Public Land Part II- What would you do?

Here's a similar situation to an earlier post.

Last winter I went out and built 6 stands in the bush ( all on public land) for this years spring bear hunt. All 6 are pretty tough to find, you would have bump into one by accident, or I would have to tell you where they are to find them. I spent 3 days building these stands and clearing small areas for baiting, shooting alleys etc... Spring season came, I put a barrel at each stand and baited all of them. I only maintained those that were productive. I hunted one night, seen a few bears, but at last light I seen a beautiful, big, red/brown phase bear. It was simply too dark to shoot but I watched this boar for a bit and after he left, I quietly snook out from my stand with hopes to return the next day and get him. Well next day I went back in the morning, topped up the bait and left. I figured I'd return a couple of hours later, as I was finding the bears were only visiting my bait can just before dark. When I returned there was someone in my stand! Now, the law is ! that all bait cans must have the owners name and address on them. This barrel was no more than 20 yards from stand in plain view and this guy knew damn well he wasn't in his stand. I had spent considerable time getting this site prepared, baiting and rebaiting and this guy comes and plops his ass in my stand. Anyone who hunts bears knows how much work it is to maintain a bait site, and I'm damn sure this guy knew as well. He figured he would take the easy way out and hunt someone else's bait can.

Now, what would you do? I'll post what I did tomorrow, I want to see the responses before I post.

Mentally kick yourself for not getting there quicker.

This is not hard. It's on public property. Any 'improvements' you make become owned by the public. It ain't 'yours' no more.

1. If you have a good idea as to where the bear will come from, take a position that will intercept him on his way to your barrel.

OR

2. Take up a position near your stand in hopes of getting off the first shot.

OR

3. Take up a position near your stand and start target shooting at your barrel.

! ! ! ! ! s !

Ok, you are right it is on private property, but this I think comes down to a question of morals. If this hunter found my bait can, then he had to realize this was not a miracle how this baited site appeared. Surely he had to think that some HARD working hunter had placed this site here. And obviously, the thought had never crossed his mind that maybe he shouldn't be hunting here. Legally, he had just as much rights to that spot as I did. But morally, he should have kept walking and not gave my spot a second look.

I vote for these options, especially # 2 or #3.

land) for this years spring bear hunt. All 6 are pretty tough to find, you would have bump into one by accident, or I would have to tell you where they are to find them. I spent 3 days building these stands and clearing small areas for baiting, shooting alleys etc... Spring season came, I put a barrel at each stand and baited all of them. I only maintained those that were productive. I hunted one night, seen a few bears, but at last light I seen a beautiful, big, red/brown phase bear. It was simply too dark to shoot but I watched this boar for a bit and after he left, I quietly snook out from my stand with hopes to return the next day and get him. Well next day I went back in the morning, topped up the bait and left. I figured I'd return a couple of hours later, as I was finding the bears were only visiting my bait can just before dark. When I returned there was someone in my stand! Now, the law i! barrel was no more than 20 yards from stand in plain view and this guy knew damn well he wasn't in his stand. I had spent considerable time getting this site prepared, baiting and rebaiting and this guy comes and plops his ass in my stand. Anyone who hunts bears knows how much work it is to maintain a bait site, and I'm damn sure this guy knew as well. He figured he would take the easy way out and hunt someone else's bait can. the responses before I post.

look.

Here is a question I have. Do you hunt everyday from the first time you put up the bait until you have reached your hunting limit? If not, I would say that you have just caused a dilemma in morality. The way I see it I do not wish to take another hunters spot if he is hunting it. But I have seen many prime locations go unused all weekend or longer. That spot is public and if it is the best location to shoot, I want to have a chance at it. Even worse is that your bait site may be drawing the animals away from other normally used areas and causing hunters that are not using your location to not get a shot on the days they hunt. I guess that I would say that if you put up a site, get there early and hunt it until you get your limit, then leave. If not, it is totally up to the feelings of the hunter that beat you to it whether or not he gives it up. In most cases I would let you have it but if I had been in the woods many days and seen that it was not being used, then on the day I decide to hunt it you come along and want it back, well you ain't getting it unless I got real lucky the evening before and I am in a generous mood. Hope you can understand where I am coming from. Ed

OR

4. Take an axe to the stand while he is still in it.When he complains, tell him you are done with it and removing it from public land.

I, personally, would not occupy a stand built and baited by somebody else. I don't think it would be the right think to do, not to mention being reluctant to get into a confrontation with someone carrying a gun. However, you say you built SIX stands? On public land? And expected everybody to stay away from these, obviously, potentially productive sites?

Here are, as I see it, your errors in judgement. 1- You assumed that no one else hunting in your area was as skilled in locating good stand sites as you. 2- You assumed that no one would notice that you had more than one good site staked out. 3- You assumed that no one would be bold enough to occupy one of your sites, thinking that you could use one of your other sites. 4- You assumed that no one would be rude enough to occupy one of your sites, not even knowing whether you had others staked out.

What would I do in this case?

Well, first of all, I would go to the other hunter, explain the situation, show my ID and the name on the stand and ask him if he would mind letting me use the stand that I built. He might apologize and leave. This would probably be more likely if he didn't know about your five other stands. If this didn't work, I would just go use another stand, vowing to get to work earlier next time. As I said, I don't think it wise to provoke people carrying guns, especially if they have already demonstrated that they are not very polite.

In answer to your question, yes I do hunt my spot every day until I fill my tag. When baiting bears, you can't be intermittent. If you are, then you are just simply feeding the wildlife for nothing. When I have filled my tag, my barrel and my mess comes out with me. The tree stand, being permanent, stays. Anyone wants to come along after, hey, be my guest. The hunt normally lasts 2-3 days after the barrel is hit, and that's if you are being selective about which bear you harvest. It could be over on the first night if I want it to be.

. responses before I post.

what did you do? my newsserver is weak and some posts never show up.

thanks

3.Target shoot at your barrel that is a good one. In my state of SC you can not leave any stands on public property.Any time I scout on public property and see stands left there I always hunt around those because there is something going on there or they would not have went threw the trouble of putting them there. What do you do? nothing,just add it to your hunting stories and better luck next time.

NRA Life Member