# Tree Stand Thief Lake Seminole WMA



## J72Wilson (Dec 18, 2007)

There are some really trashy people that will steal your tree stand when you will leave the woods for lunch, I came across the country from AZ to hunt on a three day license and ended my hunt early, did see two nice bucks but the area I hunted required a stand for the underbrush, I was hunting out of hales landing.


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## revrandyf (Dec 18, 2007)

*Tree Stand Thief*

I know what you mean.  I used to live in Seminole County and the last year I was there someone stole two of my ladder stands (one of them had only been sat in one time).  I think I know who got them but no way to prove it.


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## Coon Dog (Dec 19, 2007)

*stolen stand*

i was at tuckahoe wma one year me and my dad had scouted an area the afternoon before hunt started we where walking out and got to our truck there was a toyota parked with mud tires on it and they had a florida tag we waited on them to come out we  talked to 2 guys and asked them if they where planning on hunting in this area in the morning and they said they didn't no maybe we told them we where and kinda where we would be at so they might not be on top of us  in the morning it was getting late and they left so we went in and hung our stands walked out with flashlights it was down a grassey road with some soft dirt places in the road and their had been wardens truck tire pattern tracks in there and that was it as we where walking in that morning i told dad that someone has been in here last night looking at the  tire tracks i said they have been spot lighting the food plots more than likely i was upset my stand was about 5 ft in woods off one food plot and dads was in the woods further away we split to go to our stands and i got to where i had put mine and it was gone they stold it while spot lighting so i just sat on the ground mad as you no what  but killed a big i mean big 5 pointer that morning but was still mad and i am no push over i still think  in the old ways if you no who did it or who stole  it go get it back no matter what  and i no those fla boys got it same tire pattern i was going to go in there camp and whip all them thats just me when im mad and i can throw down did it lots of times for other reasons but my dad was with me and was raising cain at me not to go there he said lets go talk to wardens and tell them what the stand looks like and they will go see if its at there camp thats what wardens did but you no it as a good thief always has a plan  it was not there i say it was in the leaves somewhere hid i no to this day they got it if my dad had not been with me i could of told you how i got my stand back but you no how it is when your dad is with you hes saying you will get locked up and all this stuff the law will lock you up for looking at someone the wrong way  now i hate it they have never helped me with nothing  but more hardachs and i have never been locked up or nothing to look bad on me oh ya dad killed a big 8 pointer on that hunt as well we killed the 2 biggest of the hunt it was ok hunt except for my stand getting gone  that was about 5 years ago  went back this year and another problem now spotlighting has got worse down there i heard shots 2&3 hrs after dark 3 hrs before daylight any time shots all hrs people camped not far from us left every morning at 4:00 am i asked one of the youg boys about 16 teen where they where going he said scouting ya right they lived down there close by to he said they would see a deer run across the road and they would let one out to go hunting in there that morning after that deer more like shoot that deer let shooter out to sit with his deer till up in the morning when party returns with there kills as well they did kill at least two or three every mourning about 10 of them in poaching party that place needs help by the wardens bad never got checked or seen one besides at check station think of this before you go there its not the place it once was the locals are doing this on every hunt and getting by doing it


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## kvistads (Dec 30, 2007)

Good Lord man! - Coon Dog it sounds like your Dad not only kept you from maybe going to jail or a lengthy prison sentence, but most likely he saved your LIFE!  Hunters DO have GUNS you know.  I realize you're angry and have every reason to be, but in my humble opinion you should have known better to leave an expensive item like a tree stand unattended - even for lunch.  Too much money for a thief to resist.  You're dealing with the public and I've seen all kinds of folks at these places.  Some I wouldn't begin to associate with - sorry.  For the most part sportsmen and women are good people but you're going to always find the exception.  If you even think of leaving your stand in the future - find a way to chain and lock it down to the tree.  Even this isn't a guarantee.  If nothing else, it was a learning experience for you.


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## whitworth (Dec 30, 2007)

*Thieves*

are experts at gathering up, unattended tree stands.  Folks should never underestimate them.


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