Went in to get my climber yesterday to find a intruder had been there already!! No not a person but a big Grey squirrel. He felt that he needed to shack up in my seat cushion on my API. I had it hung for a month above a ladder stand so we could do some buddy hunts and film a little bit, so I didn't use it for awhile and he took over. I noticed acouple weeks ago it had been chewed on but didn't anything of it. I didn't realize he made his dwelling there till I grabbed it to take it down and he took off. Nothing I could do but hollar at my Lab to get him where he just run him up another tree, no bow or gun! Now I need a new cushion unless his leaves are pretty comfy!!

One of my friends hung his stands a few weeks before opening day, when he did go back and sat in the stand for the fist time he said it felt lumpy,he check the seat and there was movement underneath the seat cover,he had been sitting on a snake that had crawled into the seat,now he always checks before siting.

Thats funny.  

Did you have to tell me about the snake, I'll be scared to death to use this seat now!  Its a 3pc seat that you unfold and I had it folded up and it made a perfect little nest for him. Ever seen someone go up his treestand with a knife in his mouth? Might practice that all summer now.

Maybe more of a squatter than a trespasser. Maybe you put your stand in his tree so he figured it was a community stand?  

I once was doing a honey burn for bears.  I kicked the candles and the honey bucket over(getting honey on my boots?) and climbed in the stand for the evening-nothing showed up.  Went back the next evening and there was a bear standing in my stand! He apparently followed my scented boots up in the stand.
The guy hunting with me shot it with his compound.

Kinda reminds me of the time I had yellow jackets share my out house with me.   :eek:   Not too much fun.....

... mike ...