Stealthy_Bowman

So I went bow-hunting this morning for a couple of hours before work to a property that is not open to the general public and low and behold my tree stand was stolen. It must have been another hunter who stole it because I had removed all of my tree-steps and no one to my knowledge carries tree-steps in the woods other than fellow hunters. I'm sure you can imagine the frustration and anger that I felt, especially since I've been repeatedly seeing a buck that is easily over 150 P&Y in the area and I was very anxious to get a crack at him.
Incidentaly, a friend of mine had a tree stand stolen a couple of weeks ago in an entirly different county. It just seems to me that this kind of garbage is occuring more and more. Why are there so many scum bags infecting our ranks like the plague?!?
We hunters are an aging population with our numbers steadily declining throughout the nation, we should be a brotherhood looking out for one another rather than screwing each other over. Sadly this isn't the case.
The true character of an individual comes out only when no-one is around, it disgusts me that so many hunters are down right thieves when no-one is looking. These are the scum bags that give all of us a bad name.
Ok I'm done venting now.

762mm

Yeah, that's bad to have it stolen from private property. There's a few lazy opportunists out there, and if they're not stealing treestands then they are also the type of filth to try and claim, maybe take that pathetic button buck someone's kid shot. Maybe leave plastic wrappers, bottles, beer cans, old tarps all over the woods, shoot at horses and cattle or shoot a deer, not tag it and go out for another then cut the head and antlers off, let the rest of it to lay there to rot. Makes us look bad to nonhunters, huh?

I have little faith in humanity and trust no one when it comes to my unguarded possessions, there's people out there that want what you have, so I pack my climber stand in and out of the woods each time. Worth the effort and extra set up time, and for peace of mind I know I'll have it to use.

model722

Sorry about your tree stand. I've got to agree with you when you say we need to stick together and not screw each other over. hunters are a dieing breed it's to bad when we steel from each other.

mhogan

The son and I have had three stolen. It is a shame. I believe it is always teenagers.

Bent Arrow

Having something stolen sucks, but the thing that really gets me depressed about hunting is the attitude that for a hunt to be sucessful you need to kill something. I rarely meet anyone who doesn't break at least one or more game laws. From shooting grouse out of their car window to not tagging turkeys to exceeding game limits, or trespassing. This seems to be a way of life here in New York. The other thing that really bothers me is everything is geared to making money in my opinion. States manage for the deer herds first because they are the big money generator for the states general funds. The best small game you will find on state land in New York is Squirel.I would like to a hunting show where someone hunts public land and shoots a deer that isn't a trophy because it may be the only one they see rather than the big money game ranch needs to cull that one from the herd. How about some one hunting with stuff he got a WalMart on a $200.00 budget including his Licenses. Show me a segment on a TV show that shows how to be sucessful on heavy pressure public lands. Even when they air a show where the don't score the big one (rarely ever) they still enjoyed because of all the other stuff they got to do for their $10,000 dollarhunt and their fine dinning fare from the game farms chef. Sorry I had to vent.

PMGHUNTER

I have to agree with you having tree stands stolen does suck. As a guide it is important for those to be there after you scout the area and hang it, then go to put a client in there and the stand is gone. I did get revenge one day though. I located a stand that was stolen from me, how could I tell, my identification tag with my name was still on it. Had a warden friend come with me to retrieve it and the hunter was in it. You can only imagine the smile on my face when I saw orange in the stand on our approach.

I also would like to see more of those types of programs Bent Arrow.

Member of PETA (People for the Eating of Tasty Animals) shoot straight and goodluck PMG

Steve F.in MD

Not all hunters fit the mold of stand thieves. On one of the properties that I hunt there has been an expensive tree stand hanging at the bottom of a tree for four years. There are about 10 people with permission to hunt the property. I have talked to all of them and none claims the stand. They all know where it is and that is appears abandoned. Every season I am surprised to see it still hanging there. I think it says good things about the other hunters on this property.

Broadhead88

As the Marines Corps state: it's that 10% that ruins it for the other 90%. In the case of hunters, it's probablt less than 1% but that is enough in the eyes of the public.

Sorry about your stands but just hang in there and keep your head up.

Hunting the wilds of Jersey

Boats

Who says it's hunters stealing. It is a old way of the Anti's to try to get us from hunting.

Vic

EMS Motto: Your misery is our Pleasure

mauser06

even though im a teenager myself i must agree it can be teenagers..i was walking with my friend behind our house and came across 2 stands and he was seriously about to take them with him! i acked him if he wanted to make it out of the woods without broken legs and hes like what do you mean? i was like if someone did that to my stands id be pretty mad...im not going to sit here and watch u steal 2 other hunters! he thought about it and hes like ya i guess your right id be mad too.. but my dad had many taken from a piece of land that nobody really hunts and nobody is allowed but a few...he drove by a neighbors yard of the land owner to see his tree stands resting in the his yard! the guys is a poacher and nobody can prove it and i wouldnt put stealing stands past the guy...and to see them hanging in his tree shows it...my dad didnt do anything because he has to much to loose over a 100$ stand...thats why im buying one good cliber and never leaving it unless i know it will be fine..which will be never!