Public Service Announcement - hope this helps someone!
11-17-2005, 02:27 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 9
Public Service Announcement - hope this helps someone!
First, new to posting here, I've been reading the last couple of weeks, I really like this forum!
Okay, so count me among the ranks; my tree stand was stolen. And what kills me is two weeks ago I was reading posts on here about stolen stands and hearing everyone say "Chain it up, or it will be gone." I thought to myself, I should do that, but they are already up, I'll do it next year. I can't believe I get to be one of the cliche' "I never thought it would happen to ME!"
The senario: I have access to some public land that is next to impossible for the public to reach save a long and ardous hike. This section of public land is adjoined on three sides by private property (houses and farms, no hunting persay) and then the fourth side is a larger section of public land that is only really accessable by a boat on large lake (Lake Jordan, for those in the Raleigh, NC area). Anywho, the farm gave me permission to access this area through their land. I set out two Tree Lounges I had and later bought a ladder stand for my g/f to hunt with me out of. We hunted the 29th of October and didn't get back out until November 12, and one of my Tree Lounges was gone. This was the one I use reguraly, with the pad and pillow and the old leveler that worked great! I, of course, am now kicking myself, especially with me considering locking them up earlier and deciding against it. The ladder was locked, and I've pulled the climber. I know, the idea of a climber is to take it in and out with you, but for those of you that use them know, they aren't the quitest things to carry or set up, I thought it would be fine to leave them out there.
Anyways, I wanted to share my story with ya'll in hopes atleast one person reads it and says "I really should do that" and goes and and chains them up to prevent someone from taking theirs!
Good luck to everyone, I'm off to West Virginia next week with my back up climber!
Okay, so count me among the ranks; my tree stand was stolen. And what kills me is two weeks ago I was reading posts on here about stolen stands and hearing everyone say "Chain it up, or it will be gone." I thought to myself, I should do that, but they are already up, I'll do it next year. I can't believe I get to be one of the cliche' "I never thought it would happen to ME!"
The senario: I have access to some public land that is next to impossible for the public to reach save a long and ardous hike. This section of public land is adjoined on three sides by private property (houses and farms, no hunting persay) and then the fourth side is a larger section of public land that is only really accessable by a boat on large lake (Lake Jordan, for those in the Raleigh, NC area). Anywho, the farm gave me permission to access this area through their land. I set out two Tree Lounges I had and later bought a ladder stand for my g/f to hunt with me out of. We hunted the 29th of October and didn't get back out until November 12, and one of my Tree Lounges was gone. This was the one I use reguraly, with the pad and pillow and the old leveler that worked great! I, of course, am now kicking myself, especially with me considering locking them up earlier and deciding against it. The ladder was locked, and I've pulled the climber. I know, the idea of a climber is to take it in and out with you, but for those of you that use them know, they aren't the quitest things to carry or set up, I thought it would be fine to leave them out there.
Anyways, I wanted to share my story with ya'll in hopes atleast one person reads it and says "I really should do that" and goes and and chains them up to prevent someone from taking theirs!
Good luck to everyone, I'm off to West Virginia next week with my back up climber!
11-17-2005, 06:56 PM
#5
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location:
Posts: 113
RE: Public Service Announcement - hope this helps someone!
Don't beat yourself up too bad.Even if you did chain your stand and use a hacksaw proof lock,your stand can still be stolen.
Theives will find a way to steal your stands,camera's etc:
They are not hunters or sportman they are THIEVES!I believe in Karma,so what goes around comes around!
Theives will find a way to steal your stands,camera's etc:
They are not hunters or sportman they are THIEVES!I believe in Karma,so what goes around comes around!
11-17-2005, 08:58 PM
#6
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ponce de Leon Florida USA
Posts: 10,079
RE: Public Service Announcement - hope this helps someone!
A dang thief will steal anything and the old saying that a lock only keeps the honest people out is often true. Hardened steel chains and top grade locksare usually a necessity. On a ladder stand wraping the chain under the stand and locking it where it is very hard to get a bolt cutter on it will help.
11-17-2005, 09:13 PM
#7
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Maine
Posts: 75
RE: Public Service Announcement - hope this helps someone!
I fortunately haven't had a stand stolen yet, and here's what I do as a precaution. The stand that I use with a climbing stick, I just take the stick down when I leave and carry it a few hundred feet off and hide it under a fallen tree or leaves.
Screw-in steps are not legal where I hunt, but when they were I used to back out the bottom 4 or 5 steps and also hide them. If they can't reach your stand they can't steal it! (Or at least it's harder for them to do so)
I also as an extra precaution use a bicycle cable and lock as an added measure.
I have a pretty expensive Summit climber and even though it's not too bad to pack in, it's hard to do so quietly and conveniently, so I also hide it under the leaves and take the seat pad with me so it doesn't get wet.
The extra advantage of hiding it under the leave is that any fabric on your stand will absorb the smell of the leave and offer a natural cover scent.
I also engrave my name and address on my stands in several places.
I read another post in one of these forums that I thought was a good idea, and that is to also engrave the words. "I do not sell my treestands, so if you are buying this stand from someone, it is stolen! Please notify the police"
Good luck and I hope you don't have any more stands stolen! It's a shame that there are such slobs in the woods posing as "hunters"!
Screw-in steps are not legal where I hunt, but when they were I used to back out the bottom 4 or 5 steps and also hide them. If they can't reach your stand they can't steal it! (Or at least it's harder for them to do so)
I also as an extra precaution use a bicycle cable and lock as an added measure.
I have a pretty expensive Summit climber and even though it's not too bad to pack in, it's hard to do so quietly and conveniently, so I also hide it under the leaves and take the seat pad with me so it doesn't get wet.
The extra advantage of hiding it under the leave is that any fabric on your stand will absorb the smell of the leave and offer a natural cover scent.
I also engrave my name and address on my stands in several places.
I read another post in one of these forums that I thought was a good idea, and that is to also engrave the words. "I do not sell my treestands, so if you are buying this stand from someone, it is stolen! Please notify the police"
Good luck and I hope you don't have any more stands stolen! It's a shame that there are such slobs in the woods posing as "hunters"!
11-18-2005, 02:52 AM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: IDAHO
Posts: 252
RE: Public Service Announcement - hope this helps someone!
Atleast not all ofthe stands were stolen. Sorry to hear that yourstandwas stolen. Losing your best hunting stand is like losing the good luck hunting cap!! Hunting just keeps getting tougher. Good luck in West Virginia.
11-18-2005, 05:47 AM
#9
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 9
RE: Public Service Announcement - hope this helps someone!
Thanks everyone for the kind words, and there were some good ideas on here that I'll be incorporating. To top it all off, it was stupid hot here this week while I was hunting, the day I come back to work (yesterday) the cold front finally comes in. The only deer I saw I kicked up walking to set up my climber for Tuesday's night hunt.
I just hope I have better luck in West Va, this will be the first time I hunt out there, ya'll have some big bucks don't you? Atleast compared to central VA and NC?
I just hope I have better luck in West Va, this will be the first time I hunt out there, ya'll have some big bucks don't you? Atleast compared to central VA and NC?
11-18-2005, 09:08 AM
#10
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 7
RE: Public Service Announcement - hope this helps someone!
Was the stand on public land? I have a buddy of mine who had a stand on public land here in Wisconsin and he left if up throughout the season. One afternoon he walked in to find the stand missing. The story gets worse. A DNR warden appeared behind him and asked it that was his stand in the tree and he said yes. He was fined for leaving the stand in a tree on public land while not hunting it.
My brother had a similar situation in Ohio, his stand wasmissing when he got out to hunt but it wasn't stolen. A game warden had taken it and left a note that he couldn't leave a stand up while on public land.
Your stand being stolen is BS and others should respect your property but these days hardly anyone does.
My brother had a similar situation in Ohio, his stand wasmissing when he got out to hunt but it wasn't stolen. A game warden had taken it and left a note that he couldn't leave a stand up while on public land.
Your stand being stolen is BS and others should respect your property but these days hardly anyone does.