This guy goes off at the MN DNR

[reinhard1]

it always pays off to tell the truth. in most cases the CO's know what's going on before they ask questions. dont build stands that are illegal and you wont have a problem. people that do that just hurt hunters that follow the law, like you said with further restrictions down the line. good luck.

[TRZ II]

I didn't say to lie to the CO. But to tell them exactly where all your friends stands were! I don't like perms all over public land either but heck i wouldn't have many friends left if i did something like that. And how would a CO "KNOW" you deer hunted that area, many people only hunt birds. I guess some people are really afraid of the law, I'm not, because I don't break it! And there are less hunters now that in yrs. past and many public areas have opened up! 2 of my public spots actually came from old timers who quit hunting and told me about the spots that now had no one hunting them, those are the 2 perms we hunt, we just fixed them up and now have 2 nice hunting spots with no one else hunting anywhere near there.

[fishinfey8]

My family and neighbors are friends with the majority of CO's that roam my home territory. I went to school with most of their kids. They know where we hunt, fish, eat, and sleep (like any other friends would). That's why I got the scoop straight from them. They said they didn't necessarily want to be doing this (in part b/c they a lot of the stands they took down were people from the community that they knew), but there were legitimate cases where people reserve their spot, and get into quarrels with newcomers that sit in their stand, or set-up close-by. They decided the best way to handle it, was by taking down illegal stands. In this particular area, there are more and more hunters each year, but overall population declining is probably true.

Sounds like you have a nice, quiet spot there. Becoming friends with the old timers can really pay off. Usually they like to pass on the tradition and let someone they know and like live their dream.

[reinhard1]

we got our spot from an old timer back in the early 60's. we were partridge hunting and came up to the open area out of nowhere. there stood the old timer who was just hunting like we were, but standing by his stand. we were just kids then and struck up a conversation. after talking a bit he said he was all done hunting deer. had trouble getting up the stand and offered it to us. we have been calling it the finlander stand ever since. its no longer there, being blown over by a storm long ago. never forget that day. we talked for about 2 hours. with his broken english you could tell it was hard for him to keep his composure leaving his "spot" he had for 40 years. good luck.

[TRZ II]

One of these spots I found was similar. I was out scouting in sept. in a large area of public land and came across an old timer squirrel hunting he asked what he heck i was doing? I was a young early 20's bum with no job out scouting. I had walked about 4 miles to get there and he then informed me he was parked 4oo yrds away. He said he admired my "grit" and gave me his perm, he said it was too far back for him anyway and his wife worries about him and that he would hunt the corn pile in his yard from now on! We talked for an hour or so and I shot my first nice buck in that stand that fall. Over the 8 yrs I hunted that stand I shot 12 deer. the old timer came in one day late in gun season and i was dragging out a basket 8 and was happier than i was! I have since gave the spot to a friend who has started hunting, he shot 8 deer in 5 yrs. I hunt my own land I bought now.

[Bowfin]

Outlawing all permanent stands and having everyone go to portables will not solve the "reserving public land" problem. Right now an unoccupied permanent is open and can be used by anyone. Think about it. Would you feel ownership more if you saw someone sitting in a permanent you built or the $300 portable stand you set up the week before.

Unfortunately, if lawmakers try to address the "reserving public land" problem by restricting deerstands its a losing battle for all hunters.

1st - the permanent stands will get banned

2nd - portable stands will need to have the name of the hunter posted on them

3rd - portable stands will get restricted to requiring they be taken down and put up daily - not very condusive for trying to sneak into your hunting spot early and without noise.

This is exactly what is currently required across the border in "cheeseland". Public land hunters are restricted to portables only, need their name on the stand, and stands have to be taken down daily - and they still have turf wars over hunting spots. Having a half million hunters "claiming their spots" each morning an hour before shooting light is a recipe for some conflict.

Think what you will on permanent stands but banning them wont help the turf wars out there. Turf wars should be handled by the wardens through hunter harassment tickets.

Whenever you have someone covering an area with a high powered rifle there will always be some sense of claiming that area at least while they are hunting. This is just a fact of hunting.

[MJ1657]

Not to change the subject but that WI rule on not leaving stands on public land overnight is a bummer. I have never hunted public land or in WI so I was not up on the rules.

I want to take a youth deer hunting over there and i'm not sure what to do now as a two person ladder stand is not real easy to lug in and out each day.

If people are not careful they will have the same rule happen over here I believe.

[grate8]

I have since gave the spot to a friend who has started hunting

Giving public land away. Ha.

fishinfey8, you did the right thing and I for one respect you for it. There are rules and you don't lie to CO's. That's what my children are learning.

One doesn't get to choose which rules they follow and which they don't.