What would you do?


Kevo72

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So we got permission to hunt this property. We walked this fence row and edge of cornfield to a treeline. When we got there someone had a ladder stand up on the corner. We walked about 200 yards down the tree line and the cornfield to the other corner. Lots of acorns but not signs. Walked to the next corner of the tree line and there was another ladder stand. We called the owner to make sure we were in the right place. He said look at the tree line and look left there is a creek. Low and behold there was a creek. He said he did not give permission to no one but us. Like I had mentioned in another post all the activity was on the other side along the creek...actually we believe they were bedding down there and we seen three does. Soooo what do you do, report the stands to wildlife officers, take them down, or let it go and hunt the opposite side?

Next question is anyone know where to get a really cheap ladder stand to put in this place I am speaking of...and the reason for cheap is I have to expect it to get stolen perhaps by the guy with the two stands. I would take my climber but I have decided to hide my climber in another woods because it is isolated and hard to get to (like walking through 200 yards of cornfield with no choice because it is surrounded on all sides by corn.

Any info will be greatly appreciated!!!!!

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If you are sure they are poaching then take their stands down and leave them a note (check with the land owner first).

Any stand found on our lease comes back to the camp, only had that happen the first year, neighbor was sneaking in off the backside. He never went back in there after that.

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Since you are hunting this property for the 1st time with the landowners permission, I'd probably choose 2 of these options. First either leave a note on the stand letting them know you are the only ones the landowner is allowing to hunt there along with a deadline for them to remove their stands or you'll remove them at the landowners request. Second, with the landowners permission, remove the stands, leave them a note that the landowner requested you remove any tresspassers stands from his property and they can call him about getting them back. Gallon zip lock bags will sure make those notes waterproof too. If I owned or leased the land I'd take a more aggressive approach. In this case there may be a buddy or relative of the landowner that thinks he's got permission without having asked for a long time, if at all.

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Good advice above. Depending on your game warden, they may tell you congratulations on the new stands, or they may take them themselves to hold for possible evidence if poaching violations are taking place, would not hurt to give them a call. Granted the warden does not take them, if it were me I would probably pull the stands myself after double checking with the landowner to be certain that they are on his property. Leave a note and let them know who to call to get their stands back, if they are on the land mistakenly they should be understanding and happy to get their stands back, if they are not there mistakenly then they probably won't call and a chance they won't come back. Making them come after their stands will get you a look at who it is and a phone number so you can id them in the event they come back and probably make them less likely to return if they do call and come after the stands.

Far as stand placement, if they are bedding on the other side, there is probably a preferred crossing somewhere near, possibly what the stands you found are setup on.

Dunno about cheap stands I would expect to get stolen, but might consider locking the top section to the tree with a chain or cable lock.

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Well the one thing which corn fuses me is the location of the stands...it don't make sense just because of location. We talked to the landowner last night while we were looking at them, he said no one was given permission but us. I am not complaining there is alot of land there...it is just to get where we want to hunt you have to cross his path or kill zone...that is what worries me! We are going back out in a couple weeks to check it out and find an alternate route. I thought about taking the stands and leaving a note, but i am afraid if this person finds where we are hunting he will ruin our spot which happens to be the bedding area about 500 yards away.

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I thought about taking the stands and leaving a note, but i am afraid if this person finds where we are hunting he will ruin our spot which happens to be the bedding area about 500 yards away.

Chances are if you do nothing the person may ruin the hunting for you anyway, would suck to have a poacher kill a buck you are after when the deer is on its way to you while you are in your stand. If they don't belong they don't belong.

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I'd let the landowner and gamewarden take care of it. You don't know the circumstances in why those stands are there. Another question is, have the stands been there a while, are the stands growing into the trees, and is there a lock? It might be a neighbor or friend of the landowner. If you do decide, get the gamewarden involved!!! I don't think they would mess with you when if the law gets involved.

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What would you do?

We talked to him again today about it and he said take them down. I told him he better do it. He is a farmer who has couple thousand acres of corn and beans and he is getting kind of old to be climbing trees. I don't know I think before I make any kind of decision I want to get some clarity of where his property ends and begins in respect to the tree line

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We talked to him again today about it and he said take them down. I told him he better do it. He is a farmer who has couple thousand acres of corn and beans and he is getting kind of old to be climbing trees. I don't know I think before I make any kind of decision I want to get some clarity of where his property ends and begins in respect to the tree line

Would suggest getting a map.

If the farmer is old to be climbing trees and it is in fact his property he would probably appreciate you taking the stands down.

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