Have people who hunt your woods?

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alleyyooper

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There was a fellow who hunted the property we bought a year ago. Good thing the former land owner did not live near by and inspect his place.

There was a two man ladder stand swinging around up in a Elm tree not connected to a ladder any longer.
There was a tree stand in a real nice Oak tree with the hang on chain in grown really bad along with the screw in climbing steps.

Another tree stand in a Big Elm tree, It also appears to be for ever hung on with in grown chain that held it up. Pieces of alum climbing steps also.

I have already Fell a Elm that had ingrown alum climbing stick in it and screw in steps.

:D Al
 
Cut this nice Oak down because of the screw in steps in it. In grown so bad I saw no way to remove them with out damageing the tree and it possiabley dieing any way.








Just about got this one with the saw.



the chain.



Even the seat is in grown.






I really didn't need this oak tree for the fire wood. I have enough dead Elm for another years heating season I believe. Lots more than this tricky one.



This deer wanted her picture taken since I was out with the camera.




:D Al
 
When I bought my place in 2002 there were a few stands in the trees. There is still one in one tree, and the tree is still doing well. No way to get it out of there now.

On a clients place I dropped a tree that had died near the pond. The tree had screw in steps like yours except there was only about 1/2" of steel showing past the bark. Another tree had completely grown around a half scale chain binder like you see on semi-trucks that held a stand to the tree at one time. Stand and chain were gone. I found it in the fire pit among the ashes. Never knew it was there.
 
We bought a 160 acre farm 35 years ago that no one lived on the farm and the back side of the farm bordered a state no hunt lake area of about 620 acres. There was a draw of about two acres at the back of this farm and all the trees were full of any thing metal you could think of after I ruin a couple chain saw chains trying to clean the area I hauled in the D7 and got the job done. People had been illegally hunting the farm for years the owner lived out of state.
 
I take my good stands down at the end of the year, mostly Mellinials.

Replace the straps on the ladder stands every 3 years.

Bear hunters stole 1 stand. Lol
 
We let a few guys hunt our land, since I don't feel like hunting anymore. They all put up fricken tree stands and ground blinds. The one guy even brought a pole saw out there to trim branchs. It gets annoying, but we have alot of deer damage to our crops so I put up with it. I think they got about 10 deer out of there this year,, so thats 10 less eating my crops. What annoys me the most is when they are messaging me that someone is hunting in their spot . I tell them to figure that **** out among themselves.
 
Only me . But I have removed several stands on my property that I didn't put up. I leave a nice note saying they can come get it at my house and they can have a nice talk with the stateies. My property has rock walls around the perimeter and signs posted closer than the required spacing . Even had a section of the wall removed for an ATV to get through. I am backed up to state land and the hunters come from all over.

No one has ever come to claim them.
 
I hunt my own property, and use a ladder stand that attaches with ratchet straps. I can move it as often as I like. There are a few other folks who hunt here, with my permission. I've asked them to not drive anything into any of the trees. Here is a stand that was occupied during a heavy wet snow storm in October a couple years ago. The trees were still loaded with leaves, and the weight brought down trees everywhere. Two very lucky guys rode this stand down as the triple trunk Oak laid out in three 120° apart angles:


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Scout and I inspect our woods regularly and keep track what is going on there. This tree had the ladder you can see, but also had spikes screwed into one of those trunks.

This second tree has a stand that was chained to the tree maybe 20 years ago. I've unhooked the chain, but the tree has a firm grasp on it. And, I'll not be able to remove the screwed in foot/hand holds:

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This type is the type I clearly state are not allowed, and frankly, no one is trying to use these around here any longer.
 

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Allowing hunters is a slippery slope as a property owner. I hunt some but not as much anymore as I’d rather be in my woods doing other things. But have a great respect for good hunting and hunters. My family hunts it more than I do. But by my rules.

Had an old friend with 3o acres behind his house teach me to say no by saying that he let a few guys hunt it early on. But then a friend went with them. And that friend took another friend another time. Pretty soon his woods was full of people that thought it was “their spot”. I feel bad saying no to some people I know that ask to hunt, but at the end of the day...I bought the property to use it when and how I want to, when I want to.

I’ve ruined my best friend’s hunt (he has permission) when he was 20 yards from a great buck at full draw because he forgot to text me or call me like I asked. And at that moment I came rumbling back there with my kids and saws . He still busts my chops and I felt a Lil bad but he knew the rule! Lol

Even then I still find spent shell casings and a deer stand from time to time.
 
Took down that Elm tree that had the last tree stand in it yesterday. top got hung up in some Autum Olive so I will start soon takeing it down the rest of the way in pieces.
Saw some intresting grown in metal but wonder if there is more that is hidden in the wood.

Hope my Fisher 22 will aleart me to hidden metal when I run it over the trunk.

:D Al
 
I get to say no to a lot of hunters every year. I have two friends one for 40 years and one for 20 that deer hunt. Those two are the only ones that hunt that way we don't end up with a whole town of people hunting. These two help me get my 15 to 20 cord of firewood ready a year. Good friends and great help. Its too easy for hunting permission to get out of hand. We have around 1200 acres so they have some land to chose from. The one of 40 years get first choice for opening weekend.
 
I only have just under 9 acres total so not a lot of woods for hunting. The only effective hunting is stand hunting. I let my neighbor and his step-son hunt on my property. Those are the only ones I let on my land for hunting. I give him all my ashes from my Lopi cause he has a long driveway and a bit of a hill. I charge him any deer hearts they get. He stops over and helps with clearing my driveway of snow if I am late getting out there. The other neighbors I have own enough land of their own and they don't have to look elsewhere to go hunting.
 
Well it just had to happen I presume. I had no Idea what so ever there would be screw in climbing steps a tad above the stand. Yet today as I am cutting the tree up and get the stand out of the brush I hit one of those steps.
Instant sparks and no more wood chips coming out the saws chip port.

I had just spent time thios morning before going back there sharpening the chains for the two saws I was going to take with me to do the job.

I haven't inspected that chain just yet but do believe it is going to take a bit of metal off the cutters to get it sharpe.

:D Al
 
Ouch! Sorry to hear that ooper! Sounds like u found their bow/gun/gear hanger! Hope your cutters survived.

I only find that when I put a brand spanking new 28” bar chain on for its first run. I own two 28” chains. Both found a “barbwire surprise” within minutes of first use. I’m scared to buy another one!
 
I had no Idea what so ever there would be screw in climbing steps a tad above the stand.
Neighbors logged off thirty acres.
Scroungers left the yard tree that had wires and a yard light on it.
I cut between the wire staples, only to find, another wire three inches beneath the outer wire that the tree grew over.
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Got the chain off the saw yesterday morning so I could install a new sharp chain and go cut. Taking a good look at it appears I am going to loose about a quarter of the remaining cutters on it.

All I can say is I have all those stands removed and most of the wood cut up for next winter burning.
Since the remaining wood I will cut is good clean forest wood I won't hit any other junk.
Cutting well away from any fence lines so now wire inbeded in a tree, no plow points of drag teeth or a stone even but that culd be the stone grew in the tree when it was young and crotched but doubt that.

:D Al
 
Looked like I got it cleaned up and didn't have to take as much off the cutters as i though. Also ther cutters on th right hand side of the bar were the worst of them.


:D Al
 
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