Although Ive never found someone in my stands, or found anyone using them, I voted yes because I have found other peoples treestands on our farm.
Just wondering how many of you have either seen someone else hunt your tree stand or noticed that someone else was there? It has happened multiple times to me and want to make sure I'm not the only one who finds it disrespectful.
I would suggest waiting until they are in the offending stand and then do what comes natural with your chainsaw.
If you only hunt once or twice sure pack it out . I start in bow season and i use the stand I put on public land at least 3 times a week all season even in firearm season . Except the week I was on vacation ... my buddy used it that week did not want the seat it get cold . back to the OP use my stand its in the middle of a few thousand acres of public land . plenty of room and there are still a few big ones out there . just use plenty of sent blocker ......FWIW I have hunted public ground near other's stands and never seen anybody come to use them. Either they had vacation changes, something come up or hunted way different times or maybe just once or twice. I bet some folks place multiple stands but only hunt one or two, either those hunted stands smoking hot, or they just wanted to stake out a lot of "claims" to save spots.
It's public ground.
Don't hog it.
Pack it in or out, or if you leave it overnight use something where the access can be limited- either a fold-over on a ladder stand you can lock out, or climbing sticks you can bring back and forth.
I agree, most will respect other's property. But then whoever leaves a stand out all yr and only uses it a few times, isn't being respectful of the property in general, and that it is for public use.
Really simple IMHO..........if you want to hunt public land, leave a stand out, and keep others out of it...........use a hang-on with climbing sticks, yank the sticks after you hunt.
As for removal times, I was yote hunting public land last yr, well actually this yr, late Feb and deer hunters had left several ladder stands out. No tracks in the snow, so we hunted from a couple. I know one was an aluminum jobby that was left from the yr before, never removed per regs. AFAIC that made it a public stand (not even gonna go into it, about how some folks drive their trucks back illegally to place ladder stands a week before gun). I didn't report them, but IMHO that BS means it's a public stand.
I don't gun hunt deer on public land, but come yote season I'll use those guy's illegally set up stands. If they don't like it and want to chat I'll be more than happy to discuss what I saw with them, and the DNR.
Dunno when stand removal time is, but most of the stands I found in late bow were there during yote hunting in middle/late Feb. Some still there.
Back in the day we would have climbed the tree and jerked their you know what out!