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Tree stands on state land??

mossy725

By mossy725,
in Deer Hunting

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SteveNY Newbie

SteveNY

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Good questions, I'll tell you what I know from my experiences...

You can have any kind of tree stand you want as long as you don't hurt the tree. Meaning no nails or screws in the tree and you can NOT cut any limbs off or break any branches (an officer told me it was about $100 fine per branch, no matter what size). Forget about cutting shooting lanes too, obviously.

You are also not permitted to leave a tree stand there unattended (although I see this all the time). You must take out what you brought in.

Most of this I heard from a DEC officer in the woods. He was waiting near a climber tree stand that had a ladder on the floor next to it. He was asking if it was mine and I told him it wasn't. He seemed to not believe me, but told me all of what I just typed out, and told me "WELL, if you DO know who it might belong to, I suggest you tell him to get it out of here by 9AM tomorrow." I reminded him it wasn't mine and I didn't know who it belonged to, and went on my way.

Edited by SteveNY
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SteveNY Newbie

SteveNY

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Two contradictory statements above. One guy is saying an ENCON officer said stands must come out each day, another saying they can stay during hunting season. Hmmm...

I'm going on what the officer told me about 5 years ago. Things may have changed, I will also search the DEC site for info about it.
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SteveNY Newbie

SteveNY

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http://www.dec.ny.gov/regs/4081.html

"w. No person shall erect, construct, install, maintain, store, discard or abandon any structure or any other property on State lands or subsequently use such structure or property on State lands, except if the structure or property is authorized by the department or is:

4. a tree stand or hunting blind that does not injure a tree, is properly marked or tagged with the owner's name and address or valid hunting or fishing license number, and is placed and used during big game season, migratory game bird season, or turkey season

y. No person shall erect, construct, maintain, occupy or use any tree stand that is used, operated, accessed or reached by methods or means which injure or damage a tree on State lands, and no person shall gain access to any structure in a tree on State lands by means that injure or damage the tree."

Guess it has changed.

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wdswtr Newbie

wdswtr

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Steve Thanks for putting the link up, Im trying to browse forums, and read the pms and havent had a chance to look. Good stuff most guys would have sat here and debated it instead of looking. Your one of the good ones. As far as climbers I am willing to take a bet that its all up to the officer that catches you. I would ted to think that if they frowned upon it we would hear more about guys getting fined over climbers.

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wdswtr Newbie

wdswtr

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True, true....but after 3 years???? I say it is fair game. ;)

I say not. I see where the intention of the thread is going. You want to take this guys stand for yourself right. Sorry but just because the regs say it has to be out by end of hunting season doesnt make it yours. Besides I bet if you called the DEC they would be telling you its the hunting season so its fine. You would need proof that its been there prior to the begining of the season let alone a few years. It would be state property not yours to claim if it was proved.

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mossy725 Newbie

mossy725

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I say not. I see where the intention of the thread is going. You want to take this guys stand for yourself right. Sorry but just because the regs say it has to be out by end of hunting season doesnt make it yours. Besides I bet if you called the DEC they would be telling you its the hunting season so its fine. You would need proof that its been there prior to the begining of the season let alone a few years. It would be state property not yours to claim if it was proved.

Thanks "dad." Nope, not where this thread is going. I have been using a climber for years on state land. Might reconsider it now.

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wdswtr Newbie

wdswtr

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Thanks "dad." Nope, not where this thread is going. I have been using a climber for years on state land. Might reconsider it now.

Also, if a ladder stand is left on state land for a few years, is it fair game?

If an unmarked stand is left on state land after season, is it fair game to take? Haha

I wasnt refering to the climber on that post I was refering to your comments posted above about the stand being fair game and taking it. You said it not me "Son".

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wdswtr Newbie

wdswtr

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Woah! A climber tree stand is illegal on state land?

I would like to see that in writting somewhere. I highly doubt it is illegal. Now if you were to use one on a thinly barked tree that is tears up then yeah maybe but on a good hardwood I would have to say no way. By damage knocking off a little bark is far from damage. Driving nails and screws into a tree, cutting limbs or brush in the area, screwing in tree steps yeah I would say thats damage. Call your DEC office they would know better than a bunch of guesses on a forum. Including mine. I also wonder how many hunters take care in not damaging a tree on state land then screw in a hook to hang their gear from. I can tell you I drill a 1000 holes in maple trees every spring , the same ones my dad and grandfather drilled holes in and those arent damaged they heal over just fine. I wonder what DEC defines as damaged to begin with. Big Grey area there.

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Doc Proficient

Doc

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You can have any kind of tree stand you want as long as you don't hurt the tree. Meaning no nails or screws in the tree and you can NOT cut any limbs off or break any branches (an officer told me it was about $100 fine per branch, no matter what size). Forget about cutting shooting lanes too, obviously.

When is the last time you came across the perfect tree that didn't need some trimming of a limb here or a branch there in order to get a shot to the trail? State land or not, I can't remember a single instance where some shooting lane trimming didn't have to be done.

So I wonder how many people strictly abide by some of these regs. I have always tried to, and it has cost me more than one deer because of it.

Oh and by the way, it appears that all this stuff goes out the window for some non-hunting uses. We have a network of mountain-bike trails that have been hacked throughout the woods in the state land down our way. That includes logs cut, saplings removed, branches snipped, some pick and shovel work hacked into the hillside, and splotches of paint globbed all over the trees. And apparently that was done with DEC assistance and knowledge.

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HectorBuckBuster Newbie

HectorBuckBuster

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This summer on of the Forest Rangers was out in one of the cow pastures spraying a invasive plants and we stopped to talk to find out what they where doing and they informed us that they where going to start using a GPS and mark where tree stands where and if they where still there after the season they where going to take them and send the to the main office and auction them off, Also you need you name and contact info on them.

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Chevy Newbie

Chevy

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Drilling into a tree does not kill it. The holes heal up or the tree "swallows" the tree steps. I believe the state is worried about lumber value and having metal in the trees when they try to log the woods. I don't see the harm in trimming a few branches but some see the need to clear fire lanes so the no trimming rule is needed.

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WNYBuckHunter Experienced

WNYBuckHunter

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Woah! A climber tree stand is illegal on state land?

No it is not. Ive sat in mine on different state lands in different areas with different ECOs and NEVER have they said anything at all about the climber. The slittle scrape marks that climbers make are not damaging or harmful to the tree in any way. Just dont be using a screw in bow hanger while using one.

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WNYBuckHunter Experienced

WNYBuckHunter

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Ok guys, so I am going to shoot an email to the DEC again and see what they ask about the screw in steps and bow hangers on state land, and Ill throw in a quick question about climbers too, but I can already tell you their answer on that one. I am however, interested in the screw in stuff.

I use screw in hangers, etc all the time in trees on private land and have no problems with the trees being affected in any way.

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SteveNY Newbie

SteveNY

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Drilling into a tree does not kill it. The holes heal up or the tree "swallows" the tree steps. I believe the state is worried about lumber value and having metal in the trees when they try to log the woods. I don't see the harm in trimming a few branches but some see the need to clear fire lanes so the no trimming rule is needed.

When they log the woods? What happened to "Wild Forever"? I thought the purpose of State Forest Preserve was to PRESERVE the land forever from being logged/sold/etc. Has State Land ever been sold or logged before? And if so, why and will it ever happen again?

Also, I'm interested to see what the DEC writes back to you WNY...

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