Yep, middle of my work day and scored big time. 4 absolute dirtbag trespassers, and a 5th that got away. Spotted a truck where one shouldn't have been and witnessed a drive and deer shot within 100 yards of the parking lot where I work. Blocked them in with my truck and let the local police do their thing. Wardens will get them on game violations and the property owner will be prosecuting as well. Good day as I have been trying to catch these bastards for a couple years.
I hate a thief-I this year had a Tree-Lounge, the aluminum one (later model) with all the attachments and customized to my taste stolen from my farm-I had various trail cams out but didnt get a pic-When purchased 20 yrs ago, that stand cost me over 5 bills-I only used it for rifle season but if that stand could talk-Surely to be sold for a mere $30-40. or traded for a pill, it brought me many hours of joy and solace-I have busted many over the last few years for trespassing, hunting from ATV's, dumping,, etc. and Locust Post is right, lay the hammer down on their azz! I live 7 mi from my farm and policing is tough though a couple neighbors are with me in our plan to keep them moving and our relationship with LE is great. Local pawn shops wont even take in stands anymore due to theft. I just wish the scum knew the hard worked for hours that stand allowed me to enjoy and then approaching to hunt it in the dark on the last day of rifle season to find it gone and a thousand memories ignited. I'm sure we buy their food, pay their health insurance and buy their gas...a thief is not worth the powder in a bullet but, like vermin, are the hardest to eradicate. They dont make TL anymore, it was solid, climb as high as you want and it hosted many an all day vigil, now its gone but not the memories...I put a reward on FB but as of yet nothing, but a thief will rat out another...Thx for the rant space...and keep your fingers crossed for me
I had a similar experience, but not completely stolen. Had hunted a lot during bow season out of newly placed stand last year then shot a nice 8 point the first day of our gun season out of that stand. Sent my buddy to that stand during Jan. muzzleloader last year and when I walked the wood to him he was on the ground as well as parts of my stand (some pieces missing). Was able to get it back together after purchasing a few items. I think it was jealous-driven but still, pretty aggravating. I attached a plastic covered note to the seat in Sept. when I put it back up in the same tree that said "permission from (named landowner) and feel free to use this stand if I am not in it but please do not take it down" seems to have worked.
There is a guy that I work with that has hunted a particular area for a long time. He places his ladder stand up in archery and leaves it up all year. He went back to check on his ladder stand (which he planned to hunt out of) a few days before rifle season and to his surprise someone put up a ladder stand 15 yards away from his which his stand was clearly visible. So to fix this guys wagon on the first day of rifle he got there extra early took a dump at the bottom of this guys ladder. So I am sure you can see where this is going. You walk into your stand when it's dark and climb up the ladder??? So needless to say that guy didn't see any deer and the next day took his ladder stand and went somewhere else. I don't know why some hunters have to be do lazy and have to move in on someone else!
Bummer on the tree stand getting stolen. I have the same stand. I would be heart broken if my stand was stolen.
Thanks reprod I had hunted it opening day, Wed, and Sat of the first week. I had never left it out for the second week as I worked til the last Sat. As you know, they are a lil cumbersome putting up/taking down so call it lazy on my part I guess? My farm is 400 acres and posted very heavily in accordance with our laws. Its gonna be tough finding an exact model replacement, though there are some out there, but this one was mine. I took money from winning horseshoe tournaments and purchased it many years ago...memories...
feel bad for you Ashwatcher ... I think LE needs to change punishment. catch this punk and make him work $ off at 5 bucks an hour.. sweating on farm! everybody got a video cam these days... splitting wood (no hydros and cheap dull 8 lb maul) sorry rant over!
Nice job mywaynow! I have introduced one person to the DEC officers since I have owned my property. I don't have enough time to always be watching it. I don't make too big of a deal out of it because losing one deer off my property isn't going to hurt much. So I don't stress over it much, don't need stress. But these people really need to know that rules apply to them as well. I hate it when they think they can do whatever they want. You would think they would have the decency to come to the land owner and ask if they could hunt the property. Show some respect. But no, just think they can do whatever they want. So I have no respect for them.
Little update: The four dirtbags that were in the truck were interviewed by pd and released. I spoke with the patrolman and advised him that I had information that these perps were staging the assault from a particular parking lot behind a business. I felt it was worth looking into that lot in hopes of finding dirtbag #5 on the quad. They did a followup visit to that site. They came upon 3 trucks, 2 quads, 3 dead deer and a total of 6 dirtbags, including the 4 processed. Now there are 6 that will be receiving summons. All from over an hours drive away. Gonna be a long hour of driving on the way to court!!
Good for you sir-dont let up-I've been a party to poachers being tracked down 4 counties away, had licenses revoked for shooting from an atv, shooting from/across a public highway, had trespassers popped getting caught on trail cam and illegal dumping on my land because the idiots left their name on discarded mail contained in the trash...I never regretted or felt sorry for the scourge one time...Its amazing upon each confrontation with said scum they have never admitted to seeing the neon yellow posted signs every 150'??? I once had a local piece of dung tell me "you can't post that land,, it's like taking something from the people"...Really? How bout the "people" chip in on the taxes, maintain some roads, etc?He quickly disengaged from the conversation...
In SC you cannlegally shoot across or down a public highway, as long as you own both sides of it or have perssion or rights to hunt both sides . Kind of crazy really! But we have some strange and unique laws as well as one of the longgest deer seasons, most liberal limits if any (different in each county), and they still hunt with dogs on coastal units. I am 150 miles from my farm. But lucily my cousin lives basically on it and my uncle looks over the place. I do as much visible maintence and grass cutting as i can to maintain an occupied appearance.
