What would you do?

[Nova]

I have always wonderred what I would do if I get all set to hit the stand in the morning, creep in nice and quiet and then just as I am about to start the climb I see a critter in or above my stand Could be a coon or porcupine or anything. What do you do? Can't make noise to scare them or that stand is worthless that morning. If you climb up and try and chase them out you never know what might happen, can't shoot them out. Any suggestions?

__________________

[jbdragon17]

Get a big stick.

[bigbucks]

I'd go with the big stick, the noise made by a critter like that is natural enough & doesn't have to be from human interaction, might even make the deer curious & come to investigate. If it was gun hunting I'd do almost anything to get them away, at least opening morning. There's going to be so much commotion shortly, other than the first half hour of light maybe, it will be long forgotten. Deer's noise senses get overloaded on opening morning, they mostly deal with what they can see or smell.

[sheepheadslayer]

I got a surprise a few years back. Open the door of the stand and at eye level theres a coon lookin at me. Just about fell straight back. Got out of the tree and got a long stick and swung the door back open and started shoving the stick around and finally pissed him off enough that he went up the tree. I was brave enough to get in but then for the next 20min all i did was look up and see what he was doin. Finally he started down the tree (big oak) and went down the opposite side of the stand and took off. I didn't see any deer however that morning.

[Phunnyfarm]

It depends if it is public land or not. I believe the regs say that on public hunting land, the spot is "first come first serve".

[pascooter94]

last year just about had to clean my shorts out, about sunrise did not know but above me was some turkeys when they started marking there sounds coming down,talk about #$it my pants.

[vister]

i was hunting with the girlfriends family in huntersville last rifle season when it was time to make a drive. they had me go to and old enclosed box stand cause i was the only that knew where the property line was, other than her and her dad. so i climb up this stand and almost had a heart attack when i opened the door. a window was broken out and there were three pigeons in there that went bizirk. holy crap, i about fell off the ladder

[Froggy4371]

I had this happen! I went to my stand and looked up and there was a big fat coon hanging in the tree about 8 feet above my ladder stand. I just got in and sat there. He went up the tree and sat in a Y and fell asleep. I just figured the tree is big enough for the both of us.

I was not going to do anything if he did not like the fact I was climbing into the stand. I would have just went to my other stand.

Froggy

[MnHuntinKid08]

Step 1: dont be a pussy

Step 2: pull out your hunting knife

Step 3: CHAAAAAARRGE!!!!!!!!!!!

[DooWap]

I had a grouse in my stand one year, almost had to head back to change my pants.

[FISHINGURU]

normally all the wildlife move when they see you coming...it's them darn squirls that piss me off! they run up your tree, down your tree, get right behind ya and peek around, get on the branches right next to ya and always look like they are gonna jump on you...or they make that stupid squirl call that tells all the other animals they found something not normal over here...chic chic chic chic ka kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa