TS III Longbow, Martin Hatfield recurve, day pack with German optice, knives, wool camo, etc... The one thing I'm most upset about is the Soligen steel, stag horn handled knife that was my great-great grandfathers. @200 years old.
You can omly hope that people like this rip off the wrong person and get what they have coming, plus a little extra....
I agree with Jeff U.
I know if it were me I might have some visions of an arrow passing through his lungs as he drags away my stand.
Really though, whoever took your stand isn't worth a second thought.He will bring about his own demise soon enough.
The best revenge is living well.
i had the first tree stand my oldest bro gave me stolen the first year i used it. I konw who did it, but i got him back. You see, it aint wise to take something that belongs to a Police Officer! My brother and I busted him for DUI, resisting arrest, and a few other charges we were able to tacked on! never got my stand back, but he has left our stuff alone since.
No when we find ANY stand on the property we have access to, we call the landowner and most of them are not suppose to be there. now we have a whole pile of stands at our disposal on the farm
Mike is hunting on a private golf community, well away from anyone's property. The fellow he is talking about lives adjacent to the highway on a small piece of ground, and flagrantly walks in from the back of his land a thousand yards to where Mike has his stands set up- and steals it.
It isn't bad enough that he poaches private land he isn't supposed to be on...he also is the lowest of the low- a sneak thief.
I cannot tell you how many of these jerks we have had to deal with in our suburban hunting program- they aren't poor, they aren't without the resources to find their own place to hunt..they are worse because they break the law in order to get their "thrill".
We caught four of them a few years ago- they parked on private property with their brand new four wheel drive pickups, drove less than a year old four wheelers onto the property, and armed with 270 caliber semiauto rifles they were standing on the ground covey shooting a group of does, not more than 30 yards from a golf course fairway while groups of golfers were playing through!!! At least a dozen shots were fired- five does were killed....and 7 shots didn't connect, at least luckily not with the golfers.
The whole time our guy is sitting in a treestand not twenty yards away from the shooter. He called the DNR, they arrived, arrested all of them and confiscated the deer, the four wheelers, and the rifles.
Scumbags.
http://www.yanchor.com/profile.html
A bit pricey, but perhaps if they can't cut it, drill it, or shoot it might discourage them. A shame one would have to resort to such measures to protect hard earned hunting equipment, but wanted to share an option. Or ya could just beat the ()ell out of em. :knothead:
Or dip them in honey and chain them to a tree near a fire ant mound. Pick up the bones later.
Jeff U, and RH Clark,
no offense but the theives feed on the weak and prosper in the world of "just look the other way and they'll get it in the end"
I say give it to um good here and now. Then theres no doubts.
Hard to live well when you work for months to squirrel enough away for a good stand just to have some dirtbag looking for a free ride steal it from you
I like the trail cam idea.
Except if I decide to take a leak and don't know your stand is there...
:o
if ya get this person ya could always drop an axe on his fingers that way he wont be taking any more tree stands :goldtooth:
Jeff, you from Iran?
:biglaugh:
QuoteOriginally posted by jct:
Jeff U, and RH Clark,
no offense but the thieves feed on the weak and prosper in the world of "just look the other way and they'll get it in the end"
I say give it to um good here and now. Then theres no doubts.
Hard to live well when you work for months to squirrel enough away for a good stand just to have some dirtbag looking for a free ride steal it from you
Don't get me wrong, I think you take action. Report to police, wardens, etc... I also realize that this will most likely be for naught as the police will not be able to prove a crime.
But to take things into your own hands and to wage "war" is where I think a big problem could develop,
Humor me and imagine these potential headlines:
"Local man arrested, charged with assault and attempted murder, after shooting thief that stole his deer stand.""Local man shot and killed while attempting to extract revenge from the thief that stole his deer stand. Thief arrested, charged with murder.""Local man arrested after shooting an innocent man he believed stole his deer stand."Any of those would be a sad story.
The other day I was hunting with my dad.I climbed up into the stand and started looking around.I saw some punk walking right across the food plot.I told our "guide"(the guy that was letti9ng us hunt there)what i had saw right when it happened.The "guide" caught him and had a chat that included the words "next time I'll leave you laying on the ground and get the game warden to take you to jail".This was private property.
A good friend and shooting buddy had a stand stolen off of private land 3 years ago. He was able to track where the thief took it to the next piece of property and set it up in another tree. It was his least favorite stand so instead of taking it back he cut the strap on the off side of the tree away from the steps almost all the way through and just left it there. That next weekend a 17 year old punk thief got a broken ankle, a lesson in gravity, and a valuable lesson about stealing.
It sucks that this guy "is". He will be held accountable someday, to a much higher power with far longer lasting consequences! Until then, don't let him ruin your hunt!!!
i loose quite a few every year it seems,the wife and i film so when the thieves get one they get two but i'll tell you what the real bummer is is when they leave 2 or 3 steps in the tree and you have to go up and remove them,and you can't hang one in they're place cause you know they'll be back in the area sometime.
I cant stand a thief. i had two stands stolen off private property once and ended up cathcing the guy who did it. It wasnt very pretty because come to find out he was the same fellow that had stolen two 4 wheelers from the farmer. It was real bad for him!!!!
Never had a single treestand or anything removed from our property set stands up a month before season and they are always there.
Thats why I was puzzeled when I found a game camera missing in July searched and searched for cam until the mystery was solved I had attached a solar panel and large battery to camera and needed sunlight same sunlight a dope grower needs found a patch about 5'diameter 100yds from game cam. I went back to camp wrote on the back of a posted sign I want my camera back I have other cams and pics of you if camera is not left right here with your dope when you harvest I am going to the cops with all photos and info. tyed the note to his plants.
To my amazment he brought the camera battery solar panel and a picture of himself the only one I have and left everything right were I told him.
Rico.......thats hilarious
Here's a suggestion, hang a little sign on your tree or ladder that says something like, "SMILE! YOU'RE ON HIDDEN CAMERA." Chances are they'll cover their face and walk off without stealing your treestand - even if you really don't have have a camera there.
Mike, I've been waiting for these to come back in stock to give them a try..
www.standguardian.com (http://www.standguardian.com)
Maybe a sign "Unless you've found my camera's I wouldn't be taking anything that doesn't belong to you unless you want to go to jail"
All the cameras I have put out are pretty conspicuous even with good camo I wouldn't really put any around or you're probably going to lose both ts and cam. Just a note to keep them guessing
NO!!!! i am not from that place killie :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:
We have about 15 treestands up and every one is chained to the tree.
Paul
I talked to the warden today, he wants him as bad as I do, so I'm spending the rest of the season hunting him. The warden said when I see him , just call him on the phone and he'll be right there.
Over the years, I have had 3 stands stollen. Its a really lousy feeling, especially when taken from your back yard. I never leave mine up anymore. Today, I spoke to a guy that had his stand hack sawed in half and left dangling. Who knows who is behind this junk. I still don't want to believe that fellow hunters would treat each other like that, gun, bow, sling shot or whatever.
Pathetic
Time wounds all heals.... or something like that.
Better pack some blunts for next time you go out. :p
I've had 3 stolen over the years,all on private property and 2 of them on were on my familys' 45 acre piece.One reason I use a climber that I can pack in and out every time and not have to worry about getting ripped off.It's a shame knowing that so called "hunters" are to blame for most of this.
BAD KARMA!!
"What GOES Around, COMES Around" :archer:
Whoever Did It Will Pay, In One Way Or Another!! :goldtooth:
two words come to mind......booby traps. I'd hang another stand where it is very tempting and booby trap the area.