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Flip side of hunter harassment laws

Altiman94

Altiman94

Member
As a follow-up the thread in reference and perhaps something we have all been through:

When I first moved here to North Liberty, I was told to hunt the Hawkeye wildlife area. I did my due diligence and started scouting in August. I found several spots I am now hunting. One of the spots is a small tract of timber that behind is a pasture. Further up the pasture is a home. The first night I hunted there it was quiet, and I saw no deer. Every night since then I have found that the landowner behind the public timber rides his ATV/Dirt bike around the fence line for about an hour before sunset. Since then, I've seen not a single deer.

I talked to another guy who hunts out there, and he said he has experienced the very same thing in that spot. He mentioned that the land owner does it to deter the deer from entering the woods since he knows it is bow hunted. The landowner himself hunts this (and his own land) during the shotgun seasons.

I guarantee that this particular hunter would be very upset if someone were to ride an ATV directly through their hunting area when s/he was on stand. So, why do it now? After all- it's just a deer. There's hundreds of them in the area, so what if a bow hutner takes a nice buck? There's more out there.

I've found that most of the times my hunts being interrupted are not by antis like you would like-yet by other hunters not wanting someone to shoot a deer out of "their" area.

I ask only that we all have a little respect, and think if we were on the other side. If we were the guy on stand with only 3 weeks of vacation a year waiting for that big buck. Yes, it's public, I realize that, but have some respect.

No reason to take someone else's stand. There's no way a non-hunter would take my stand, they have no use for it. Only a fellow hunter would have use for it to warrant stealing it. I walk by stands every day on public ground. Just leave them be, if they are in a good spot, park yours right next to it, but don't steal the stand that's there. We all work hard for our $.

Just my .02. I'm just sick of the disrespect in the woods.
 
First of all; i do not condone stealing period! However i have spent many years hunting public land. I might add very heavily hunted public land. If you think it's ok to park your stand next to an already existing stand; you probably deserve to lose your stand. You're no better than the guy riding his atv to scare off the deer. As a matter of fact you're worse because the landowner owns the land, and can do what he pleases. Imagine what it must be like to own land next to a public hunting area. Granted most hunters are ethical and considerate of their neighbor, but there is that 5% (give or take a few) that ruin it for everybody. PLEASE; if you're hunting public ground; be respectful of the other hunters. If another hunter has claimed a spot before you found it; MOVE ON. If the private property has too much activity; LOOK ELSEWHERE! I'm sure there is more public land to hunt than the property bordering private land.
 
I have to disagree with you. You cannot "claim" public land. It's public. That person has ever right to hang his stand up right next to yours, sit under your tree, whatever. Is it respectful? Maybe not...but neither is "claiming" an area that we all paid for with our license fees. You think just because your stand is up that no one is allowed within a few hundred yards of it?

I don't leave any stands out not for fear of them being stolen, but yet for other hunters setting theirs up next to me. I find that a lot of people think just because there is a stand there, it means magically the deer walk in front of that stand. I'd rather pack mine in and out. Most times, when I set up, no one comes near my set up for that night. I then pack my stand up and take it home with me.

I'm not saying that it's right to sit next to an area set up stand. But if it's a small area, no evidence of anyone hunting that night, and looks to be a good spot, there's no reason not to sit there. You, I, anyone else, does not have any more claim to that land or particular tree for that matter than anyone else.
 
I'm TIRED of scouting public areas only to find ALL the good spots have been "claimed". It's happening more often every year; on every public piece I use. Especially in NE Iowa.
I'd like someone to explain to me how claiming a spot on public property is rational and exceptable? The DNR needs to get their $hit together and make a rule for people take their stands with them.
 
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I agree with you River1. Honestly, if a stand is in an area don't let it deter you. That area is not "claimed" or anything of it's kind. I've found that a lot of stands don't get hunted that much. I've spent a lot of time on public land, walked by a lot of empty stands. You have every right to hunt that area. Just be prepared for another hunter to come in and hunt their stand.

I also see a lot of stands with screw in steps, which cannot be done per Iowa Regulation. If you are going to leave your stand, at least do it lawfully.
 
I do know where Cedar is coming from.....and I come from the era that "moved on" when we came across someones setup on public. I guess that's what irritates me the most.....there's getting to be no place to "move on" to. Everybody and their brother deer hunts now. Times have changed, time for a rule change. Fair is fair.........I stopped leaving stands up on public five or six years ago.
 
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According to the hunting regulations booklet for this year, you may not have a stand on public ground until 7 days prior to the start of a season, and you must have it off 7 days after the season ends. Sooooo, how do you "claim" your area on public ground. Yet I still see a half dozen treestands when I walk around public ground in March. As far as I know deer season ends in January. Just throwing that out there.
 
I think a lot of stands are left out year around for many years to come.

One thing to consider, if you leave your stand on public ground, it becomes public property. Which means, another hunter can legally sit in your stand. Just another reason to not leave your stand out on public land.
 
That is something I have always wondered... If you have your stand out after the time it is supposed to be out, since it is on public land is it now public property as well? I wouldn't take someone's stand because I would be pissed if someone took one of my stands, but it just seems like those hunters are asking for their stands to be stolen when they do this.
 
ditto

The Iowa law says that on public land first come first serve. So if a person wishes he can hunt your stand anytime you're not in it if it's on a public tree. If you fervently ask him to get out of your stand then he can have you arrested for hunter harassment. I take a climber and hunt where there are 18 bowhunters in 120 acres. Most hunters have 2 or 3 stands. You can't hunt anywhere without bumping into a stand. I don't set in them but I will set next to them because it is public land. We try to stay out of each others way but we all hunt deer and move to better spots.(We think) In any event everyone cooperates and gets along well. Good group of guys even if they do bust me occasionally.;)
 
It would suck to only have public to hunt!! But I have 5 public lands within 40 miles of me ! I'll ya tell most that hunt them only travel maybe a 1/4 mile in!! All have big deer! Most are scared to get back in to hunt!! :thrwrck:
 
Your best plan when it comes to other hunters on public (especially if it's small) is to get together before season starts and come up with a plan. If you plan on hunting an area you can all talk about it and come to an agreement.

Maybe you can only hunt on Saturday and Sunday nights, but the other two guys hunt during the week. Most people hunt on the weekends, so if you hunt during the week you will be more likely to see deer, especially if you travel off the beaten path.
 
I have killed many a deer within sight of an unoccupied stand, I figure they just don't know when to hunt it. Hunted strictly public land for a number of years. The regulars and I rarely had any trouble. Except for one old boy and I always seem to try to beat each other to a certain spot, I usually won :)
 
There is a guy who owns land right next to the public land that I hunt. He has no-trespassing signs up every 10 feet and blaze orange on almost every tree. He even watches the public ground parking spot and writes down license plates and harasses those hunters telling them not to go near his land.

His land is surrounded by 500 acres of public hunting to the north, 500 acres of preserve to the west, and 500 acres of upland/marsh to the South. He leaves standing corn on his land all winter. All the deer bed down either in the preserve or so close to his fenceline that you have no access to them. The wind always coming from the northwest, you have no way to beat the wind.

This one landowner has essentially tied up this whole area ruining public hunting ground for anyone else.
 
pastorpotluck said:
I take a climber and hunt where there are 18 bowhunters in 120 acres. Most hunters have 2 or 3 stands. You can't hunt anywhere without bumping into a stand
Click to expand...

I don't know what to say to this except I gotta hand it to you for even staying in the sport.
There is no way I could do that.....I'd quit, hunt a road ditch or sell my body on the street for a place to hunt (which wouldn't end up getting me anything better than a road ditch!), but I couldn't do that.
Hopefully there are a lot of deer in the area....that's the only thing that could warrant the frustration of having to put up with that many people on that small of an area.
 
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