This is a new topic to me, but wanted yalls experience.

When an area gets logged, is it pretty normal for the loggers to just steal whatever stands they come across, or is that abnormal behavior? On our club there is an area that got recently clear cut. When I heard they were cutting the initial info from the land owner was that area was being thinned not clear cut. So given my busy work and family schedule during that time period I didn’t go down to pull it, thinking well, they’ll just work around it. Turns out they clear cut and they stopped once they past maybe 25 yards behind my ladder stand (a pretty decent heavy duty one). So, it was barely within the cut area. Anyway, I go down to look for it and it’s gone, no ratchet straps/pads on the ground or nothin. I’m not looking for any recourse, but just sort of pissed off. Before I sit and stew about it much longer, I started wondering if normal logger doctrine is “finders keepers if it’s in our way” sort of thing.

What’s been yalls experiences with this topic?

pretty normal not just for loggers but any kind of outdoor crews

Not that I actually know, but I'd figure big chunks of metal wouldn't be too nice on logging equipment. Would they not remove them to save blades?

I agree, and I figure it probably pisses them off, and they use that to justify stealing it. For a lock on ladder I could see it being too much of a pain to mess with saving it, but all a ladder takes is cutting the ratchet straps and tumping it over on the ground. It’s harder to steal it that to just throw it on the ground to leave in the rest of the debris.

10-4, thx. Lesson learned on my part.

I had them come to an area that I had a lock on and they left that one tree and stand and moved on. So I would be a bit upset if I were you!!!

The crew that usually cuts our lease will take down the sticks and stand and sometimes they will leave the tree even if it's a clear cut spot

Hell no it is not normal. If is theft. And they wouldn’t work for me if I caught them. Talk to the buyer, not the logger, about the issue.

I figure the loggers would more than likely be out for the trees more than the treestands. Also there are thieves in any profession, al the way up to the most prestigious, probably moreso. And I would think if the owner of a logging operation found out his cutter or skidder operator was stealing the landowners property, surely that persons job would be in jeopardy. But yes im quite sure a logger has stolen a treestand.

Every time they cut our place the loggers knock the gate posts down and leave them down until they are finished. Maybe they’ll come back 3 weeks later and put it back up. It’s an opportunity for the local crackheads. One time they store all of they keys out of the logging equipment and every chainsaw they could carry. I’m not trying to defending loggers. It may be the loggers are creating opportunities for others.

This is what I’ve seen more so on my clubs as well. The loggers don’t give a $hit about the gate or the stands. They would cut our locks then cut our stands off and throw them out of the way so they could keep cutting. By the time we noticed the locks were cut half the outlaws in the county had been back there taking anything they could and shining cutovers.

Could be they removed it as they are fixing to cut the area was standing on, to keep from damaging it, and have no idea who it belongs to.
Maybe you ought to ask them first about the stand before voicing they stole it?

Take some responsibility for knowing it was in the cutting area, and not making time to go get it.
The loggers are supposed to cut trees for the landowner, not to stop what they are doing, and tend to your stuff to make sure it doesn't get damaged as they skid or fall a 100 foot tree by your ladder stand.



God Bless,
David B.

We have had our run in with loggers. They didn’t steal anything but they demolished two shooting houses, 3 ladder stands, watched me fertilize a plot that they were dragging around and as soon as I left the dumbasses started dragging right though the middle of the plot and then drug the pine tops to the plot and left them there, tore out our culverts and piled pine tops all in the roads, never came back to fix the roads when they left. I know the guy that purchased the timber and I used to think highly of him but after this happened and he was aware of this happening he will never have to worry about buying timber from us ever again and Courtney logging out of Autauga county sure as hell won’t be back. This was on private land, not timber company.

Good and bad folks in all occupations. I've seen some make a mess, steal, etc. and some leave the roads in better shape and leave the tree, the stand was on.

Had one stolen this year and it was my grandads land being cut..i called the logger n let him know i wasn't happy bout it. He said he took it down and sit it so n so place... naw he let somebody take it

No it is not normal. We operate over 30,000 acres in leases and have lost only one item during a logging operation. In that case, loggers used an easement through my lease to access an adjoining tract. It was constant traffic for three weeks and they would not close gates no matter how much we complained. A cellular camera was stolen during that time but it could have been anyone from loggers to local thugs who took advantage of an open gate.

Yep

Loggers suck. They Don’t care about anything but getting as many trees as possible in the shortest amount of time at any cost to the land they’re working on. I’ve never had them steal, but I’ve had them lay stand down then run them over, run over ground blinds, and throw out every bit of trash they use on the roads... And once their equipment is out they ain’t coming back to finish jack so never fall for that. Try and make your security deposit as high as possible cause you will be getting that back

Our guys tell us to mark them really well with flagging tape and they will try to avoid them.For the most part they do

Having trouble with some right now but considering this crew it was expected.
They thought they were going to hunt this property on the weekends when they weren't working
We're set up in the area where theyre not cutting and they drive their skidders and park them next to our feeders and ground blinds. They'll come up there on weekends at daybreak and fire up their machines and rev them and drive them around for a while and then leave.
Last time I was there they drove their truck over the hill where I was set up shining their lights on my ground blind and revving the engine then got out shining flashlights all around