Public Land Question

I wouldn't but that is just me.

maybe the state is providing them?

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I highly doubt it.

If an individual leaves their stands in public hunt land, are they giving permission to anyone else to use it?

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I don't know but they shouldn't be surprised if they arrive to hunt and find someone already in their stand.

Is there a posted or keep off of me sign on it?

If not I'd use it and if someone comes along and says "Why are you in my tree stand?" I'd get off and explain no sign etc. leave and be happy.

Different states may have different rules so I'd check in your fish and game handbook to see what it says about tree stands.

It would be embarassing to be in someone else's tree stand and be ticketed for an unauthorized tree stand!

It is quite common for people to leave tree stands in trees all season.

But they must be stamped with the owners name & address, and you must be prepaired to lose one to theft occasionally. Chains & padlocks help but not if the thief has a bolt-cutter.

Here in Kansas, a tree-stand on public hunting land is fair game for anyone to use if you aren't in it when the sun comes up.

Georgia law, on the otherhand, seems to require them to be placed on public land the day prior to the hunt, and removed by noon the next day following the hunt.

You need to pick up a copy of your states deer hunting regulations were you bought your licence and see what it says.

rc

I wouldn't use it.

Check with your state wildlife department. Here in Ohio, they respond within a day or so to e-mails. Unless I knew for sure that the state provided them (I kinda doubt it), I would leave em be.

As an ethicak hunter, you know it could be from another hunter who left it there the day before. I would nt use it if it was me.

If someone leaves the stand on public land though they have to expect that someone is going to use it, right?

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If someone parks their car in a public parking area they have to expect that someone is going to use it,right? ...just asking...

I'm going to assume you're from Florida because you called the hunting areas "WMA"s.

It's legal in Florida to leave your treestand at a WMA as long as it isn't screwed to the tree. I wouldn't use it. It's obviously not yours and the state isn't putting them up. (If the state IS putting them up I want to know about it ASAP so I can fire off letters to every politician in Florida).

If it's not yours don't mess with it. And if you ARE in Florida the chances of you getting shot for using it are probably pretty high.

a deer stand sitting in the woods and a car in a parking lot are hardly the same.

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Why? Neither one is your(speaking in general terms not you specifically) property.

I would take my own down

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Same here. That would eliminate any confusion.

If it's a wooden ladder stand & tied to the tree with rope & looks like it's been there a few years, now that's alittle different. As stated by others I would'nt use it, But if I had
my climber with me and the sign looked good I'd climb in the area ; )
Y/D

FLAvalanche said:

I'm going to assume you're from Florida because you called the hunting areas "WMA"s.

It's legal in Florida to leave your treestand at a WMA as long as it isn't screwed to the tree. I wouldn't use it. It's obviously not yours and the state isn't putting them up. (If the state IS putting them up I want to know about it ASAP so I can fire off letters to every politician in Florida).

If it's not yours don't mess with it. And if you ARE in Florida the chances of you getting shot for using it are probably pretty high.

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There are WMA's in alot of state and they call them such
Y/D

if you see a nice chair that that has been sitting in a park for a few days and the owner is not going to be at the park that day...would you sit in if you were looking for a place to rest..............................i would.....and on the other hand...if i used a tree stand on public property..i would be in it and ready to hunt well before sun up...if not i would be ready to find someone else in it

Its not legal onall WMA in fl. Check the rules only a very few is it leagl to leave your stand.And no i would not sit in it.

There are WMA's in alot of state and they call them such

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I've never heard other states call them that. Learn something new every day. But that's why I put assume in there, just in case I was wrong.

Check the rules only a very few is it leagl to leave your stand.

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Most will let you leave them through the season. Few, if any, will let you leave them there all year. But you do bring up a very good point and that all WMAs do their thing differently and it's always good to have a copy of the regs for that particular WMA.

But like I said, I wouldn't use the stand if it wasn't mine. Stand theft is rampant down here on the WMAs and there are way too many people that are tired of people stealing their stands and will more than likely take a shot at you.

I might not use it. but I would hunt from under or around it for sure and this is why; a couple of years ago on a WMA I had picked out some nice areas with promise only to find tree stands at them on opening day. They sat empty for the first 3 days. On the 4th day I walked into a fellow hunter and we started to talk. I mentioned all the stands to him, he told me that they were his. He said he put out 7 stands so that he could cover as much ground as he could.

So I missed some good spots because I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving the area as soon as I spotted the stand.

Old Shooter said:

Different states may have different rules so I'd check in your fish and game handbook to see what it says about tree stands.

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This is the correct answer. Here in Wisconsin, on any public land, trees stands must be removed at the end of the day(only exception is the Friday before the opening day of regular gun season). Stands vacated during the day must have the owners name and address clearly visible from the ground. If either of these criteria are not met, the stand is fair game.....not only to use, but to take. The reason most hunters leave their stands in the woods on public land is not because of convenience, but to "stake out" a piece of ground. They think that by leaving their stand they have a legitimate reason to tell other hunters that they were there first, this spot is taken and to go somewhere else. IMHO, Those that leave their stands on public land for this reason are just slob hunters. Kinda like the slobs that leave their rubber gloves on top of the gutpile when they get done instead of takin' 'em with them.....or the slobs that can't find their way on or out of the woods without leaving a Hansel and Gretel surveyor tape trail.........

Illegal or not, it isn't "ethical" to leave erect a tree stand on "public" lands nor to leave a portable stand in place. (Nor is it ethical to steal one just because it's there!) But using one that's been left there is certainly not unethical; the dude has a right to his stand but not to using his stand as a book mark to reserve "his place" on public land. I've used such stands quite a few times and only once had a fellow claiming to be the the owner come in. I came down without argument, wished him good luck, told him to be careful because my buddy was near by and left quietly but without apology. The same issue on private land would be entirely different, posted or not.

In Virginia we call them WMAs as well. IIRC, you can leave a non-permanently attached stand for up to 14 days, but you might be taking a chance if it was a nice one...not everyone respects other people's property. Personally I would not use it, but like another poster said, if the spot was really good, I would set up nearby

We have WMA'a here as well.


Here in Idaho You can put up a stand or a blind no sooner than 10 days before the season for which you have a tag for opens, placing a stand does not guarantee right of use. Stand or blinds may not be locked. They must be marked with your contact info. Once placed on public land they are first come first serve. And it is illegal to for any one to interfere with any one who is legally hunting.

Would I use it, probably not I don't know how they maintain their gear and would hate to find out the hard way they don't.

My personal opinion for what it is worth (and its not much) is that if you don't want any one to use your gear, don't leave it on public land.

After all, are you going to hang your stand in a prime spot or a crappy spot and why should someone be excluded from a prime spot on public land.