OnX is great for e-scouting, but it is only useful once you get boots on the ground and make sure someone else has not claimed their spot a year in advance. Marking other peoples stands on my OnX maps has definitely helped me to find some places on Public land that are overlooked or where deer might go once pressure increases the end of October.

TY. Even if I see other peoples stands out in the woods off-season, I respect their property and don’t ever mess with some other hunters stuff. I have been very fortunate thus far to only have SD cards stolen. I cable lock all of my trail cameras and stands on public land. I just don’t want to hunt public near others so I scout my ass off to try and find overlooked areas. It’s not easy!

I had a trail camera smashed that I had in a security box they did there best to try and get it off the tree it was smashed so hard as soon as I took the box off the tree and opened it up the camera fell into a million pieces don’t know how they found it cause I was over 2 miles

@@whitetailwarriorsdeercamp88 As with anything else, there idiots out there that ruin it for the rest of us.

I did sit once last year behind another stand by 100 yards or so. There was no one sitting there that day. Right in front of this stand was a heavy trail and I saw 2 different groups of deer walk behind that stand closer to me.

I have a Lone Wolf sit and climb I purchased this year from a guy doing moving sale. $75 bucks 😮! I just wished it was more comfortable. I can’t seem to find the sweet spot and stay still very long. However, on some public land I hunt there are not really very many trees fit for a climber.

@@ALNTV1541 I always clip an extra foam cushion to the back of my pants. Just a little bit can help a ton to allow you to sit a little longer in the stand.

@@ALNTV1541 I usually find a tree that's climbable, been using the lone wolf for so long, I even navigate around branches (wearing an xop saddle harness for safety). Sometimes, there's just not a good tree & must improvise.

I just found 2 more this past weekend scouting. One within 60 yards of where I had escouted and dropped a possible treestand location and the other literally 10 yards. I scout now in Feb/March and go back in May/June to determine exact tree stand locations, heights for sticks and hang on stand, direction the stand should face, etc. OR locations I might put up a ladder stand/hang on stand in the fall. I mark all locations of other peoples stands I find on public and put the date(s) I found them in my notes in OnX. If they are still there in May/June I will hunt there no matter if a stand is there or not if I think it is a place worth hunting. I just make sure that my wind is blowing towards their stand when I go in there to hunt. If they put the stand up legally in the fall I would respect that they beat me there and hunt elsewhere.

I don't touch stands but I do remove all flagging tape I find in the woods. Same thing, if they don't check it until Opening Day they are screwed. Maybe when I retire I will volunteer to work with DEC and go remove all illegal stands on NYS public land in the offseason. 😆

Just playing devils advocate. What about a guy who follows the rules, has great ethics, is getting up in years, can’t use sticks and stand anymore, still loves to hunt and doesn’t have private land to hunt on? So he puts a 12 foot ladder stand out at the beginning of season and takes it out when season ends. Thoughts?

I agree with you, first come, first serve. Do you mean anytime of the year or just after the legal date you can put them up each year?

There are all sorts of ways to tackle when and where stands go. There is no single answer. Thank you for your input.

Take your trash out of the woods

I lock all of my stands in Public. It wouldn’t be difficult to cut the locks on my ladder stands. But my 2 hang ins are 20 feet up and I use my Tethrd one sticks to get up to them. That might be more work than people are willing to do but you never know

That would be a dream in NYS. I have 3 Thethrd One Sticks and a Lone Wolf Hang On I pack in on Public land. I do have a few ladder stands and Big Game hang ons I leave on Public land during the season but I remove them within the 2 week window after season ends. That is legal in NYS. I would take what Illinois does in a heartbeat over what we have.

I definitely have not seen as many stands on large tracts in the Allegheny National Forest. An occasional stand here or there. Here in upstate NY it is out of control though. Small tracts of land and stands almost everywhere someone escouting would think to put one. That is why I put so many miles on my boots scouting. Just trying to find those areas that are overlooked or where I think deer might go when pressure starts.

what good is the trailcam in that case.

I don’t understand that law at all.

I like that name. And it’s so true

I don’t blame you. Just be safe

I have 1 stand out and still have 3 stands to pull out after XMAS.

That is funny but real. Some public woods I scout are a junkyard of old stands. It’s work, but I remove mine every year. #1 it’s the ethical, legal thing to do. #2 I work to hard for my money to leave a stand in the woods.

The only thing I disagree with is if I deem it to be abandoned, I’m taking it down in the off season. I’m mulling over the idea of carrying a cordless grinder in my pack.

That is a ton of work having to constantly set up and tear down your sets. Fortunately in NY and PA I have a few stands that I leave in one place most of the season and then I have my Tethrd One Sticks and Lone Wolf hang on so I can be mobile.

@@whitetailsdeerhunting7159 that's what I've been hunting with along time is a mobile setup. Lone wolf stand from 2001 and 4 sticks.

@@jimtart4271 the new Tethrd one sticks are well worth the $. This year I am buying a couple Big Game hang on stands. I have some older 30” XOP sticks and will put one of those sticks at the very top next to the hang on. I will cable lock them together about 20 ft up and carry my 3 Tethrd one sticks in to get up to the set that is already hung.

@@whitetailsdeerhunting7159 I'm going to check into those tethred one sticks. I bought a mantis saddle from them 2 yrs ago.

Doesn’t stop people though. Frustrating!

I like your idea. Your not taking it just pulling it down. I just don’t know about touching someone else’s stuff. I had an SD card stolen out of one of my cameras this past week and that definitely pissed me off. I did a hike this past week picking up cameras and moving a few to winter locations. I found 7 stands up in public. Now it is still muzzleloader so it’s legal, but I will be interested to see if the ones I marked in OnX are still there in March/April. I venture to guess quite a few.

You will be surprised how many I take down and the next bow season there still on the ground. Unfortunately there are loads of lazy hunters.

Definitely something to think about

Of course they are lazy. They think they own the woods. They don’t understand if we talk we can all share the public land together. I love meeting good people while out hunting, sharing stories and learning something new. On the other hand I can’t wait to get away from a hunter that is all about themselves

@@whitetailsdeerhunting7159 this is why I'm mobile my whole bowhunting life..the gear drastically changed the game by 2000. My mobility has been the secret to my success. If after i find a great area, first thing i do is look for other stands. At times I'll find them that look old after further close observation. If that's the case I'll hunt that spot in a different tree a lil ways away. To be honest, I've found some older tree stands that are expensive if ya had to buy them. Can't believe guys leave them behind.

I wish enough $ was appropriated to hire enough Wildlife Officers in NY and PA to do that. Hell! Maybe the state can create a position and that can be my retirement job.

You just said the most intelligent thing anyone could have said. Have fun and enjoy your experiences outside for you and the family and friends you share it with.

I personally love and still use a climber and just adjust to my surroundings. I just thank the Lord that my health and I'm physically capable to still do it. I just love being out in the woods and helping new and young hunters. I've harvested my fair share of game over the yrs now I help and share my knowledge and anyone I can or ask for help. I love every second of it.

@@briditt2812 I love seeing someone else successfully harvest a deer as much as I do myself, especially a young hunter. I have several buddies who have young hunters just starting out and I love to hear their stories and see the HUGE smiles on their faces when any hunting pictures are snapped.

NYS DEC makes reading rules and regulations about tree stands so difficult. Her is all I can find in the 2022-23 Hunting Regulations. "Remember, it is unlawful to: Store personal property. Tree stands or hunting blinds that do not injure a tree, and are properly marked or tagged with the owner's name and address or valid hunting license number, may be placed during the appropriate hunting season, but must be removed at the end of the season." CONFUSING! I don't even know if that is English.

Ya NY can be confusing. And unfortunately I've run into instances where Encon officers don't know rules . Sad . What county you hunt in?

@@jamesbarnes7689 Any Public land scouting deems worth hunting in Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Tompkins. I bounce around based on scouting, hunting pressure and sign. Just trying to find those little pockets where I can find mature buck without a ton of other hunters. Not easy, but I love scouting and hiking, especially with my 2 labs. Trying to teach them how to shed hunt.

Good counties from what I've heard. Hunt public in Sullivan County. Do hunt some archery only areas, which don't get to crowded. Not easy hunting but fun trying to figure it out.

@@jamesbarnes7689 Archery only public land hunting can be really good once gun season starts. Best of luck this fall!!!

I bet if you sat in someone else’s stand on public. Probably 19 of 20 times the owner of the stand wouldn’t even be there. I shot a nice buck the first time I sat in one of my prime stands and never went back in their to sit this fall.

@@whitetailsdeerhunting7159 I actually had said guy show up under his stand and tell me to stay. He'll go to the next one. Talked to him walking out after dark. He lived nearby and said it's better to already have a bunch in there in prime spots so guys aren't making a ruckus bringing in more. They stay there all year and everybody uses them.

@@WildLifeDrummer as usual, the more we as hunters talk the more we realize communication and respect are key parts of all of us sharing the woods together.

It sucks that our government does not understand the value of our wildlife resources enough to allow appropriate funds to fully staff our game officers. In NY it is Department if Environmental conservation.