Is it too early to talk about tree stands?

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  • Mongo59

    Master
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    12   0   0
    Jul 30, 2018
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    Purgatory
    I spent a long day on the tractor yesterday clearing and bush hogging. On a trip to make a trail to the western most boundary of my property I find someone has placed a tree stand on my property.

    I have never seen one this high in a tree before, it is easily 24ft up with a ladder that goes up at least another 6ft beyond the seat. This is a store bought, high end product with the binding straps and lift strap ready for use in May.

    It is obviously strapped in place but I am not sure if there are any permanent anchors.

    I have contacted the nearest neighbor and it is not theirs. It is a good 3/4 mile from the nearest road. There is no established trail or marked path to it. No name or address that can be seen from the ground and is over 30 yards on my side of the nearest boundary fence.

    To get there one would have to cross a boundary fence at least twice and the size of this thing would make one think it took several people or many trips to haul it out there by foot.

    The 'country' in me tells me it is now mine but is there any actual precedent pertaining to my confiscating this as a result of trespass?

    I have looked through the InDNR info but it seems more concerned with their use on public land.

    My son in law is going to be here Sunday for Mother's day and if it is still there it is going in the barn unless I hear something different here...
     

    Backpacker

    Expert
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    27   0   0
    Apr 5, 2008
    932
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    Greenwood
    It appears someone has trespassed on your property. If they left anything behind, seems they have abandoned it. If you haven't already post signs, now would be a good time so that the trespassers will know for sure they are on private property.
     

    Old Dog

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    2   0   0
    Mar 4, 2016
    1,376
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    Central Indiana
    Remove it and do what you want to with it. What are they going to do about it, call the police? Put it in the classifieds here and see what you can get for your troubles. I suspect the original owner will learn a lesson from this.
     

    sugarcreekbrass

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    Industry Partner
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    26   0   0
    Mar 29, 2015
    938
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    West central
    You can also leave a laminated note on the tree the stand is in. The note would just tell them to contact you if they want the stand back. It is highly unlikely they would call, but at least they would know they had been caught trespassing.
     

    dprimm

    Master
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    1   0   0
    Jan 13, 2013
    1,741
    83
    Just West of Indianapolis
    Indiana has the purple paint law now. Use it.

    If you know your local Conservation Officer, give them a call. Put their card in a ziplock where the stand used to be.

    Or... just have it disappear.
     

    bobjones223

    Master
    Rating - 98.2%
    55   1   0
    Mar 3, 2011
    1,779
    47
    Noblesville, IN
    Orrrrr you could always take some more extreme measures....head up there with a very fine dremel wheel and just make some very fine cuts to some very important areas.

    When the ambulance shows up you will know who's it is!:dunno:





    Ohhh also for legal reasons please insert Purple wherever "you" feel fit.
     

    Leadeye

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    4   0   0
    Jan 19, 2009
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    I've faced this problem a number of times. What I do is figure out through some tracking where the person crossed your property line. When you erect latter stands, particularly something that large, you leave a trail, and they will have made several trips including the ones where they hunted on your ground. Take a sharp knife and cut the stand and ladder straps off the tree as you work your way down. Let them fall as they may. Take the pieces back to where they crossed the border and fling them across the line.

    You haven't stolen anything, just removed someone else's unwelcome property.

    Sadly it only works once, because what they do next is setup up on their ground right on the border and hunt over your ground, dragging anything they kill quickly back across the line. There are two permanent blinds set right next to my southern fence and I can't do a thing about them other than have my wife go ATV riding while singing through there during deer hunting season.
     

    dprimm

    Master
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    1   0   0
    Jan 13, 2013
    1,741
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    Just West of Indianapolis
    I've faced this problem a number of times. What I do is figure out through some tracking where the person crossed your property line. When you erect latter stands, particularly something that large, you leave a trail, and they will have made several trips including the ones where they hunted on your ground. Take a sharp knife and cut the stand and ladder straps off the tree as you work your way down. Let them fall as they may. Take the pieces back to where they crossed the border and fling them across the line.

    You haven't stolen anything, just removed someone else's unwelcome property.

    Sadly it only works once, because what they do next is setup up on their ground right on the border and hunt over your ground, dragging anything they kill quickly back across the line. There are two permanent blinds set right next to my southern fence and I can't do a thing about them other than have my wife go ATV riding while singing through there during deer hunting season.


    Put it a giant bait pile on your side. Phone call to CO. problem solved?
     

    Leadeye

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    4   0   0
    Jan 19, 2009
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    Put it a giant bait pile on your side. Phone call to CO. problem solved?

    Good idea, but bait doesn't last long. One stand on the neighbors property had a bait pile and they just left the empty 50 pound bags of corn right there at the foot of the ladder. Squirrels and raccoons cleaned it out long before the deer found it.
     

    patience0830

    .22 magician
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 96.6%
    28   1   0
    Nov 3, 2008
    17,587
    149
    Not far from the tree
    Good idea, but bait doesn't last long. One stand on the neighbors property had a bait pile and they just left the empty 50 pound bags of corn right there at the foot of the ladder. Squirrels and raccoons cleaned it out long before the deer found it.

    That's why you call the game warden right after "they" put it out.
     

    Roadman

    Plinker
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Nov 21, 2019
    53
    8
    Nashville
    On our farms we have had stands placed by trespassers several times over the years. I have learned that quiet removal works the best. People do not like to place stands in woods that have a history of stand “stealing”.
     

    Mongo59

    Master
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    12   0   0
    Jul 30, 2018
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    Well, we got it down today. On closer inspection this thing has been hanging there for over 3 years because it would have been my neighbor buddy's who died from cancer over 2 years ago.

    The straps had to be cut as the bark had started to grow over them. The stand had to be wiggled until the bark let go. I swear I heard that poplar tree sigh with relief as the last strap was cut.

    That explains why there was no trail going in to the site. It is in amazing shape and looks like it could have just been put there.

    I didn't even think of him as the possible owner because he has been gone so long and the equipment looks new.

    I had given him permission after all.
     
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