Illegal stands on public land.

[justdirtyfun]

This guy was creative and destructive. His spot looked like a private set-up, all limbs cut up the tree and brush cleared. Easy to avoid and play to my advantage.
The screwdriver trick was a new one for me. I am guessing he took a cordless drill to open up the holes to slide them in.

[Twenty Up]

I've found many stands, generally speaking over rub lines or other obvious deer sign. Only two stands have stuck out to me from the ones I've found...

1: Guy sets up his hanger and Gatorade bottle on an oak on the edge of a rubline and mature buck staging area.. He was specifically going off of the sign and not the deer because the deer could see him in his stand from his bed. Needless to say that swamp donkey vacated that privet hedge thicket and I've yet to locate him since.

2: During a November WMA rifle hunt a buddy and I were threatened off of a ridge, where we scouted and saw one of the groups stands. It was a producing creek bottom but this group (and convoy of 8 trucks) completely ruined it in one afternoon. Ended up doubling up on a buck & 140lb doe in a secondary location so it worked out but I've never witnessed people get so hostile over PUBLIC land hunting spots..

[whitetailassasin]

It's crazy I keep viewing this thread and reading new posts of guys that are doing destructive things to trees and the surroundings, leaving a horrible black mark for hunters who don't leave that kind of mess. I've witnessed first hand how riled up folks get over locations and darn near willing to fight over it. I've also witnessed many hunters who have no regard for a hunter who is already in a location, so they either ruin the hunt, try to cut you off, etc. I think beast hunting so close to beds and off the beaten path compared to most hunters, is why it's almost peaceful and settling knowing those factors can become less irritating. Personally I don't report any stands I find. Most of them aren't tearing up the land and the worst violations I see are screw ins left or a stand still hung locked in. I personally don't care. Nor does it bother me they are there. Guys get so worked up and make it there mission statement to try and turn them in, thinking it's bringing justice into the world. I've got bigger fish to fry and my time in the woods is more important spent, than contacting local authorities. The places I hunt, they aren't going back that far to retrieve them. Plus 90% of those hunters who left them forgot where they were to begin with and lost them.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Hawthorne]

I found a bunch this year on public and this was my first winter really scouting public hard. Some were in decent locations but most not. I found one on a remote island. I kinda have mixed feelings about it. I wish Michigan was like the Ohio public I've hunted. You can't leave them over night but even there I've found a couple illegals not has many has at home tho.

[ Post made via Android ]