Try to use it to your advantage,even if it means moving your stand.Decide what way this hunter will approach his stand,and set your stand accordingly.

I've had to do this over the years with the influx of new hunters,especially on opening day, and have been rather successful at deciding which way the deer will be bumped to my stand.

Good Luck and may cool heads prevail!

I dont think it is unethical but that person should not have done it, and they were really ignorant not to check for other stands

As you stated " I could tell there had been stands there in the past seasons(being public land I expected that) " this hunters stand may have been removed as some laws require or another reason and felt the area his. finding and talking with this hunter could work out for the both of you, maybe taking turns hunting the area. Try to see the situation from his point of veiw before talking wiht the hunter.

Assuming you'll both be hunting the same trail and that he did see yours to begin with, I'd say it's right on the line of unethical. However, perhaps more bad curtousy than unethical. It sucks, I know I spend more time formulating a way to avoid others and their hunts than my own hunt sometimes. But that's the way it is on public land...everyone has equal right and you can't do anything about it.

Well you could work together and share information and work out a schedule, find out what days he is going to be there and try somewhere else. Or just move your stand. Most likely he will work with you and you both could come up with a good plan of attack.

not so much ethics as common courtesy and respect for a fellow hunter

You are hunting public land, there is nothing wrong with him also setting up a stand where yours is. It is not unethical at all. Might be rude, but not even close to unethical. While it is not ideal that he is close by, just because you hung a stand somewhere first does not mean you "own" that area and are the only one who can hunt it.

I only hunt public land so I am used to this happening to me. Best advice I can give is find a spot deeper in the woods and further away from the parking area. You mentioned it being on a river, use a canoe to get further away from the crowds. You will be more successful over the long haul if you hunt away from other people. I have begun to do things like this the last two years, and have yet to see another hunter while in the woods the last two years.

Good luck this fall.

You never know if he even saw the placement of your stand. Depending upon the terrain and vegetation . I have hunted on a river for years and notice new features about the area every time I go in. Some people just don't pay alot of attention to their surroundings, and just place a stand because it looks good to them. Good luck hunting.

first, no one should be allowed to leave a stand of any type on public land. second you must move, and move far away, as you are at risk of 2 terrible things, shooting him or her or being shot. some times we get caught up in why as opposed to doing what is correct and safe. when guns or bows are involved no deer is worth getting hurt over. what you originally did was like showing up to a ball game weeks in advance and taping your cushion to the bleacher.