Well I went to go hunting last week but to my surprise someone stole my 15 ft ladder stand. Wasn't I pissed. It was right across the road from my house just of the field behind my neighbors house. Talked to neighbors but they haven't seen anyone going in there. guess i'll wait until dicks has theres on clearance to get a new one. This time I'll chain and paddlock it even if in my own driveway. One more week until rifle season so will wait until then to try an shoot a big one.

Sorry to hear about that theives is everywhere we have a big problem with them around here taking stands cameras anything they can get their hands on hope you have better luck the rest of the season

There's more to hunting than a ladder stand? Get out there and use you're insticts on how to overcome this issue and get yourself a deer? Make a natural ground blind and have fun with it? I'll tell ya, you get a deer at they're level and you will be more confident than ever in you're abilities.

David,
Sorry to hear about the ladder stand, however what GLW , said is true. I hunt from a tree stand, and from the ground. As a matter of fact I have taken a lot more deer, hunting on the ground than from a tree stand. I know this doesen't make you feel better, and I would be pissed to, if someone took my stand. But like you said you learned something, and next time you will
chain it down. Your next stand will probably be a lot better anyway, and who knows this might be the year you get that big buck. Good luck, and hope the rest of the season will be better for you.

I feel your pain davidb58!! Last year I went to check my rifle stand the day before the season opened and everything was fine. My rifle stand is a big 4x4 box blind up on 4 10' pieces of telephone poles overlooking a cut corn field. Well went to go in it opening morning and found that someone had taken a chainsaw and cut it down during the night. Talk about the crappiest opening morning ever. just very depressing to know that there can be such a--holes out there that would do such a thing. Well I got to it and found some old scaffold and rebuilt for this year. All we can do is just go on and find other ways of making this season better and hope that the person who did the deed sees that beautiful buck that we kill !! That is a good way to rub it in their faces!!!

We have lost 2 tree stands, both chained and locked. Don't let it ruin your season.

I feel your pain, last year someone stole my first trail cam the first week I had it up. Where it was stolen from I was the only one with permission to hunt. I was not very happy, but continued on with my season. This year I bought a better camera and am a bit more carefull about where I place it. I also bought a climber stand so I can come into the woods with it and leave the woods with it. Good luck this year and don't let some dbag get you down.

I put up 2 new stands this year,besides the chain and lock,I drilled some holes in the back of the stand and drove some lag bolts in the tree.If someone is gonna steal them they are gonna work for them.

man that sux! Sorry to hear it. People just can't be trusted any longer. Very sad.

That said; I'm in GLW's corner. I ground hunt, period. I love to stalk/still hunt the best. Some of my most precious memories are of the stalks. Naturally that's not a plan with a bow, at least for me. When I was bow hunting, I made makeshift ground blinds using trees, blowdowns, downed limbs etc. Anything to break up my outline. Never had any complaints.

still to this day i cant get over the predators that steal r stuff ,i am with u Dave ,i feel ur pain , i had my stuff stolen bout 6 years ago,the thing i learned if its out of site ITS GONE,i had a solid gold watch my dad gave me before he died, in my day bag ,left it by the tree i was hunting fer about 5 min to get my truck AND IT WAS GONE,i saw him drive off 1146 eu im tellin u if i ever find that truck god will have to hold me back .called the state police what a joke that was, all n all dont get bummed get out n hunt like all have said get on the ground and make it happen ,i have had some of the most eventful hunts from the ground,when u can read made in USA on deers hinney its kwel! that biggins waitin fer ya

I usually hunt on leased land. It is locked up and all the members have a key but there is always a way in. And I still worry about that too.

man that sucks. i know i wouldnt steal a lader stand...... to gosh darn heavy! haha i will also be buying a new stand at dicks i can get a nice hang on from field and streanm for i think something like $70... and i got some $10 off cupons in the wallet so... :-) that snad will come in handy when i buy my new bow this winter!

Well I picked up a new ladder stand at dick's this time I got a double stand. Now I can take my grandsons into the woods with me in october when its not to cold. Saved 100 bucks not bad. Rifle season is over here in maine didn't fill my tag saw only does and lambs. But at least I was in the woods and seeing deer.

That will be fun hunting with your grandson. Better put double chains on this one!

It might be a good idea to put a trail cam up in a tree where it won't be easily ripped off, that will cover the area where your stand is. Not sure about someone seeing the infrared flash if the theft is occuring at night, as I haven't ever used one. My buddy & myself have had hanging stands ripped off before, & back when we used screw in steps we would take out all the ones within easy reach of the ground. Also, since using climbing sticks, we pull out the sections that can be reached from the ground.Obviously, this won't deter the die hard thieves but would stop the ones who just happen upon them & decide to steal them because it's easy. Ladder stands are a different story as even if you chain & lock the top, some dick is bound to remove the bottom out of spite.

What I did for anti camera theft was to find the lod metal millitary amo can and cut out one side so the camera lens and flash could work through the holes I cut. Then I placed the camera inside and put styrafoam around it to hold it in place. After every thing was fitted I drilled to hole in the back side to run lag bolts through to fasten it to a tree. Once the system in place I put a lock on the can lid.

Has a ladder stand in one tree so long the tree grew around it,it was chained with a lock also. It went missing one day but it was homemade and weighed about 250lbs one piece 22ft tall. I'll bet they had fun stealing it if they didn't get hurt taking it down LOL

That sucks. A couple of years ago I hunted a Conservatory in Norther NY. It was pad locked to tree, but while I was gone with Army they had trimmed down some trees to open up a field. When I went to get it the tree and seat were gone. I asked my buddy who hunted there also and he contacted the Supervisor of area. He said it was there and had given to someone else to hold. Needless to say, no one admitted to having it or seeing it after that. I no longer am a member of that Conservancy!

Seems to me that 15 - 20 years ago you could leave stuff in the woods and it would be fairly safe except for maybe the occasional anti hunter. In the last 5 - 10 years though it seems that a lot of people are going shopping in the woods using the five finger discount. It's sad that other people never mind hunters live by such low standards.

Hunt from the ground!