stolen tree stand

[wrenchman]

I went out with my son to hunt tree rats and found some one stole my tree stand all i can say is THIS SUCKS the seasen opens the first and i have to go out to buy another or a blind.

[Niteowl]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune there wrench...It just pains me to know that another sportsman could do that to another.I lost my private land priviliges this year and had to go public land.My ladder stand is cable locked at the top and car chain locked at the bottom....sad huh? Plus I'm so deep in the woods that hopefully no one will notice it. Best of luck to you on Saturday for the opener.:D

[kt]

been there too, i'm sorry you found out so late. unfortunately the places i hunt are so filled with people sometimes that due to this prob. i have switched to pack in climbers only
its a problem we shouldnt have to deal with
kt

[Andy L]

I lost one too. Made me really angry.

I actually set a trap for them later, as I knew who it was. I put another where I know they would see it. Left the top steps loose. Dont know what happened, but the top two screw in steps were missing and that was it a few weeks later. I hope someone had a trip to the hospital.

Andy

[Adirondacks]

Yeah I've had that happen. I was
so pissed I could hardly think.
I was fairly sure I know who it was.
They had climed into it without
permission and without much thought
I just let them sit it without saying
anything. 2 days later the stand was
gone.

[wrenchman]

I had it pad locked with a log chain on privat property it was there last weeknd.
I am sure i know ho has it a kid on the west side on the property next time i catch him on the property i wont just run him off we just might be haveing a talk with the law he is no longer a kid any more i know he is over 18 now.
I can see right where he drove his 4 wheeler right up to the tree.

[LoneWolf]

Sucks to hear about that Wrenchman. So far I have been lucky and not had mine stolen, but I rarely keep them out for more than a weekend, and then they are locked to the tree. I use climbers, so I usually pack them in and out with me.
Hope you catch the bugger who did it. Did you have it permanently marked some how?

[jmarriott]

imagine my surprise (Opening day 4 years ago) when not only my ladder stand was gone but the whole fencerow surronding it. It was a prime spot lost now but to memory. A large pile of trees and brush along with fence and fence posts lay about 50 feet from the woods edge and to my suprise my stand (Mostly undamaged) . Attached to the stand was a note stating the guy with the bulldozer never saw the stand untill it was to late.

Stand placed in prime spot on sept. 11 2001, Fencerow removed sept 20 2001 opening day oct 1 2001. Never did i revisit the stand till 5:30 Am opening day as I did not want to spook the deer.

[drummer]

A sportsman wouldn't do this.Had it happen to me, and I got it back.
Don't take this the wrong way, but there are alot more bad folks in the hunting community than we'd like to admit.If hunting is to meet its demise, it will be at the hands (mouths and minds) of hunters rather than antis.:(

[Duffy]

Personally, I do not use a tree stand (I am more of a stay-on-the-ground-in-a-blind kind of guy), but my first experience with tree stands was when I was a kid in Pennsylvania. My uncle has about sixty acres in NW PA where I grew up hunting, and to this day still occasionally go. Everyone in the area knew my uncle very well, and those who knew him were aware that they were welcome to hunt on his property as long as they asked him for written permission. One absolute rule, however, was that no one could use tree stands on his property, because back then there were no stands which would not damage trees. All stands available back then were affixed to trees via bolts, and other accessory hardware, with bolted steps, and since my uncle’s property had large, beautiful—and valuable—walnut, oak, and ash trees, he did not want any of his trees permanently scarred and ruined. One day close to gun season when I was visiting, my uncle, cousins, and me were out doing some scouting, when we discovered a brand new stand hanging about fifteen feet in a pine tree, with a dozen or so bolt “steps” screwed into the tree leading up to the stand. Fortunately, it was just a pine tree and not one of the other varieties, but my uncle was nevertheless furious, because he expected his rules to be followed, plus he felt violated by an apparent trespasser. He went back to the house, and returned with his Remington 11-87 and a box of 00 buckshot. He climbed to the top of the stand, and unscrewed each of the steps as he came back down. He threw the steps into the small pond the stand was over, loaded his Remington, and then proceeded to fire six rounds of buckshot up into the seat, totally blowing it away. All that remained was a frame without a seat, and the footrest. He proudly declared that this would be a lesson to the perpetrator, and a sign for all to rethink their actions, and its rusty remains are still there to this day some 25 years later as my uncle’s trophy against trespassers.

[Lilred]

Dontcha just wish we still lived in the year...say..1910? LOL
Back then you could lend a man 1 million dollars on a lil bit of spit and a handshake.
Truly sorry to hear yalls stories fellas..wish it wont that way.

[skeeter@ccia.com]

been in same boat...detective work got mine back..sent in a young guy that knew the suspected people..after talking about the woods and hunting, they showed him the stand they 'found'..never seen them in the woods again either..I too have came upon others using my stand..I let them there but talked to them and let them know I know who they are but I removed it later that day..not to press my luck. I would get right on the cops and show them the quad tracks that lead to the thief before....before they get washed out...don't let them get away with it....I also agree the 'slob' hunters do more damage to the sport than people know...I just took my cousin to one of my few left hot spots and told him If I catch him bringing anyone else in this would be the last...he has about 6 slob hunters in his other sides family..and I know not only will they clean out the woods but they have no respect for ones property or privacy....last year I posted a sign in my stand that said it was on camera...it worked..I'm sure they looked for the camera though..now I need another camera to film the other one in case they find this one I lost......lol..geezz....I told them to smile for the camera..

[wrenchman]

I talked to the dnr sunday
Me and the brother inlaw was shooting he has a bad sholder so he has a permit for a cross bow
we were shooting as he was driveing by so he chose to stop and check us witch was cool so i let him know about my stand i gave him a serial nuber that was on it.
I also talked the to other land owners around me they are on the watch for this kid now they have quad trails going threw there places to now.
I beleave it is why the dnr was cruseing around we never see them around.

[Virginiashadow]

I had one of my new portable tree stands stolen last year and my kayak---all of this on a secure military base.

vashadow