Headed out to my stand in state woods yesterday only to find it baited. I hung this stand back in august and made sure to go further than most folks like to go into the woods. Alot of guys around here don't venture further than 100yds or so from their trucks. I've killed one buck from it so far and had an encounter with a bigger buck a few days ago (as i was lowering my bow down at dark). Well i walked in yesterday only to find a trail of corn leading right to the tree with sliced apples and a mineral lick directly below the stand. Unfortunately i didnt see the buck last night but i did pull my last 4 steps and took the seat from the stand. Man does it bother me when you do all the scouting and grunt work then someone comes across your stand and decides they're gonna hunt it. BUT, that's what i have to expect hunting stand land. RANT OVER
Ive had the same theing happen to me hunting on private land, I started locking my stands so no one can get into them. took a chain and wrapped it around the tree. Then picked up the platform and put a padlock on it. Unless they cut the chain they aren't gettin in my stands. Man that is frustrating, almost as bad as having people steal trail cameras or sd cards.
I built two ground blinds one season…. primary and secondary… at the state park a few miles from town. I spent two weeks sprinkling red fox urine on a heavily used deer trail jus feet in front of blind one… saw plenty of buck rubs and scrapes. Opening morning I get out extra early… 4AM… and low and behold there's some doofus in my main blind!!! I turned in disbelief and headed to #2. At 5:50 I see a 9 pointer with his nose to the ground walk right past the dumbass in my blind and head right towards me… one bang and he was in my freezer… I think my tenant was still asleep. Served him right...
I had a similar situation happen to me in NY a few years ago. Got to camp a day early and did some scouting and set up a ground blind. Next mornin i notice a light following me down the mountain quite a ways back. I get to my blind, turn around and flash my light at the guy (who is now only 100yds or so behind me) and he just shuts his light off. I shut my light off and settle in. Once the sunrise lit the woods up i noticed this guy had set up less than 100yds behind me (this is rifle season!!). He just sat down on a boulder next to the trail. So i try not to worry about him wingin a round in my direction and just make the best of it. 30 minutes after sunrise a 8pt walks up over the the ridge to my left and is heading towards the guy behind me. I make sure i can get a clean/safe shot off and let him have it! Dropped him in his tracks halfway to the guy
Sucks but that is the way it goes on public lands. I have a pretty good stretch behind me that I have taken several nice bucks off of and the occasional doe for freezer meat. Last year some douche setup a ladder stand where two draws come together in a creek bottom - which is full of rubs yearly. Found his bait block ~50yds off and pizzed on it. Couple weeks later I shot a nice 8pt closer to my house that was courting ~6 does as they ran down the draw I heard multiple gunshots towards that stand - hopefully the guy was as bad a shot as he was a hunter
