tsoc

There's lots of woods out there,why put yourself in a position where confrontation could occur.Obviously someone else is hunting there and has hunted there.It is not a matter of what is legal it is a matter of what is the decent thing to do as you asked.
The decent thing to do is to move on.

dstubb

I think you should just cut the tree down.

tsoc

There is always that option!

darkhunt

I think i'm going to pass on that tree, any chance of confrontation isn't worth it. I'll find something else in the area.

chucker34

I wouldn't do anything to cause a confrontation, but showing up to hunt there on public land that is open to anyone should not cause such a situation. No one has a spot saved on public land. No one. Illegally screwing some steps into a tree doesn't make that your tree. Its public, which means its open to the public to give everyone an opportunity to hunt.

I can't tell you the number of times I've showed up to duck hunt on a slough with a group of buddies on public land and someone else has already been there. We said hello, BSed with them and moved on to a different spot. The early bird gets the worm on public land.

This saving spots on public land mentality could eventually lead to the state putting up stands and forcing you to draw to use certain stands on certain dates much like they do with some of the more popular goose hunting wildlife areas here. I'm not sure anyone would really care for that. Though in some heavily used areas, it may actually be a blessing.

jdbowhunter

Let me tell you a true story.Two friends of mine had an Elk Tags here in Arizona several years ago. We built a ground blind for one of them and the other one planned on using a solid but homemade tree stand down the ridge a few hundred yards. This stand has been in this tree for at least 20 years that I know of. Opening morning my friend was in the stand well before daylight. I decided to slip down and see how he was doing around 9:00 in the morning and low and behold there was a hunter standing about 10 yards below his stand. I asked Gary what was going on and he said this guy came in around 7:30 and told him this was his stand. Gary said the told the man that he was already situated and all of his gear was up there. He also told the guy that he would let him use the stand the next day. However, this guy said he was hard of hearing and he needed the advantage of the stand and if Gary wouldn't give it to him, he would make sure he get anything so there he stood. I went down and talked to this guy and he gave me the same story. I told him what an a$$ I thought he was but it didn't do any good. So, if you think there aren't some buttheads amongst us hunters, unfortunately you're wrong. You do what you think is right on your situation, but you could be asking for a confrontation. By the way, I told the guy he was the luckiest white man I had ever met. When he asked why, I told him that I had previously bailed Gary out of jail for fighting and just how lucky he was that Gary didn't climb down and kick his a$$. He decided to leave after that but the morning, and for that matter, the whole hunt was tainted that year.

nchawkeye

We have a lot of game land in the area that I'm from, a lot of these guys can get real confrontational, they think that it is their own personal hunting preserve...I have found it best just to smile, wish them good luck and back off........................



Then go in 2-3 days before the season with some panty hose, kite string and moth balls, these can be put inside some ceder trees surrounding the stand......

Good Luck....

nchawkeye

I've even been known to make a few rubs and scrapes within sight of "his" tree, figure that way at least you know where he is going to be spending his time....Fix him up good, you'll feel better...

BKE

That's the part I'd be thinking on as to how to handle it. Although it's not very likelyyou'll meet I'd want to talk to the guy.