I agree,200 yards seems like a lot of elbow room on public land.I have hunted mostly public land.It can be a huge headache for many reasons when pursuing whitetails.Have enjoyed alot of success though and had many great times

I think he thinks he's playing Mr. nice by leaving you a note on the surface that seems like he is being polite and nieghborly.

He's trying to coyly hog the area for himself.I certainly would not be taking the bait.

When I first atarted hunting Camp Gruber in 1962 during bow season, we almost had the whole place to ourselves, especially during the week. Lots of gun hunter wood stands built in trees so close you could you could throw a rock between them.

What doesn't he understand about the term "public"? And 200yds. apart. What does he expect?

Delaware is the same as Troy said Arizona is-you can leave your stand up on public land, but that doesn't mean you'll be the one hunting from it-FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.

I wonder if he found the stand 100 yds to my north?

I know he found the stand 100 to my south.

I also don't think he knows his directions very well (North south east west, you know, the basics! lol)

Did he find the ladder stands 1/4 mile to my east?

Who walks around marking stands during the normal week that the rut coincides? If I was him id be sitting in a tree instead of spending hours hunting for stands.

Mike, I hear ya. I wish I had the ability to wake up early enough to get out there and hang a stand before a hunt. I don't! lol. I do good to get in 10 minutes before shooting light. Trying to find a stand location in the dark if the area I want is taken doesn't sound fun either.

However I've got contingencies. I've got 3 pretty good stand locations in three different sections of the WMA (one is a mile in and very secluded, one is about a half mile in and not an obvious spot, and the other gets notes tied to it!). And if I show up and all 3 parking lots are full, ive got a stool, i'll go find a place to set on the ground.

haha...and I take in strap on sticks with me. My stand is locked to the tree, and from about 8 feet high to the stand is screw in steps, so I only have to carry in two strap on sticks.

basically someone would have to have a similar setup to get into my stand. And if they did. No big deal as long as they don't screw something up with it.

Hunting public land is definitely very frustrating at times. I've had to go to some pretty extreme measures in order to keep some of my spots secret. Hunting in the snow is the worst. I've had people, including some pretty hardcore PETA people, track me down just to make sure that I didn't see anything.
I hunt from the ground, so I don't worry about a stand getting stolen, but I'm always really careful about hiding my trail cameras.

Edit: Oops wrong thread lol

Sorry, I thought my post might hijack this one so I decided not to post it here.

Bunch of entitlement going around these days. Not just in the world of bowhunting but in the world we live in. You just have to handle things with respect and do what you think is best.

In Michigan, they would have just stole or trashed your stand.  Thats why I use climbers on public land.

Chad

Haha i have places i hunt where theres probaly 5 stands within 200 yards of mine!

Haha... A few years ago I placed my stand in a location with no others around.

When I went back to grab it after the hunting season there were no less than 9 stands easily visible. And probably more off of the obvious paths. This was on about a 40 acre section. I guess everyone placed their stands mid to late November.

Sit by the parking lot. The deer are watching you all head way in.... put a cam in the lot and  watch they are nibbling grass between vehicles. Lol

Id like to see that! often times heading back to camp you find you should've hunted from the truck!

I liked his relatively low tone, but is it just me or that part about being stolen...could that have been one of those veiled threats?

Reason it came to me Im sure I read on p2 that it's locked to the tree, yet he says it should be locked????  

Overspined... that is often true.  I myself had a situation years ago where, the parking lot is in one corner of about a 60 acre fallow field. Everybody parks there and goes either west or east to start their hunt.  A small rise in the field, maybe 75 yards east and south of the parking lot held a small group of does, bedded and watching the action.  


I bumped them cutting across the field on my return at noonish.  During that time, most hunters around here are back at the vehicle, tailgating and watching or listening to either the Packers or Wisconsin games and eating lunch.  Yup, they were hunkered down watching the game I guess.
ChuckC

When I worked for the division of parks and wildlife most bow hunters left their stands up. never heard of an issue of a stollen one but we had lots of trouble with people not taking them back home with them after season.  Must have more money than me.


I would contact the game warden about this guy in case he starts getting wild.

Its times like this reading this thread that I am actually thankful the 17,000 acre state park I hunt doesn't allow stands to be up overnight. I don't want the kind of hassle some of you guys have to deal with.

I'm sorry but if its public land I am hunting any where I want.  If i get there in the morning and no one is in the area my stand goes up.  Now if someone is there first I will politely move far enough not to ruin his hunt.  In my state you are not supposed to leave stands in the tree.