Tree stand etiquette

BostonGator

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What is the tree stand etiquette on public lands in Massachusetts? I am a new hunter and have been trying do find a couple of spots on public land. If I leave a stand in a tree on PL does that stand become ok for public use? I was scouting this morning and ran across 4 stands, 1 of which was screwed into the tree. 07B517B6-67D3-4875-BF71-B6D8D9BB725F.jpeg692AD6A2-DF95-443F-AA21-D43F6954FAD1.jpeg022FAB8F-74CB-4F1D-98FA-43886EC5CA15.jpeg8AA22A72-0C75-40D0-B219-71C2BA699530.jpeg
 
 
Stands left on public land are for the public's use... Those who don't agree with that just shouldn't leave their equipment out in the woods then. Stands left in place for more than 30 days are illegal, so don't get caught in one. Stands that attach in a way that punctures the tree (screw in steps, nails, screws, etc) are illegal. Don't get caught in one.
 
What is the tree stand etiquette on public lands in Massachusetts? I am a new hunter and have been trying do find a couple of spots on public land. If I leave a stand in a tree on PL does that stand become ok for public use? I was scouting this morning and ran across 4 stands, 1 of which was screwed into the tree. View attachment 314632View attachment 314633View attachment 314634View attachment 314635
Stands are not supposed to pierce the tree with bolts or screws.

Most ethical people wont hunt your stand. My opinion is you shouldnt hunt anyones stand either. First off it might not be safe. Secondly its pretty douchey

However you putting a stand there does not reserve that section of woods for you. People that assume that piss me off.

Its first come first serve. So dont get pissed if someone with a climber, blind or on the ground comes in the dark and sets up close to your stand and you walk in later. They were there first.

I dont much public but when I did I used a climber. Take in take out.
 
I use a climber. I was just surprised to see so many stands. The first one with the ladder screwed to the tree was about 50 yards from where I found a tree I liked. I don’t want to blow up anyone’s spot but there are just so many places to hunt on public land. I plan on going in and if someone is there I’ll just move on to another area I’ve scouted. Just curious and want to avoid a confrontation.
 
Stands left on public land are for the public's use... Those who don't agree with that just shouldn't leave their equipment out in the woods then. Stands left in place for more than 30 days are illegal, so don't get caught in one. Stands that attach in a way that punctures the tree (screw in steps, nails, screws, etc) are illegal. Don't get caught in one.
Not sure where you see this rule applies to whatever public land you hunt but what I know about some public I hunt is that stands are good from 9/22- 1/29.

I helped a friend move his ladder stand today in the frigid rain. He got a note left on his stand which stated the writer had a stand 60 yards in front of him and writer’s buddy had one next to him. They wrote that he should move his stand and “thanked” him for moving it. While most would say “piss off, it’s pubic”, he asked me to help him move it. We moved it to spot I’ve been scouting for a bit that had tons of action from bedding to food. I believe we will be blessed with deer meat.
 
Not sure where you see this rule applies to whatever public land you hunt but what I know about some public I hunt is that stands are good from 9/22- 1/29.

There's this, but following the paragraphs is challenging my attention span:


(g) No person, except on land owned or leased by him or her or except with the express written permission of the landowner or his or her authorized agent, shall construct, maintain, occupy, or use a permanent tree stand.

"Permanent Tree Stand means that type of hunting platform or structure (emplaced for any period of time) which is fastened to a tree by nails, bolts, wire, or other fasteners which intrude through the bark into the wood of the tree, or, which is fastened or erected in any manner and is emplaced for a period exceeding 30 days."
 
There's this, but following the paragraphs is challenging my attention span:


(g) No person, except on land owned or leased by him or her or except with the express written permission of the landowner or his or her authorized agent, shall construct, maintain, occupy, or use a permanent tree stand.

"Permanent Tree Stand means that type of hunting platform or structure (emplaced for any period of time) which is fastened to a tree by nails, bolts, wire, or other fasteners which intrude through the bark into the wood of the tree, or, which is fastened or erected in any manner and is emplaced for a period exceeding 30 days."
Thanks for that. I’m curious as to why DCR then allows tree stands to be installed (not any that penetrate bark) for 30 days before and after the open season. Not a fan of that word “emplaced”. Who the hell has a “loose” tree stand? Unless you consider a climber as the only kind. Sticks could even be considered “emplaced”.
 
I use a climber. I was just surprised to see so many stands. The first one with the ladder screwed to the tree was about 50 yards from where I found a tree I liked. I don’t want to blow up anyone’s spot but there are just so many places to hunt on public land. I plan on going in and if someone is there I’ll just move on to another area I’ve scouted. Just curious and want to avoid a confrontation.
Heres how I roll. Or used to when I hunted more public land.
If I got there first got up in a tree and saw a guys stand near me. I stayed and hunted. First come first serve.
If I walked in and a stand was occupied and someone actively there before me. I took my climber and went elsewhere. First come first serve.

im not getting out of bed early getting up in my tree and then having to relocate because some person that had a stand in there decides to get out of bed later than me. Just not happening.

I would never touch their stand or hunt it. But it being there doesnt reserve that spot. If I saw it unoccupied during the day and it was a spot I really thought was worth it, id set up further away toward the bedding area. See thats the stupidity of leaving a setup in the woods, your giving someone else the advantage
 
Not sure where you see this rule applies to whatever public land you hunt but what I know about some public I hunt is that stands are good from 9/22- 1/29.

I helped a friend move his ladder stand today in the frigid rain. He got a note left on his stand which stated the writer had a stand 60 yards in front of him and writer’s buddy had one next to him. They wrote that he should move his stand and “thanked” him for moving it. While most would say “piss off, it’s pubic”, he asked me to help him move it. We moved it to spot I’ve been scouting for a bit that had tons of action from bedding to food. I believe we will be blessed with deer meat.
First off if i was your buddy i would pull the stand and use a climber.

Secondly I would take dated pics of both stands and locations and send them to the warden. People telling you to move a stand is borderline hunter harrassment. People should learn to play nice on public land.
Especially when their stands are illegal.
 
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Not sure where you see this rule applies to whatever public land you hunt but what I know about some public I hunt is that stands are good from 9/22- 1/29.

I helped a friend move his ladder stand today in the frigid rain. He got a note left on his stand which stated the writer had a stand 60 yards in front of him and writer’s buddy had one next to him. They wrote that he should move his stand and “thanked” him for moving it. While most would say “piss off, it’s pubic”, he asked me to help him move it. We moved it to spot I’ve been scouting for a bit that had tons of action from bedding to food. I believe we will be blessed with deer meat.



"(g) No person, except on land owned or leased by him or her or except with the express written permission of the landowner or his or her authorized agent, shall construct, maintain, occupy, or use a permanent tree stand. "

"Permanent Tree Stand means that type of hunting platform or structure (emplaced for any period of time) which is fastened to a tree by nails, bolts, wire, or other fasteners which intrude through the bark into the wood of the tree, or, which is fastened or erected in any manner and is emplaced for a period exceeding 30 days."


This is state law so it applies everywhere unless the landowner gives you written permission to do otherwise.
 
There's this, but following the paragraphs is challenging my attention span:


(g) No person, except on land owned or leased by him or her or except with the express written permission of the landowner or his or her authorized agent, shall construct, maintain, occupy, or use a permanent tree stand.

"Permanent Tree Stand means that type of hunting platform or structure (emplaced for any period of time) which is fastened to a tree by nails, bolts, wire, or other fasteners which intrude through the bark into the wood of the tree, or, which is fastened or erected in any manner and is emplaced for a period exceeding 30 days."

Ahhh... beat me to it.
 


"(g) No person, except on land owned or leased by him or her or except with the express written permission of the landowner or his or her authorized agent, shall construct, maintain, occupy, or use a permanent tree stand. "

"Permanent Tree Stand means that type of hunting platform or structure (emplaced for any period of time) which is fastened to a tree by nails, bolts, wire, or other fasteners which intrude through the bark into the wood of the tree, or, which is fastened or erected in any manner and is emplaced for a period exceeding 30 days."


This is state law so it applies everywhere unless the landowner gives you written permission to do otherwise.
Since DCR owns the land then its legal I guess.
 
The DCR rule is this:
  • Use of tree stands is permitted. Allowed 14 days prior to the Deer Hunting season and must be removed 30 days after the hunting season. All tree stands must be visibly labeled with Permit Number.

So I was wrong about 30 days prior as it’s only 14 general dcr. 30 days before and after is for the Reservoir Hunt. Unfortunately in all my scouting I’ve found spikes with lineman’s ropes left behind, old climbers left to rot, and ladder stands that looked to be 2-3 years old. No one cares which bothers me a lot. I worked hard to get my licensing, permits, scouting, and setups done and then I see such abuse.

@ThePreBanMan I’m soon going to do that very thing; get a climber/ hang on/ sticks.
 
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Read it this way.

What is the parked car etiquette on public roads in Massachusetts? I am a new driver and have been trying do find a couple of parking spots on the street. If I leave a car in a parking spot on the street does that car become ok for public use? I was driving this morning and ran across 4 parked cars, 1 of which was in a parking lot.
 
The DCR rule is this:
  • Use of tree stands is permitted. Allowed 14 days prior to the Deer Hunting season and must be removed 30 days after the hunting season. All tree stands must be visibly labeled with Permit Number.

So I was wrong about 30 days prior as it’s only 14 general dcr. 30 days before and after is for the Reservoir Hunt. Unfortunately in all my scouting I’ve found spikes with lineman’s ropes left behind, old climbers left to rot, and ladder stands that looked to be 2-3 years old. No one cares which bothers me a lot. I worked hard to get my licensing, permits, scouting, and setups done and then I see such abuse.

@ThePreBanMan I’m soon going to do that very thing; get a climber/ hang on/ sticks.

DCR owns a metric shit ton of property out by me. Its not the same as policing around some reservior during a controlled hunt.

They cannot possibly police it out by me unless someone sent a warden GPS coordinates. I have probably 500 acres of DCR out my back door. 400
Acres across the street and thousands of acres in the general area of North Central. If wardens had to police old stands or stands with a screw or nail or that had been in place over a year, thats all they would get to do.

From my knowledge there has never been a requirement to put your name or permit on anything. Maybe thats new, maybe not, but no puts their name on anything out by me.
 
DCR owns a metric shit ton of property out by me. Its not the same as policing around some reservior during a controlled hunt.

They cannot possibly police it out by me unless someone sent a warden GPS coordinates. I have probably 500 acres of DCR out my back door. 400
Acres across the street and thousands of acres in the general area of North Central. If wardens had to police old stands or stands with a screw or nail or that had been in place over a year, thats all they would get to do.

From my knowledge there has never been a requirement to put your name or permit on anything. Maybe thats new, maybe not, but no puts their name on anything out by me.
I’m slight north central too and have not even begun to comb the amount of acreage they own. I’m glad they do own all that land though. I’m sure no dcr rangers would bother with going in to remove old hardware. I’m sure there is some fealty between epo’s and dcr ranger to some degree wrt to policing. I would expect epo’s to be quite knowledgeable with DCR rules/regs.

I’ve been stopped by rangers when going to and from my truck with guns and camo and never once had a bad encounter. They’re pretty cool and most are hunters themselves.

The name/address/permit number requirement may or may not be new but it is current policy. Permit number is needed for watershed land stands/blinds. Permit number, name, and address are needed for reservoir zone land as referenced above in my post which was taken directly from the rules/regs from DCR. I know it’s easy to just place stuff out here and not mark ownership. I just don’t feel to do that.

The land of Ma is the commonwealth and we all own it jointly. We should all be good stewards no matter the hardship or ease of caring for it.
 
Bullcrap. Only inconsederate douchbags hunt out of other peoples stands.
I fully agree. Even though the stand may be on public land but people that sit others stands are benefiting from someone elses labor, time and money.
You really have to be a special kind of shithead.

That said, a stand on public land does not reserve the area for that person
 
From my knowledge there has never been a requirement to put your name or permit on anything. Maybe thats new, maybe not, but no puts their name on anything out by me.

Way back there was a time when you were required to put name and address on your arrows. That was a long time ago but I can still remember going WTF how am I supposed to fit all that on a freaking arrow.

Bob
 
Bullcrap. Only inconsederate douchbags hunt out of other peoples stands.

No, You have it wrong. Only inconsiderate douche bags leave their equipment on land they don’t own (illegally in most cases) and feel entitled to it being left alone.

If that doesn’t fly with you then you should pack in and pack out like I do.
 
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I fully agree. Even though the stand may be on public land but people that sit others stands are benefiting from someone elses labor, time and money.
You really have to be a special kind of shithead.

That said, a stand on public land does not reserve the area for that person

No they’re benefiting from their laziness and in most cases disregard for the law. Labor would be packing it in and out each hunt. You leave a stand on public, expect others to use it. Hence the word “public”... I won’t because I don’t trust what I don’t deploy, own or maintain. But I take no issue with anyone who does. If I ever hang a stand on public and leave it, it would be with the very reasonable expectation others will use it. And you know what, because I’m not an entitled douche, I would be okay with it. I also wouldn't use screw-in steps, nails, screws, etc. that are illegal and I would remove it on the 30th day as well to keep it all legal. I don't want to devalue the landowner's timber assets either. That's - a shithead move.

Because, IMHO, that's just too much work (for me anyway), I just choose to pack in/out each hunt. I don't like to hunt the same spots again and again anyway.
 
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Read it this way.

What is the parked car etiquette on public roads in Massachusetts? I am a new driver and have been trying do find a couple of parking spots on the street. If I leave a car in a parking spot on the street does that car become ok for public use? I was driving this morning and ran across 4 parked cars, 1 of which was in a parking lot.
I’m not looking to use the “parked car” I just found a spot next to it. Can I use that spot dhuze? Or no? Because A “car has been parked there for a month.”
 
I had a similar thread the beginning of the season. Then I was of the mindset of my stand don't touch it.
I have spent a lot of time in the woods since the beginning of Archery, with no success. A few weeks ago I tried to move to greener pastures and move a couple of stands.
Everywhere that looked decent there was already a stand in place. I also have not came across another hunter in the woods or the parking area. So I'm assuming all the stands I came across our people prepping For shotgun and muzzleloader.
I have not sat in another stand and don't plan on it. Nor do I want to set up a stand next to someone else. But I can't fault someone that would.
I still don't know where I stand on this issue. but I'm beginning to realize someone hanging a stand on public property and staking a claim to the 60-100 yards around them may not be fear to other hunters. I am also guilty of this.
 
Read it this way.

What is the parked car etiquette on public roads in Massachusetts? I am a new driver and have been trying do find a couple of parking spots on the street. If I leave a car in a parking spot on the street does that car become ok for public use? I was driving this morning and ran across 4 parked cars, 1 of which was in a parking lot.

Leave your car parked there for a month or longer and see what happens. It won't be there when you go back for it. You can use a public parking spot while you conduct business or reside at that location. They provide that parking spot specifically for that purpose. But you cain't loiter. Do that and they tow your car.

So yea - your example is kind of applicable to my argument too. Abandon your car on land you don't own - it gets towed. Abandon your stand - it gets used and/or removed. So in attempting to make a point to the contrary, you actually strengthened the argument opposite of what you were trying to make. Nice job friend!
 
Leave your car parked there for a month or longer and see what happens. It won't be there when you go back for it. You can use a public parking spot while you conduct business or reside at that location. They provide that parking spot specifically for that purpose. But you cain't loiter. Do that and they tow your car.

So yea - your example is kind of applicable to my argument too. Abandon your car on land you don't own - it gets towed. Abandon your stand - it gets used and/or removed. So in attempting to make a point to the contrary, you actually strengthened the argument opposite of what you were trying to make. Nice job friend!


Correct, but it still doesn’t give anyone the right to use it. And just because I parked it there for an extended period doesn’t mean I abandoned it. I just went on a trip and parked it.
 
Correct, but it still doesn’t give anyone the right to use it. And just because I parked it there for an extended period doesn’t mean I abandoned it. I just went on a trip and parked it.

You can't do that outside of pre paid long term parking. They will tow your car.

We can just agree to disagree on the stands. But I think there's nothing wrong hunting a stand someone leaves on public. As mentioned prior, illegally almost all of the time to boot. Every, and I do mean every stand I have ever seen on public penetrated the tree in some way (illegal).
 
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