# Deer stands on Public land



## fishwendel2 (Nov 19, 2007)

I looked for some posts on here and could not find any so I thought I would ask. I am new to deer hunting and had a question about deer stands on public land. The regulation booklet says you can not construct any permanent type tree stand on public land. Does that mean I can take a ladder stand in, attach it to a tree and lock it to the tree or do I have to remove the stand when I leave the grounds for the day? The reg is a little fague so I thought I would reach out on here. Thanks!


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## wave warrior (Oct 2, 2005)

best of my knowlege they must be removed daily...


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## idontknow316 (Mar 21, 2008)

I talked with a ODNR officer about this last year, and this is what he told me. You can put a tree stand up on public land as long as there are no spikes or nails in the tree. So really what they are saying is as long as it does not damage the tree. He also told me that I would probably want to lock it up and put my full name with a phone number on it. He told me I could leave it there but I had to realize that if it were left on public property it becomes public property, and not to call him when I show up one morning and someone else is in my stand because there is nothing he can do. I personally would never get into someone else's stand but I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that would. I bought a climber I plan to use for public land, kind of a pain but oh well I guess. I have seen many ladder stands on public land you just run the risk of someone else being in it. Oh yeah and he also told me that it had to be removed at the end of the season. Hope this helps. If in doubt call your local ODNR officer, they will be happy to answer your questions, better to ask than risk a ticket.


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## sc83 (Apr 16, 2008)

idontknow316 said:


> I talked with a ODNR officer about this last year, and this is what he told me. You can put a tree stand up on public land as long as there are no spikes or nails in the tree. So really what they are saying is as long as it does not damage the tree. He also told me that I would probably want to lock it up and put my full name with a phone number on it. He told me I could leave it there but I had to realize that if it were left on public property it becomes public property, and not to call him when I show up one morning and someone else is in my stand because there is nothing he can do. I personally would never get into someone else's stand but I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that would. I bought a climber I plan to use for public land, kind of a pain but oh well I guess. I have seen many ladder stands on public land you just run the risk of someone else being in it. Oh yeah and he also told me that it had to be removed at the end of the season. Hope this helps. If in doubt call your local ODNR officer, they will be happy to answer your questions, better to ask than risk a ticket.



I had a ranger tell me the exact hing. As long as you do not damage the tree with spikes/nails they don't really have a problem with it. I found several this spring while turkey hunting that were left from last year.


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## alumcreeker (Nov 14, 2008)

from the way that i read the laws u can take a ladder stand onto public land u just cant harm the tree use straps or cables but no screws or nails. i dont always know if that is the greatest idea though if someone sees it they may not take it that day but come back another day with some form of bolt cutters and remove ur stand. hell i hunt my own private land and have stands stolen how sad olwell.


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## Toxic (May 13, 2006)

This question comes up in almost every Hunters Ed class I teach. Everyone is right. You can put a climber or a lock-on on a tree in Public land. Just do not injure the tree by nails, screws etc. The one thing you do not want to do is get into a permanent stand on Public land and hunt out of it. If you are caught, whether you built it or not, you will receive a ticket.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

i got this straight from the boys out at the goose check-in station at skeeter. no harm to the tree, except for minor pruning, your name and phone number must be attached to it because its on public property and would be concidered littering if not identified and confascated. you are allowed to leave it up the entire season(s) but you must remove it as soon as the season(s) are over. if not they will use that info you used to identify that it was your stand and give you a littering ticket.


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## TPaco214 (Feb 16, 2005)

everyone is right...i wouldnt suggest you do it though...too many moronic mofos who will cut the chain or cable and make off with ur stand....my old man and me have also had our stands jacked on private land....wuz so mad man....i wuz like wtf cuz we had put them in the previous night! somehow someone had watched us or seen where we parked and went in super late at night with a flashlight to look for our stands. we showed up in the morning to hunt and stands were gone. big risk leaving a stand on public land....if u do....assume it will be taken sooner or later. i hump mines in and out every time now on public and private land....


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## joerugz (Feb 28, 2007)

I feel for ya. After 5 years hunting private leased land, my buddy and I are missing 3 stands totaling about 300 bucks. We never had a problem before this past summer. I know its mostly our own fault for leaving them out all summer, but we have 25 stands out. It takes alot of time to put them in and take them out. But I think I'll just build some ground blinds out of scrap wood and brush them in. BAT RASTARDS!!

Usually we are down at our lease twice a month through the summer planting plots, but with the economy, we backed off on the planting and left the woods alone. So no appearances by us obviously made some a$$hole feel comfortable enough to rape us!


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## TPaco214 (Feb 16, 2005)

yeh joerugz i feel u man tree stands are not cheap...my dad was pissed...said he was gona buy some cheapo tree stands and make a big production out of settting them out in the woods so everyone knows he hunts there....then he was going to get some special shotgun shells loaded with rock salt and put on his camo and hide out near these bait stands and "hunt"...lol....i wuz like holy crap this guy is seriously angry lol...remind me not to boost his tree stands...


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## keithlancaster (Apr 2, 2009)

idontknow316 said:


> I talked with a ODNR officer about this last year, and this is what he told me. You can put a tree stand up on public land as long as there are no spikes or nails in the tree. So really what they are saying is as long as it does not damage the tree. He also told me that I would probably want to lock it up and put my full name with a phone number on it. He told me I could leave it there but I had to realize that if it were left on public property it becomes public property, and not to call him when I show up one morning and someone else is in my stand because there is nothing he can do. I personally would never get into someone else's stand but I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that would. I bought a climber I plan to use for public land, kind of a pain but oh well I guess. I have seen many ladder stands on public land you just run the risk of someone else being in it. Oh yeah and he also told me that it had to be removed at the end of the season. Hope this helps. If in doubt call your local ODNR officer, they will be happy to answer your questions, better to ask than risk a ticket.


That's how I understand it as well, Although you left out one thing! You run the risk of some A-hole stealing it while your not in it.
(if someone else said this im sorry, I didnt read all the posts)


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## Huntinbull (Apr 10, 2004)

I have seen that happen before. Guess thats one of the risks. Just use a climber and carry it in and out.

Huntinbull


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## keithlancaster (Apr 2, 2009)

I buddy of mine uses a "Ghili Cover" as he likes to call it. It's like a Ghilli Suit.
It's just an old cast net. He takes branches/leaves/grass/etc. whatevers on the ground in that area and makes it. Then he just leaves his Climber on the ground and covers it up.
Takes him about 30-45 minutes to make the cover, but its worth it not to have to carry that heavy thing out of the woods every day.


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## Huntinbull (Apr 10, 2004)

Would he be willing to pay someone the price of the stand to carry it for him? Because that is how much it could cost him to save some effort. My theory on public land is hunt from the ground or carry it in and carry it out. I have used ladder stands that way on public land. Yeah it sucked to carry and set up in the dark, but if I thought i needed the stand, then so be it. 

Leave it there and it is liable to get stolen or used or misused, or even sabotaged. Stand leaver beware.

Huntinbull


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## fishintechnician (Jul 20, 2007)

what kind of climber does he have? it must be a dinosaur because the new ones are as light as ten pounds


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## keithlancaster (Apr 2, 2009)

I'm not sure what kind it is. havent seen it since last year. Its heavier then I would have thought when I first saw it though.
And for him I think its not so much its weight, as how heavy it feels by the time he hikes out of the Area he hunts, its down in the valley and its all up hill to get out


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