This isn’t an issue of whether the stand is legal or not. After roaming the woods over the past few years and seeing other stands, I called the DNR wondering if its legal to build them where I was hunting. They said yes, but once its up it becomes public property.. Fair enough.

Here's what I think may have happened:

1. Someone wanted to be a jerk
2. Someone wanted to bow hunt and needed more clearance
3. Someone couldn’t find it in the morn and got mad
4. Someone didn’t think their orange would be seen/safety
5. CO took down my "perm" walls

At any rate-still annoying.

The stand deal UMMM. If ya can have a stand completly enclosed,windows (which I here about here LOTS)A heater installed so as to not be in the elements. Then Why Do you need a special permit to hunt out of a stationary vechile??
I really see no difference between the two,Unless the stand is a platform W/ safety rail.

Maybe that could be a question for Icecornish?? Lou ya there??

I agree with you on this. I have been making this argument for years.

Is it because there might be even more issues if people start kinda locking up public land by putting permanent stands, sure they are everyones to use, but won't the issues arise like I built it or you build them, drive up to camp lets say in the Rum River State Forest and another group is set up to camp on the approach where you constructed these and then what ? I already see people locking up these approaches in the Rum a week ahead of rifle season just to kinda lock it up so there group kinda gets an in and other hopefuls keep driving.

COs will leave a card and ususally they confiscate the materials. If I were you if I'd make your stand, but have a ladder or something to get up to it. Hide the ladder somewhere else. Then nobody will mess with your work

Don't get me wrong, I have never built a stand on public land and probably never will, and I don't really believe that they are necessary with all of the nice manufactured stands that are available today. But I guess the point I was trying to make which is what Roofer already stated, is that if a person can lock up a piece of structure out on a lake for a whole winter fishing season then I am not so sure that it should matter if you lock up a piece of land for a hunting season. Plus, a fish house may not be used by someone else like a deer stand can be when it is on public land.

Just an observation, not a complaint at all.

Interesting Dave, I hear ya, I'll try to take the other side of the fence, isn't there a 10 or 15 foot rule when it comes to ice houses so would we make a rule on distance between stands on public ground ? We have 5.2 million people in MN, crowding is becoming, excuse me is an issue in many parts of the state, hunting or fishing. If I could lay claim to some public ground and quaranteen off some area I could sell my hunting land !

Yea, what ever happened to sportsmanship and respect for other peoples space?

I made special effort to make sure no one else was around me. No one likes someone they dont know right next to them on opening morning.

I will still hunt on state land, but I have been searching and saving for some land of my own. I cant wait to make that purchase. I know having your own land won’t necessarily eliminate problems like this but it couldn’t hurt.

See that's the whole problem SM1, its not YOUR space in the first place. It is State Forest, ie. the PUBLIC's space. I have no sympathy for what happens to a stand built on public property, its not yours to build on or yours to control. You shouldn't be building things into the trees and dmaging them. Nothing should be allowed on state land except portables that are taken down. Climbing stands are readily available and very portable. If you need the taj-mahal perm stand, then you better have your own land to put it on...

Besides that, they're eyesores. One being ambitious at the time, hauls out all the materials to build a huge stand with walls and a roof and you name it but but soon loses interest in the location and the remains are left to rot in the forest for everyone else to take notice. Instead of paying $50 in lumber and time building, invest another $50 and get yourself a ladder stand with chain and padlock and put it up a week or two before season. It'll last longer than the homemade counterparts and it's portable as well!

plus they can become unsafe, nails rust, wood rots, plus animals digging at them you never know, stick with steel.

Very much agree with lawdog-
And I will add-----
From my experience, a good stand location will be good for years to come. Sure some stand locations will be hot or slow, but if you build a permanent you are laying claim to a good spot all for yourself, and if a person wants to hunt that spot, either the best tree contains your stand, or they might not want to hunt near your stand, because who knows when you might come by and hunt in it...thus wrecking the spot for everyone.

Plus, would you not rather have the option to move if the deer sign is better somewhere else, or if the huntin pressure picks up near you stand? Hanging a permanent is like marking a good deer trail to your stand with orange markers on all the trees. You are just asking for comeone to check out your spot

I do not like rusty nails sticking me!

Should we not take the fish and wild game also?

IMO, it all depends on how bad you really want to hunt. If you actually scout an area and want to hunt there, why not build a stand? Unless you want to be like all of the tennis shoe hunters who come up the day before opener and decide you are going to hunt this year for a few days. There are some of both, and the ones more dedicated deserve the spot before the weekend warrior.