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Bummer

Iowa1

New Member
I know of this great bedding spot where every year there is a good buck holding. Not the same buck, but it is such a good bedding area that there always seems to be a good buck taking it over. You should see all the rubs, both old and really old. Some of them are on trees the size of my forearm. The area consists of scrub trees with about five big oaks and lots of downed logs including a couple piles of downed trees that fell there natually. It's about 75 yards long by 25 yards wide and on a county-owned public hunting area. I never go blasting in there and you can't glass it from any distance. I hunt it by sneaking in and stillhunting about 2-3 times a year, only in a SE wind. Pulled a 130-inch 8-pointer out of there four years ago, but have seen bigger. Yesterday afternoon at 4 p.m., it was raining pretty hard and the wind was from the SE, perfect conditions to have a chance to quietly sneak up on a buck in there. I had not even checked it out yet this season, that's how careful I am about this spot.

When I got close, I could not see very many fresh rubs, which concerned me. Over the course of a half-hour, I worked my way in, carefully, meticulously looking over every downed log, glassing, etc. I was surprised at how few good rubs there were this year, and no scrapes. When I got near the middle of the area, I saw why. Someone had put up a bright new wooden 2X4 stand right in the middle of the area, in an oak tree. There was a well-beaten path where some hunter had been sitting it regularly. I'm not even sure that it's legal to put up a wooden permanent stand on county public hunting area. Boy was I discouraged, someone ruined my secret hotspot.

There's something about having a spot like that where you dream about it and take care of it, then you become so intimate with it by hunting it meticulously only a couple times a year when the conditions are perfect, that you feel like it belongs to you. Boy I feel really violated. Sorry for whining, but this really sucks.
 
What zone was this? Please tell me it's not 5. I have had good luck with no hunter conflicts on the public land I'm on.
 
On Saturday I went to move a stand that I have had up on county land that butts up against the Iowa River behind my house in Alden, Iowa. I hunted the stand last year with very few sightings, although it looked like a perfect spot. Upon getting to my stand I had found that a vandal, (and in this case I will say vandal, because I refuse to give this person the respect of calling them a hunter), had taken a knife and gouged and ultimately cut off a factory made bow holder that is bolted to my stand. The bowholder itself was an inexpesive purchase that can be replaced, that is not a concern, however, the fact that I am hunting the same timber with clowns that have no respect for another persons property is disturbing. I have only been bowhunting for five years and this is the first, but unfortunately not the last time, my property will be damaged. I share the public timber with a few other hunters and only hope that it is not one of them who did the damage. I learned a lesson...not to leave your stands up in public timber, unless you wish to have them vandalized or stolen. This is a tremendous sport and a dynamite way to spend time away from the office, unfortunately events like this are a harsh reminder of the few bad apples.
 
Yeah - permanent stands on public ground are sure illegal. So is putting nails in public owned trees. Your county's park ranger would probably be happy to tear it down for you. Or you could call your local conservation officer and have him catch the guy in his stand. That would teach him to be stupid.
 
Yep, got one stolen two years ago on public ground. Tree stand, wrap around steps, holding hooks, safety belt, pull up rope. Left it for two days and one evening it was gone. About 135 dollars worth. fool me once.....not twice! yes it was locked with a chain.
 
I don't think there is anyway to keep a stand from being stolen or a sacred spot from being invaded by an idiot, even on your own land. Speaking of being bummed - I walked into my stand the first weekend to find a dead gut shot buck laying a few yards from my stand - talk about a disheartening site!
Thinking about using some of my trail cameras to catch trespassers!!
PLK
 
I lost one years ago when I didn't have the money to replace it. It was chained with a lock. THEY ACTUALLY CUT THE TREE DOWN!!! Wonder what these guys are thinking.
 
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