How would you handle it

[billNpam]

OK guys I need some advice. A couple of weeks ago I posted a thread about some hunting land I recieved permission to hunt for giving some fish to a lady my brother-in-law worked with. I finally got a chance to scout this property last night and now I am more then a little pissed off. I found some awesome natural funnels, some rubs and scraps and lots of tracks. But every one of these areas some one without permission has a tree stand already hanging. The lady insured me that no one else has permission to hunt and I am the only one. They are apparrently parking on another road and walking in. I have thought I would take all there stands down and leave a note on the tree stating to retrieve there stand they needed to call me and I would return it. But this leaves me some concern for obvious reasons. Pissed off hunter with a gun really comes to mind. Call the game warden/police dept. but they will not sit there and wait until someone shows up. So any suggestions would be helpful.

[flathead willie]

I'd take the stands down and give them to the game warden. Have them call him to get them back.

[james_s333]

I'd take the stands down and give them to the game warden. Have them call him to get them back.thats what i would do

[Grimpuppy]

First I would ensure the property is posted as no hunting without written permission. Second get written permission from the land owner. I would then let the game warden or sheriff know what is going on. Then take the stands down and turn them over to the game warden/sheriff. Leave a note if you want for them to call the game warden/sheriff to recover their stand.

[Whistler]

First I would ensure the property is posted as no hunting without written permission. Second get written permission from the land owner. I would then let the game warden or sheriff know what is going on. Then take the stands down and turn them over to the game warden/sheriff. Leave a note if you want for them to call the game warden/sheriff to recover their stand.

Exactly right. Do it any other way and you are in for a fight. I own land and I can tell you if it's not posted, they are still wrong, but without signs up, it's very hard to prosecute for trespassing. In Tennessee anyway. Get it posted and get written permission from her for the right to hunt there exclusively. Better yet, give her a buck(dollar) and have a hunting lease drawn up. I think you can find some generic contracts for this on the internet with a search.

[postbeetle]

Jury rig their stands. The higher they are, they more it will hurt when they hit the ground. Tell the sheriff you used the hack saw because you were worried about what the cable, chain, rope was doing to the bark on that valuable tree and just wanted to loosen it up some.

Or oil the steps or platform.

Or drive nails in the platform part way and cut the heads off.

Or if driven or screwed climbers, bend them down with a sledge hammer.

Or leave a note on the tree telling them this area is now being used to trap with 220 Connabears.

Or take the ladder away.

Or smear the ladder and platform with hog manure.

Or simply do what the other fellows have said and have less fun.

[Mark J]

If it were me I would just spend this hunting season hiking me leg on trees marking my territory.
Hunt it next year after its established.
As for the treestands. The best way to get rid of a hunter is for his hunting to become excessively expensive.
Those treestands now belong to the property owner.

[flathead willie]

I know laws vary from state to state. Here in Virginia, ALL land is considered POSTED unless you have written permission to hunt there. Hunters are required to carry written permission with them while hunting. The difference in actually putting up POSTED signs is, the fine for a first offense goes up from $500.00 to $2500.00 if signs are present. It can get tricky. I guy I know just got a trespassing ticket last Saturday. He had permission from the land owner, however, the land owner had leased the land to another man to raise cattle. They didn't have his permission to hunt so he called the warden and a ticket was issued.

[David Knotts]

I would get a Game Warden to come and remove the stands, if you do it your self, you could get it trouble. Let the land owner know that some one is hunting thier land, have the Game Warden post a note on the tree, lettin who ever know where they can pick up thier stands. Ask the land owner if you can post her land. Cause the way laws are now if who ever comes on her land and gets hurt, that person could sue her.

[biga]

Jury rig their stands. The higher they are, they more it will hurt when they hit the ground. Tell the sheriff you used the hack saw because you were worried about what the cable, chain, rope was doing to the bark on that valuable tree and just wanted to loosen it up some.

Or oil the steps or platform.

Or drive nails in the platform part way and cut the heads off.

Or if driven or screwed climbers, bend them down with a sledge hammer.

Or leave a note on the tree telling them this area is now being used to trap with 220 Connabears.

Or take the ladder away.

Or smear the ladder and platform with hog manure.

Or simply do what the other fellows have said and have less fun. WOW!! i was really surprised to see a reply with information like that on the boc.... coming from a guy that has a bad back from falling from [my ladder stand ] [on my property] that some tresspasser had cut the top straps off of so it would fall backward when i climbed up i thank you for that worthless reply... :angry: SETTING SOMEONE UP TO EVEN SLIGHTLY GET INJURED IS NOT A JOKE!!

[jlingle]

Bill, first & foremost you need to obtain written permission from the lady & make darn sure your own rear is covered.

Before you do anything else, why don't you see if you can't talk to the other person who is coming in there and hunting the land? Heck, they may've had permission in the past from a previous landowner... maybe it was leased by someone previously who allowed them to hunt.... maybe they've mistaken that property for a different one. You just never know. If it were me, I'd talk to the other hunter & tell him that you are now leasing the property & give him a chance to get everything off. Best case scenario: he agrees & gets all his gear off. Worst case: he gets upset & you get the law involved. I think the best case scenario here is the best outcome, that's just my own opinion.

If it goes sour with the other hunter, then you can always just tell him that the stands are now yours & you'll have the sheriff/warden start watching the property & write him up. If you aren't the confrontational type and you contact the game warden/sheriff first, you can still run into trouble with the guy.

If it were me, I'd be up front with the person & want to talk to them. Whatever you do, don't sabotage another sportsman's equipment. That's the type of stuff anti-hunters would do. Hopefully ol' Postbeetle was just giving that advice in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way.:wink:

[catfishrus]

i think your best option would be to leave them a note and tell them you are aware of there stands and for them to remove them. they will remove them and you havent made no hard feelings by leaving a note. i would not mess with the stands myself. i just heard today of a man falling from a stand and dieing. dont want that on my shoulders so i would just leave a note and i feel sure they will get there stand and get gone. they could be stands from hunters the land owner is not thinking about too and next thing you know your out of a place to hunt for taking down the wrong stand. got to be careful but i understand where you are coming from.

[DANZIG]

Get the Game Warden,/Sheriff.
I know how this stuff goes, older landowner who doesn't get out much, and folks just help themselves.

My cousin was in a similar situation a few turkey seasons ago, ran into a fellow and let him know he was over the prop line. Fellow threatened to shoot him. Cuz is a Preacher and a "turn the cheek" kind of guy so he left and called me. I am not a "turn the cheek" kind of guy but the fellow had left by the time I got there. Probably lucky for both of us.

The moral to this story is,,, If you are not up to "accidentally" shooting someone, don't fart around, get the law after them ASAP.

[fishnfwl]

had that problem a few years back on our property, I posted a note (and would think that the land owner would do that for you) informing them that they had 3 days to remove their stands or they would be removed at their cost, so on day 4 we removed some stands. also a trail cam set in the correct position of a stand is a good thing :wink: then you will have photo id for the DNR or Sheriff, that also works well, in your situation you either need the land owner to do it or give you permission to do so. Another thing to remember if you draw up a contract for even a thin dime, that makes YOU liable and would want lease insurance to CYA...... Get the pic on a trail cam, they will have no way of denying it. Good Luck hope you get it straightened out and bag a monster!

[river scum]

we just take the stands we find on our property. if they are stupid enough to put a stand up without permition they deserve it!

[ratkinson]

Jury rig their stands. The higher they are, they more it will hurt when they hit the ground. Tell the sheriff you used the hack saw because you were worried about what the cable, chain, rope was doing to the bark on that valuable tree and just wanted to loosen it up some.

Or oil the steps or platform.

Or drive nails in the platform part way and cut the heads off.

Or if driven or screwed climbers, bend them down with a sledge hammer.

Or leave a note on the tree telling them this area is now being used to trap with 220 Connabears.

Or take the ladder away.

I really hope you are joking.

Or smear the ladder and platform with hog manure.

Or simply do what the other fellows have said and have less fun.


I really hope you were kidding.

[tofish]

think i'd collect the stand or stands, leave a note and say they can get from property owner at (give directions). let owner know and then just hunt.
gary

[ozzy]

I know its temping to do something bad to anothers property but just bite your tongue for now. I was fishing last sunday and a lady of "no engish" showed up with 4 fishing rods. Nevada law is 2 pole limit and you have to buy a tag for that along with a trout stamp. I called the poaching hotline and was prompted to leave a detailed message. I did that but did not now what car she was driving so I could not make a full report. Well this morning here comes the game warden making his rounds, "second time in 4 years that I have even seen one" I thought they were a myth like bigfoot. So I wave my license i the air and proceed to tell him about the poacher. He tells me about all the things that you should do and I tell him yup done that. Thats when I pull up the pics on my cell phone and say heres the proof with witnesess's.Now maybe they will do something.

[bootshowl]

Indiana requires any stand left on a site be legibly marked with the owners name, address, and telephone number where they can be reached. See what your state laws are. Here if they aren't marked, they belong to the landowner. If on public land DNR takes em if they are not marked as required. Sorry for your disappointment and aggrevation, but you are in one BIG club.
The poor landowners are having a time of it, and I am extremely grateful to anyone who gives me permission to hunt. Indiana also puts a Private Land Permission Form, in their regs book, for you to use to help get permission and protect the landowner. It lists what you are permitted to do, has a place for any restrictions the landowner might require and is just a great idea. It's a two part ya both sign and keep your respective halves, yours giving you permission, and his holding him harmless from your accidental injury etc. But the guys that do what you're seeing wouldn't do that either....
Be careful. As gramps would say, "Yer up against it boy."

[xringer3]

I had the same problem on my hunting lease. I took the stands down, and attatched a note to them, then left the at the base of the tree. Opening morning I went to the tree after my morning hunt to see if they were still there, or if they were gone. Evidently, they had just enough education to be able to read the notes that let them know in no uncertain terms that the property they were on was clearly posted and that they were going to be arrested for tresspassing if they were caught there in the future. They even walked past a no tresspassing sight to get to the tree they hung their stand in!

I haven't had a problem since. On the funny side though, I did sign it and left my phone number to call in case they wanted to talk. I signed it "The Grim Reaper" and the phone number was to a local funeral home! LOL

[steveg442]

We had a problem on our property and we just took the stand down and put it in the barn. Never heard from or saw anyone else on the property since then. We now use their tent blind for our hunting. In Missouri, you can use purple paint to mark the trees on the property line not sure of your laws but this is the same as posting it with signs and lasts longer. I would help the landowner post the property and notify the local law that some one has been there without permission so expect a call if they are seen on the property again.

[kat in the hat]

Hunt from their stand if it's in a good spot. Get up early, get in the stand, and if someone shows up, tell them they are sh!t out of luck. :big_smile:

[channelkatman]

Hunt from their stand if it's in a good spot. Get up early, get in the stand, and if someone shows up, tell them they are sh!t out of luck. :big_smile:
i agree with what he said

[jeffw51]

Hunt from their stand if it's in a good spot. Get up early, get in the stand, and if someone shows up, tell them they are sh!t out of luck. :big_smile:
dam good idea,the guy has probably already scouted for you.

[bigcatmaniac]

We have had this problem many times on our hunting lease, we just sit in the stands as if they were ours and wait til somebody comes through. I dont know how many times i have "thanked" a guy for scouting and placing a stand on our property for us to hunt out of. We use the purple paint on post fence posts too. It works a lot.

[john catfish young]

Leave them a note on the stands, asking them to please remove them. If they don't then take them down yourself. Put them up for sale , take the money and buy some more fishing tackle....lol

[billNpam]

I tiik the stands down and left them at the base of the tree. I then attached a note to the stand stating that they did not have permission to hunt this land and if they please remove your stand. Seemed to work...I did'nt have to shoot no one and all stands are gone. Then I went and bought signs and posted the property for the owner. Which paid off big kudo's with the land owner. She said she is going to ask all of her neighbors of I could hunt there land for me.

[dougc]

Good for you Bill!

I'll be removing one myself here shortly...

[David Knotts]

Sound like you did the right thing.

[Mark J]

I've handled this on one of our farms a couple of different ways.
If its a nice stand, I keep it or sell it.
If I dont feel like messing with it or I want to send a powerful message I take a chainsaw and cut the tree down making sure the weight of tree lands on the treestand.
Often if you just take a stand they'll think another hunter took it.
Ball it up into a ball of aluminum foil and he knows he's been caught.

Notes? The guy doesnt have the gnads to come ask me to hunt or lease the place to hunt so I am going to leave him a note nailed on a tree?
NO. I dont owe him anything including an explanation of why his stand aint there or why you could put it in a shoe box. I could literally see myself standing in the woods writing a note to a trespasser.:big_smile: That will never happen.

We have to make our presence known once in awhile on this particular farm because we dont live on it but its only 3 miles away.
Sometimes that presence involves making a public statement regarding trespassers.
I know exactly how to get rid of 4 wheelers.
Tire traps. Daddy aint going to be too happy with you are pushing a 4 wheeler home with 4 flat tires. You aint going to be too happy when I trap your tires way way back where you aint getting a truck and trailer to either.

Once you kill that one set of tires word travels fast.

Hunting works the same way. Trespassers know who the other trespassers are. Often they are friends.
When I smash a treestand it has the same effect as flattening tires on a 4 wheeler.
All of a sudden the mind starts working like its getting a little oxygen to it.
It is seen and deduced that what is going on with my equipment is not worth it.
Word gets out. That cat down there will smash your treestand and dangle it in front of your face if he finds it on his land.
I'm sure there will be alot of big talk but I'm sure the big talkers aren't big enough to go hang their stand.

Some land owners are willing to sit back and take it or go nail up sign after sign that gets removed or shot down.
Some of us aren't. Some of us will destroy property if its where it dont belong. If thats what it takes to get through a hard head, so be it.
We're willing to make an interstate through the hard head.


My deceased grandma taught me how to handle trespassers when I was just a kid.
On the same farm a fence had been cut and the same truck was going and coming as he pleased. She could tell by the tire tracks.
One Saturday she had me down there on a shovel handle at about 8 years old.
We dug a dang grave. Covered it over with sticks and leaves. Buried the pile of dirt we set off to the side about 15 foot with pine boughs.
In case you are wondering. We used to be under the ocean here. Its all sand.

Me and grandma caught a truck. We caught one down slap past the frame.

My dad still laughs at that one.

[catfishrus]

I tiik the stands down and left them at the base of the tree. I then attached a note to the stand stating that they did not have permission to hunt this land and if they please remove your stand. Seemed to work...I did'nt have to shoot no one and all stands are gone. Then I went and bought signs and posted the property for the owner. Which paid off big kudo's with the land owner. She said she is going to ask all of her neighbors of I could hunt there land for me.

i think you done the right thing. sometimes showing respect will gain you respect. hope it works for you. if you had taken them stands out then you would of feared loosing yours everytime you went in there to hunt because they would of taken yours in return. i bet they belonged to the neighbors though.:wink:

[xringer3]

Sometimes a tactfull reminder is all that's needed to get their attention and make them know not to tresspass. If they persist, or just absolutely show no repect, then it's time for what Mark suggests. If you're lucky, then just the simple reminder will do.

I've hunted on private land before that the property line was not well distinguished, and I had my stand placed about 30 yards on the next property by mistake. Lets not forget about honest mistakes either. When the property owner told me about it (very tactfully I might add), I moved it immediately and apoligized, then I took marking tape and marked the boundry line.

I've not had any problems with individuals after telling them the first time to stay off my hunting leases. I show them some respect, but talk to them in a matter dictated by their attitude! If they want to have an attitude contest, then I'll be more than happy to have one, but if I'm on my land, I know I'll win!!!!!!!!