Central Iowa
Life Member
Are there any outfitters in the area?
ShedHunter1
Active Member
I agree with MN Hunter but, hang them on the treestands they were using.
Altiman94
Member
I would definitely put a note on the treestands, also take the pic(s) into your local archery shops and see if they can identify. I'd be polite about it at first - pry a case of not knowing property lines. Not saying thats a reason to trespass, but I wouldnt go into it 'guns blazing'. You could end up forming a friendship out of it and they'll respect your property lines better.
BDAHMS
Be here Now
I would pattern them and once you have that down- get your ground blind near by and get em! Kidding aside cause that would be dangerous now a days with all the crazies- I would do the sign idea and put some no trespass/ private ground signs on your tree stand and near by on the access points
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Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
I guess I wasn't sure if it was their stand or yours?
Either way the stand would be gone, with a note that we have you on camera saying this was your first warning and now the warden will be dealing with you if you come back.
Either way the stand would be gone, with a note that we have you on camera saying this was your first warning and now the warden will be dealing with you if you come back.
StickersNKickers
Camo Up!
That sounds like a good guess. I was thinking laptop/ipad case. Looks like a cushion already in the stand with the bow to me, or could be a gear pack.
I was thinking of some booby traps as well, but lawsuit is probably likely. Probably better to just post it up with signage/pictures, or hang and hunt so they don't have the stand to sit in.
Maybe the pictures will also act as decoys for when you are there, but guess the area may already be burnt out from their activity.
If this is the case, the landowner of where they are supposed to be must provide stands for them. They must know it's not their stand, right?
Call the warden and give him the photos, they are hard to catch but it does happen. We told the warden about a trespasser that shot 2 big deer off of our lease over a 4 year period. A friend saw him dragging one out of our woods, he tried to follow him but got caught behind traffic. The warden caught him and a friend in late ML season, found his parked truck and sat on it about mid morning. They finally came out of the woods, have not seen them since. We thought the warden had forgot about him.
DannyBoy
Well-Known Member
For one, not all outfitters are created equal. Unfortunately, I think some out there take advantage of Iowa's lame tresspassing fines. Also, if an outfitter is sending clients in to RC's land, that would explain why numerous hunters would not be afraid of a camera. The outfitter may well be sending clients in to land he does not have leased and they (the clients) would likely never know!
Shameful, but plausible.
Daver
PMA Member
Definitely plausible...I know of a situation exactly like this, although the one I am familiar with occurred several years ago now. The kaff, kaff, "outfitter", would drop people off at the road bordering land he did NOT have permission to be on and then pick up the unsuspecting hunters later after the hunt. To my knowledge, the actual hunter(s) never knew they were trespassing.
The "outfitter" knew the landowner(s) though and knew that on particular days they were not likely to be there, etc, and would take advantage of that knowledge and charge dupes quite a bit of change for the privilege of hunting prime private property, etc. They guy I knew about though did get caught at this game and to my knowledge is no longer an "outfitter", but it sure wouldn't surprise me to learn that someone else in this world ran the same scam somewhere.