What would you do?

[ewade07]

You’ve stopped to check a trail cam that you set up three weeks ago on National Forest in Montana about 7 miles from the nearest trail (but only about 2 from private land) over a wallow area with heavy elk traffic. As you’re looking at the wallow you notice a tree stand about 15 feet up in a tree. As you walk over to investigate you see numerous foot rungs screwed into the tree. The rungs appear to have been there for quite some time as the tree has begun to grow around them. You’ve come to the conclusion that this stand has been there for quite some time. To confirm your suspicions, you can see it in the trail cam pictures from 3 weeks previous. Knowing the rules for structures inside National Forest boundaries, what would you do?

 

[kiddogy]

use it.

 

[RMac5]

I would hunt it, especially if the TC pics supported being there

 

[HuntHarder]

Confused.. Are you asking if you would report it or not? If that is your question, then I would say absolutely not. Use it if no one is in it when you arrive and be glad it was hung for you by someone else

 

[ramont]

I'd call the Forest Service office and let them know about the stand and leave it up to them to decide what to do with it. I wouldn't use it since you could be held responsible for building it and loose your hunting privileges. Unfortunately there are people that are more than willing to ignore the law and encourage others to do the same. I'd bet that they wont help you with court costs and fines if you get caught.

 

[AKDoc]

I'd call the Forest Service office and let them know about the stand and leave it up to them to decide what to do with it. I wouldn't use it since you could be held responsible for building it and loose your hunting privileges. Unfortunately there are people that are more than willing to ignore the law and encourage others to do the same. I'd bet that they wont help you with court costs and fines if you get caught.

Very respectable response sir and extremely well.

 

[RMac5]

I need to adjust my answer. I’m not familiar with the laws, I wouldn’t break the law. I thought you were just asking about hunting an abandoned stand since it wasn’t yours.

 

[ragz]

Just use it and if you get caught say some dudes on a website told you to.

 

[*zap*]

I do not use other folks stands and I tend to not be a rat but that depends on the situation.

 

[Clarence]

I would not trust someone else's old setup. Steps could pull out of rotten old bore holes, even though the tree has begun to grow around them, and hang on stands often use cables that corrode over time and can fail. Also, in the event you decide to use the stand, the hunter who made the poor judgment call to leave it there shows up, it could turn into a thing and mess up valuable hunting time. My .02

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

Do you want forest service disturbing that wallow to take down the stand? Report it after elk season.

 

[5MilesBack]

I don't use tree stands, so that's an easy one.

 

[Marble]

I would use it if I thought it was worth using. Is it illegal to use at all? Ir is it just illegal to screw steps into a tree? I'm not familiar on the rules.

 

[IdahoElk]

find another place to hunt? the last place I want drama is in the woods

 

[ewade07]

I would use it if I thought it was worth using. Is it illegal to use at all? Ir is it just illegal to screw steps into a tree? I'm not familiar on the rules.

A structure can’t be left longer than 14 consecutive days in one place and you’re not supposed to damage the tree. Ie no no I’m the screw in steps.