So you set up your stand........

[spacewalker]

And you wait until opening day. When you get to your stand during the pre-dawn hours of that glorious day of hunting you discover someone is in your stand.


What do you do?

[RICHARDCatdaddy]

Ask him nicely to vacate your stand.

[Bowhunters]

I agree, I would also suggest staying back at a distance and next to a large tree just in case he doesn't want to come down or becomes argumentive and points a weapon at you.

If he is argumentive retreat, find his vehicle and write down the liscense plate and then go call the DNR/Fish and Game.

I can't remember where in the NE but some years back that very thing happened to a hunter, he found a stranger on his land in his tree stand. An argument insued and the stranger shot him and then some other hunters in the area so you need to first protect yourself.

[spacewalker]

The reason I ask. Is because it seems to be a problem in the management area I hunt. I have also heard of stands being stolen. I agree with the response so far. Call the game warden. and find cover. Cause sometimes people are off center.

[RICHARDCatdaddy]

No stand or deer is worth getting shot at.If you can,make sure your stand is locked securely to the tree with good cable aand lock.Most peeople dont carry big bolt cutters to the woods unless they are there to steal stands.

[cjg]

Holy Cow ! Where are you guys hunting? Shot at over a tree stand I put up my stand 3 weeks ago and opening morning isn't for another 2 weeks and I know it will be in the same tree with nobody in it and it isn't on my land and I don't specifically have permission to hunt it. *(tresspass laws are a lot different here in Maine).

[Bowhunters]

We are just pointing out that if you find someone on your land and up in your treestand that they may not be friendly or happy to see you and you just never know how some people will react.

As I stated some years ago in the Northeastern U.S. (can't remember what state) the landowner went to tell the guy up in the treestand to get down and leave his property and the guy in the treestand shot him, he then went and shot other hunters that were family members that were nearby.

True it very rarely happens and most tresspassers will just leave but you just never know about some people and once you are shot with a gun or arrow its likely too late.

It never hurts to be carefull.

[Bowhunters]

Found the story.
___________________________________________________

American hunter kills 5 fellow hunters, injures many

- Joshua Freed

(Tuesday, November 23, 2004)
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"This is an incredible tragedy, one in which a great family tradition like a deer hunt has turned into such a great loss." -Gov. Jim Doyle


As several deer hunters made their way through the woods of northern Wisconsin, they were startled to come upon a stranger in their tree stand. But what happened next was even more astonishing. Asked to leave, the trespasser, wearing blaze-orange and carrying a semiautomatic assault rifle, opened fire on the hunters and didn't stop until his 20-round clip was empty, leaving five people dead and three wounded, authorities said. The shooter was eventually captured.

The killings baffled authorities and stunned residents in a state where deer hunting is a rite of autumn – a sport practiced by thousands of people who scour the woods for nine days each November with hopes of bagging a trophy buck. "This is an incredible tragedy, one in which a great family tradition like a deer hunt has turned into such a great loss," Gov. Jim Doyle said Monday. Police identified the shooter as Chai Vang, 36, a hunter from St. Paul, Minn., who is a member of the Twin Cities' Hmong community. While authorities do not know why he allegedly opened fire, there have been previous clashes between Southeast Asian and white hunters in the region.

Locals have complained that the Hmong, refugees from Laos, do not understand the concept of private property and hunt wherever they see fit. In Minnesota, a fistfight once broke out after Hmong hunters crossed onto private land, said Ilean Her, director of the St. Paul-based Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans. The five killed and three wounded were part of a group of 14 or 15 who made their opening-weekend trip to Robert Crotteau's 400-acre property an annual tradition. The visit was like any other until around noon Sunday. When two or three hunters spotted a man in their hunting platform in a tree on Crotteau's land, they radioed back to the rest of the party at a cabin nearby, and asked who should be there. "The answer was nobody should be in the deer stand," Sheriff James Meier said.

One of the men approached the intruder and asked him to leave, as Crotteau and the others in the cabin hopped on their all-terrain vehicles and headed to the scene. "The suspect got down from the deer stand, walked 40 yards, fiddled with his rifle. He took the scope off his rifle, he turned and he opened fire on the group," Meier said. One of the men who was shot called for help on his radio, but it was too late. The gunman fired again, hitting the people who had just arrived on ATVs. The gunman was "chasing after them and killing them," Deputy Tim Zeigle said. "He hunted them down."

Killed were Crotteau, 42; his son Joey, 20; Al Laski, 43; Mark Roidt, 28; and Jessica Willers, 27. Her said she has heard from some people in St. Paul's Hmong community who said they knew Vang, though not well. About 24,000 Hmong (pronounced "mung") live in St. Paul, the highest concentration of any U.S. city. "They said he loves to hunt," Her said. "He is a hunting zealot."

Meier said Vang was on the wrong tree stand because he had become lost and wandered unknowingly onto private property. The county has thousands of acres of public hunting land. Vang spoke good English and investigators said he was cooperating. The sheriff said he was "extremely calm." The arrest has left some Hmong citizens in his hometown fearful of a backlash.

Michael Yang, a Hmong activist, said various Hmong groups held an emergency meeting Monday to talk about how to respond. Those at the meeting heard stories from some Hmong hunters about friction with white hunters.

The shooting has already provoked racial tension in an area of Wisconsin where deer hunting is steeped in tradition. "It's pathetic. They let all these foreigners in here, and they walk all over everybody's property," said Jim Arneberg, owner of the Haugen

[cjg]

Wisconsin, not your typical encounter I'm sure. Myself I would never consider getting in someone elses stand without permission and in 30 years of putting one up have never seen evidence of anyone being in mine.

[Tony204ing]

I remember that story and not to long ago seen the shooter on some type of prison documentery.He claims that they were calling him racial slurs and shot at him first.Either way it just goes to show that you cantbe to careful.There are plenty of people out there that have no value on human life and are willing to take one just as easy as we take a deer.Sorry if that comes out wrong im not saying that i have no value on a deers life its just whole nother topic and issue.

[nissen121523]

Yup. That happened in the county i hunt in. Thank goodness i hunt private land

[NYBuckhunter]

If you are on public land, you cant do anything about it. If you look into the rules for public land use it probably mentions something about not leaving or storing any private property on the land. In other words, you shouldnt be leaving stands and equipment on public property.

[spacewalker]

If you are on public land, you cant do anything about it. If you look into the rules for public land use it probably mentions something about not leaving or storing any private property on the land. In other words, you shouldnt be leaving stands and equipment on public property.

WMA rules here in Florida are way way different than up north. We can set up one week before. And have to remove it one week after.

[ironhead]

I have had people in my stands on my property,,I simply call the sheriff right in front of them, but from an area that i can easily defend myself. I have also found a cell phone and other equipment in and around my stands on various occasions. My counties Sheriff department loves to take care of those problems.

[Da Wolf]

We have seen evidence of people using our stands on our private property (someone left a gatorade bottle in the stand, and we don't bring drinks hunting with us). I have also noticed a climber on adjacent property, that is leased out, in a position that indicates that the owner was hunting our fields and roads. We have since started locking all our stands, and have let trees grow up to block the view from the adjacent properties. But thankfully we have never caught anyone in our stands. So, just goes to show that it does happen even on private land, and that some people just don't care.

[Brow Tine]

If I found someone in my stand I would ask them to kindly leave my stand.
In reference to the Rice Lake Hunters in WI, I was hunting on private land that weekend in Sarona, WI just a little north of there.
I still remember hearing the helicopters and squad cars screaming in from the surrounding areas.
I now work with a nice young man who happens to be Hmong and loves to hunt.
He has taught how to be more humble

[tl12356]

Ask him very nicely who gave him permission to use my stand, and the state police are waiting for you at your truck.....Have a great day, Pal.
Not kidding about the state police stuff , there on my speed dial.
As far as I concerned they are game thieves and poachers to me.
I pay a lot of money for property rights , licenses, lose of income to enjoy my sport and have no intention of letting some low life take any of my game away from me.
Never threaten some one in these situations,let the police handle it, that's their job.

[SANDYLANDFARM]

had this happen a couple of times to our hunt club. since most of us work in law inforcement it did not take long to take care of problem. now the word is out.

the one guy we did catch did not care much for 5 state troppers with 9mm pointed at him and badges showing with handcuffs waiting for him. lets just say it will be a long time before he will hunt again. our land was posted.

[Runner]

Ask him very nicely who gave him permission to use my stand, and the state police are waiting for you at your truck.....Have a great day, Pal.
Never threaten some one in these situations,let the police handle it, that's their job.

Sound advice!

-Runner