![This undated aerial image shows a deer stand built on county forest land with several shooting lanes reaching out like spokes on a wheel in St. Louis County, Minn. Some Minnesota hunters are upgrading their deer stands, trading the traditional nailed-together hunks of wood for what one official calls "mansions" in trees on public property. St. Louis County officials are seeing deer stands _ platforms perched in trees to help hunters more easily spot deer _ with stairways, decks, shingled roofs, commercial windows, insulation, propane heaters, carpeting, lounge chairs, tables and even the occasional generator, the Duluth News Tribune reported Sunday, July 8, 2012. AP Photo](http://brainerddispatch.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/ODD%20Elaborate%20Deer%20St_Newm.jpg "This undated aerial image shows a deer stand built on county forest land with several shooting lanes reaching out like spokes on a wheel in St. Louis County, Minn. Some Minnesota hunters are upgrading their deer stands, trading the traditional nailed-together hunks of wood for what one official calls "mansions" in trees on public property. St. Louis County officials are seeing deer stands _ platforms perched in trees to help hunters more easily spot deer _ with stairways, decks, shingled roofs, commercial windows, insulation, propane heaters, carpeting, lounge chairs, tables and even the occasional generator, the Duluth News Tribune reported Sunday, July 8, 2012. AP Photo")
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — Some hunters in St. Louis County are upgrading their deer stands, trading the traditional nailed-together hunks of wood for what one official calls "mansions" in trees on public property.
County officials are seeing stands — platforms perched in trees to help hunters more easily spot deer — with stairways, decks, shingled roofs, commercial windows, insulation, propane heaters, carpeting, lounge chairs, tables and even the occasional generator, the Duluth News Tribune reported Sunday (http://bit.ly/Lzie7J ).
Some hunters have even planted crops near their stands in hopes of attracting deer, said St. Louis County Land Commissioner Bob Krepps. He said hunters have also cut down trees near their stand to improve sight lines.
"We're getting overbuilt," Krepps said. "We're seeing mansions out there — basically hunting shacks on stilts."
Private landowners can do what they want, Krepps said, but tax-forfeited land makes up nearly 1 million acres of county forest, and is supposedly open to all hunters. Hunters who customize stands in these areas are inappropriately claiming public land as their own, he said.
"A lot of these cross the line of what's appropriate," Krepps said. "If I'm out walking and come across one of these buildings on posts, am I going to feel welcome to hunt there? Probably not. And if I do, there's likely to be a fight. That shouldn't happen on land that belongs to everyone."
One deer stand was 18 feet wide and 20 feet long; county officials said it was more like a cabin. And officials have even found some stands on public property with locks on the doors.
Traditional wooden stands are often abandoned to rot in the woods. That gets more complicated with new, sometimes elaborately manufactured stands that include plastic, metal and shingles, which aren't biodegradable "and really leave a mess in the woods," said Jason Meyer, a forest manager for the county.
Accompanying the growth of the extravagant stands is the increasing prevalence of massive "shooting lanes," where hunters cut trees and brush to better see deer. In just one area of county land, foresters estimated that hunters cleaned more than six acres of forest combined for a total of 47 shooting lanes.
"They are taking public land out of timber production and it's adding up across the county," said Mark Kailanen, a county forester. "The real impact of this may not be realized until 40 or 50 or 60 years from now, when those trees would have been harvested."
Krepps has notified the St. Louis County Board of his concerns, and he plans to propose new land regulations that limit the dimensions of deer stands and ban timber cutting.
County Commissioner Peg Sweeney said such changes are needed.
"This has gone too far," she said, though several of her colleagues said they'd prefer better education for hunters rather than new regulations.
___
Information from: Duluth News Tribune, http://www.duluthsuperior.com
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
Comments (12)
Add commentPretty easy
to figure out, knock down all permanent stands on public property. They don't belong there. These are not true hunters, they are meat harvesters.
18 x 20? that's 360 sq/ft!
18 x 20? that's 360 sq/ft! that would require a building permit in Brainerd!
I agree motleylarry!
These issues already addressed on state land
From MN DNR:
- Temporary tree stands are allowed in state forests, including portable and constructed stands, but marketable trees greater than 4 inches in diameter at 4 feet off the ground cannot be cut to construct an elevated hunting scaffold. However, shrubs, lateral tree branches, and saplings smaller than 4 inches in diameter at 4 feet off the ground may be removed if used for scaffold construction. Cutting shooting lanes is not allowed.
- Construction of permanent shelters is prohibited in state forests. This applies to permanent enclosed deer stands and structures associated with their use such as toilets and camp shelters.
- Deer stands on state forest lands are considered available for public use and must remain accessible to all.
Slaughter not Hunting
This isn't hunting. It's slaughter like standing on a fence with a rifle shooting cattle. I won't hunt public land anymore because of these morons over-running the woods with their palaces in the sky. It's my understanding that tree stands left out in the public woods are fair game and can be occupied by anyone. Just try it. You'll be faced down by some half in the bag gun-toting bully saying get out. In the past I had someone tell me to get out of a public area because that's where him and his buddies have been shooting for years and was told quite emphatically, they are going to keep shooting if I was there or not. Find these idiots, charge them with the destruction of public lands and property and burn these monstrosities to the ground never to be used again.
Whatever happened
to just hunting?! With my family it is tradition. We have stands just big enough to sit in with no roof and no wind breaks. We don't wear a bunch of fancy scents, we don't use calls, we don't bait. The only technology we have is walkie talkies so we know when we are all due back to the cabin for lunch and dinner and if anyone needs help. No, we don't get trophy bucks...what we do get is split between the family for meat and the heart and backstrap are eaten that night. Hunting has gotten out of control, I like our old fashioned ways. It means more!
Why?
Why doesnt the DNR stake out the deer stands that have been erected and NAIL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING IT when they show up to use it. Anyone that shows up with a key or a gun...lock em up! Or at least fine them so much that they never ever consider doing it again.
And that way the DNR gets its much needed income so they can go to "seminars" in Hawaii.
When I deer hunted
I leaned against a tree or at best, climbed up and sat on a branch. I never in a million years would have had the audacity to build ANYthing on public land.
These buildings are a perfect example of the arrogance of hunters today! They drive out to their "cabins in the sky" on their 750cc 4wheelers, they climb up a set of metal steps and unlock the door, and turn on the propane furnace and sit back and kick up their feet until a deer comes by. And its not uncommon for them to use walkie talkies to communicate that the deer is coming.
I am amused that the governing forces for the areas that these encroachments are in "want better education for the hunters" vs laws. If that wasn't so hilarious it would be sad. Do you think for one second that the people doing this out in the forests, abusing public land, don't know they are violating laws? Of course they do, what good is educating them going to do?
Billy, now you know you shouldn't have cut down 40 acres of land so you could have a deer stand, but since you did, here are a few pamphlets on deer hunting laws we want you to read...
Destroy them
Knock them down. I am tired of fighting with Citiots on public land. One built a stand within 100 yards of my modest seat and smoked cigars all day. Did not see anything that day. The second day, his buddy blazed new trails right through the woods on his three wheeler for about an hour in the morning and even longer in the afternoon.
I have no problem with deer stands on public land. Full-fledged shacks? Get rid of them. Knock a few of them down and I bet people would get the idea and stop building these things.
And clearing land for shooting lanes? How is that not illegal?
Is this like a fish house?
Are the deer stands put up on public land for anyone to use or are they like a fish house? Who can prove he owns what? When you put a fishhouse up on public lakes you must have your name on the fishhouse. This is for your private use. (locked doors or not) Some of the fishhouses in this area are this same size. No charge to anyone. Maybe the same rules should apply to deer stands. Including when all deerstands on public land can go up and must be down. First come - gets the best spot - no staking your spot. Fees and removal if it is not done.
Dispatchmember: there is a difference in that
the permanent hunting structures are not allowed. People can put up temporary stands, but they must be removed, at the very least by the end of the season. I am not clear on if it demands daily removal or not, but these houses in the sky are distinct, clear violations.
Snack used citiots, and in many cases it does apply. They move into an area of state land and literally claim it for their own, damage it, deface it and then are allowed time and time again, to walk away scott free!
That image at the top of the shooting lanes is so sickening and infuriating. That is blatant audacity!!
This and baiting is the
This and baiting is the result of the widespread use of ATVs by some deer hunters. The DNR knew this was going to happen but caved into the "job creators". Read the regs and there used to be and maybe still is special regulations that almost encourage the use of ATVs to haul building materials for permanent stands.
No one is going to carry all the plywood and 50# bags of corn deep into the woods on their back.
It was predictable and preventable.