Found a deer stand in city limits today

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sh00ter

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Part-1

It was maybe 1000 feet from a neighborhood and you could see part of the houses from its location. From a distance, I thought it must be old, but got closer and it had a nice feeder and trail camera setup so I am guessing someone is stealth bow hunting back in there (it was pretty thick woods but just on the edge of a clearing. I thought it was city land or owned by a nearby church, but some people who live in the area told me today that it was private land that the owner unofficially didn't mind if the locals enjoyed it responsibly.

Part-2

So lets assume this stand is just some guy who lives near by and not the land owner. What are the rules? If he doesn't own the land and installed a permanent stand in a tree, could someone else use it if the guy wasn't there that day (or at least hunt the same spot without using the stand)? I've run into that while exploring at thunderbird too...people on PUBLIC land leaving their stands and stuff setup as if to claim a hunting spot, and then they are not even there. I am not a deer hunter, but plan to be when I get to it...so I could use some advice because it seems wrong to setup your stuff in a place you don't own and keep others from hunting that spot?

Thoughts on either part 1 or 2?
 
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Oklahomabassin

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I would definitely NOT sit in someone else stand on private (or unknown landowner) land without permission. I wouldn't hunt or trespass either.

Public land from what I understand, you could use someone else stand if they weren't in it. Personally it really isn't the gentleman or brotherly thing to do.
 
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sh00ter

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I figured it would be proper etiquette not to ever use someone's stand, but it certainly was in an unexpected place. As for trespassing, I would never be dumb enough to do that, but there are trails and even sidewalks there and no fencing or signage between the city land and the alleged private land. There was land that backed up to it with barbed wire and signs which of course was respected. I suppose the land owner (they said he's an old man) could have given the guy permission, but seems weird right by a neighborhood. I still bet some guy who lives nearby is an opportunist hunter.

As for the gentlemanly thing, although I agree, people leaving portable stands up on public land and not beign there prevents other people from hunting too; so that isn't exactly very nice if they have a prime spot. But that's why I'm asking; thx for the response.
 

rickm

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Think of it as if that was yours and you had went to all the trouble and when deer season came along and you got to your stand and someone else was sitting in it and hunting your deer that you had spent the time and labor to sit the stand up and put the feeder out and kept feed in it how would you feel.
 

sh00ter

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Think of it as if that was yours and you had went to all the trouble and when deer season came along and you got to your stand and someone else was sitting in it and hunting your deer that you had spent the time and labor to sit the stand up and put the feeder out and kept feed in it how would you feel.
No I get it, I wouldn't mess with it, but I wanted to hear opinions. I guess even though I am not a deer hunter yet, I was a bit jealous if this guy found a niche and didn't actually own that land. If I knew he had permission, I wouldn't have even given it a second thought. Hiking is one thing, hunting is another, but it was really just the coolness factor of finding a stand like that in an unexpected location that drove me to mention it. I personally wouldn't want to leave my equipment out there in an area with no fence and no signs that neighborhood kids were riding 4-wheelers on. I'd be too scared someone would mess with it.
 

hunter966

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If I really wanted to hunt that land I’d ask around and find out who actually owned it, visit the owners in person. I always feel if the people who you’re wanting to hunt on see a face and shake hands with the person doing the asking, it leaves a better impression.

And like the other guys have said, don’t use someone else’s stand unless he’s a buddy that told you to, that’s just asking for a lot of tempers to get flared up.
 

Okie4570

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1....it could be the landowner's
2....they may have landowner's permission
3....it's not your property, so don't touch it or trespass without permission. If you weren't a trespasser, this thread wouldn't exist lol. I'm not sure I've ever encountered a "someone else gave me permission" story that ended well lol.
 

retrieverman

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No I get it, I wouldn't mess with it, but I wanted to hear opinions. I guess even though I am not a deer hunter yet, I was a bit jealous if this guy found a niche and didn't actually own that land. If I knew he had permission, I wouldn't have even given it a second thought. Hiking is one thing, hunting is another, but it was really just the coolness factor of finding a stand like that in an unexpected location that drove me to mention it. I personally wouldn't want to leave my equipment out there in an area with no fence and no signs that neighborhood kids were riding 4-wheelers on. I'd be too scared someone would mess with it.
In today’s entitled world, fences, gates, and signs don’t mean much to some people, and those people really don’t give a crap if they get caught. “Neighborhood“ kids on 4 wheelers (and their parents) are the worst.
 

Bocephus123

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I would definitely NOT sit in someone else stand on private (or unknown landowner) land without permission. I wouldn't hunt or trespass either.

Public land from what I understand, you could use someone else stand if they weren't in it. Personally it really isn't the gentleman or brotherly thing to do.
Seem like i read that if there not there by a certain time in morning it’s fair game.
 

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