Pre-Season Tragedy

[Urza2005]

So, the future farther-in-law and I were out today in the woods, cutting a trail for his ATV. The land we hunt is extremely steep, and we decided to make the trail to get close to the stand easily. After three hours of hard work with the chainsaws and clippers, we make it to the clearing where the Ladder Stand is. Along the way we found fresh rubs, scrapes, and droppings. Being very excited over this, you can imagine our disappointment when we reach the stand location to find....nothing. That's right. The stand was gone. Near the base of the tree, we found the seat pad, and the cut straps.

It's worth mentioning that this is private, posted, land. So not only did the thief take our stand, but they trespassed too. We had the stand chained, with a huge tow chain, and huge thick padlock. Whoever it was must of worked hard to get the stand. What an a**h***. So much for respect from on hunter to another. I hope whoever took the stand falls out of it this season. And I hope they hit every branch on the way down.

 

[AppleSeeds]

Man that sucks, but I was really bracing for a worse "tragedy" as soon as I read "chainsaw". Glad you're both OK. Sorry to hear about the stand.

 

[theGringo]

Utter scumbag.

 

[Brian5582]

Sorry to here if you are in the Douglas area and need one till you have funds for another I have 2 cheepy spares. You can gladly borrow one.

 

[wahsben]

It might not have been a hunter. It could have been an anti. Also you said the land is posted and private. Is this your land or your father in laws? If not the owner might have done this.

 

[Fixxah]

I have a Loc-On Spirit that I am too effing large to use. You want it? Has a chain already on it. You need steps though and you have to come and get it.

 

[Urza2005]

Thanks for all the offers, but we have two cheapo ladder stands with straps and locks already. The owner of the land was present when we made our discovery, and he didn't do it. Your right, it could have been an Anti, but usually they will just sabotage something, like cutting of a few rungs, not stealing.

 

[terraformer]

Thanks for all the offers, but we have two cheapo ladder stands with straps and locks already. The owner of the land was present when we made our discovery, and he didn't do it. Your right, it could have been an Anti, but usually they will just sabotage something, like cutting of a few rungs, not stealing.

Put up another one and use one of those game cameras. You will probably find out who did it as they will surely come back.

 

[vtrj]

some dick did that to me last year. I hate thiefs.

 

[Brian5582]

Thats why I buy cheep stands except for my climber which I use 99% of the time. Nice and comfortable and I can get as high up as I want.

 

[Plural of Mongoose]

A buddy of mine had two 13 foot tripod stands disappear last year on the last day or so of shotgun season. They were easily identifiable from the paint job he had done on them. He started watching the ferry departures and sure enough found his two stands packed into the back of a pickup headed for the mainland on Sunday morning.
He got his stands back.
The thieves better use a different truck this year if they come back.... Just sayin'.

 

[daddysuperfly]

Put up another one and use one of those game cameras. You will probably find out who did it as they will surely come back.

If it were me, i'd be doing this.

and i agree, that whoever stole it is a scumbag! there really is nothing lower than a thief.

 

[Urza2005]

Yea, we are going to do that with the game cameras too.

 

[rep308]

Put up another one and use one of those game cameras. You will probably find out who did it as they will surely come back.

I put a camera on my stand and a cheap film based one pointing to the camera

 

[Ham Slam]

I use an extension ladders when putting in my stands, and I have a few trail cameras some that work and some that don't. I always use the ladder and put a cam 15 ft up point down from a different tree towards the base of my stand. When I leave there is no way to access the camera unless you have an extension ladder. I also have a label maker which I print out "There is a camera watching you turn around and look up”. I have had many times where I have a picture of a person staring up at my cam. I have never had a treestand stolen.

This seems like overkill, but it is pretty easy. I started doing this after having someone loosen the straps on my stand twice, and me almost falling off trying to transfer from ladder to stand. It’s also good to have an extension ladder when trying to clear shooting lanes. It’s a little more work, but seems to work.

 

[edin508]

I have a Loc-On Spirit that I am too effing large to use. You want it? Has a chain already on it. You need steps though and you have to come and get it.

What chu talking about Willis?
Still have it?

 

[DirkDiggler]

Thankfully I've never had a stand swiped. I hunt public land 100% of the time. I've had a camera jacked on the 2nd to last day of the season. Next time I'm going to load the SD card w/ the best virus/malware I can find.

As for for someone stealing a stand, hopefully they never get caught in the act. Not sure what the consequences may be...

 

[tj western ma]

That sucks. Part of our property abutes the Appalachian(SP) MT Club and i have had some of those crunch and munchers bend and tear parts of the tree stands apart.

 

[hunter46spring]

At least you found it before the start of the season. There is nothing worse then heading to your stand one morning/afternoon only to find it was stolen. I have had several stolen and it sucks.

 

[Kurtz]

Put a new one up in the same spot and install trail cameras, catch the prick and prosecute.

 

[glockstones]

make sure your game cams are quiet and out of sight completly or you have just furnished that hunters entire collection of goods.

 

[dhuze]

I had a stand set up about 1 mile in from any road. It had been there for about 5 years. One day I went out to loosen the straps so it wouldn't grow into the tree. It was gone along with my climbing ladder. I found the stand with the straps cut, but I never found the ladders. You had to claw your way through some thick brush to get anywhere near it. I am amazed anybody found it. I really wish I caught them though. I still have the unusable stand with the cut straps. It's useless and I dont know why I keep it. I cant get replacement straps for it and I have a climber now anyways.

 

[mac1911]

Believe me guys. As a young kid and young man we would walk into many stretches of woods well into 1 mile or more. You think that your stands go unseen or may be impossible to spot. Most stand out like a sore thumb. Trail cams to. I have never thought about stealing any of them. I have used a vacant stand a few times especially in the non season.

one thing to do is if you have any hollow tubes is to place a info card inside the tube then seal it off with silicone. Water proof the info card. IF you come across and stand that may be yours you can pull the plug and say HMM did you put that in there.

My friend got his clubs back this way. His wife got him some little plugs that fit into the top of the grips with his initials on them. He spotted them one day out golfing with me.
Also the clubs had serial numbers etched into the club heads. Thief never bothered to grind them? He confronted the guy in the parking lot. He was not smart enough to hand them over and the cops showed up and found more stolen goods in his car. Golf courses where part of his normal ring. there are hunting thieves out there.
They know we leave stuff out there. If you can afford a trail cam that will transmit the pictures that would be real cool.

another note. Is it even allowed as evidence if you use a trail cam with out a posting as being under surveillance?

 

[Jamie]

another note. Is it even allowed as evidence if you use a trail cam with out a posting as being under surveillance?

I don't think we're talking about legality here, but justice. We have trail cams at our cabin in Vermont that has been broken into before. They aren't there to show the police who did it.

 

[Kevin_NH]

another note. Is it even allowed as evidence if you use a trail cam with out a posting as being under surveillance?

Sure, it's allowed. Not a lawyer, but generally anyplace you'd legally be permitted to place your trail cam, the pictures it takes would be admissible. The situation would be different if the police had 'suggested' you place the camera in a certain spot...

 

[bigjim]

another note. Is it even allowed as evidence if you use a trail cam with out a posting as being under surveillance?

it should be if fine your just ''surveying the wildlife'' and somehow by coincidence also happend to catch a theif in the act i dont think the police would object expecialy if its your own land or you have landowner permission.