Maria and I launched our very determined campaign to take our woods back by beginning to dissemble the metal hunting stand someone put up in our woods without our permission. Until a few weeks go, it was hard for us to get out there, through fast streams and thick brush and brambles.

Thanks to the Gulley Memorial Bridge, we can cross into the woods and are beginning to clean them up, open paths,  trim dying trees, chop up thorn bushes. We were surprised to find a fairy elaborate and expensive tree stand right in the middle of the woods, built there without our knowledge or permission.

Most tree stands hunters put up are simple affairs planks of wood built up in trees with home-made wooden ladders, they are easy to build and inexpensive. This one is more elaborate, with a metal ladder and a medal stand and base, tethered to the old pine tree with straps and bicycle lock cords.

There were even permanent power cords attached, probably for portable battery-powered heaters. I wonder if they weren’t planning to build a split level out there.

We are happy to give hunters permission to hunt in our wood, but we’ve given no one permission to build something like this, and try to lock it in. Today, it’s coming down, we found a hunter/friend who will happily come and get it and use it on his land. Maria and I hauled a ladder up to the woods and she climbed up to see what is keeping this up.

We’re going back with a bolt cutter and knife to cut the straps that tie the stand to the tree, and we should be able to push it over. A number of people have surprised me by telling me to be careful that the hunter doesn’t come and harm me. I think Deliverance did a lot of harm to the idea of rural life in American minds.

Deliverance is to the country what Babe is to border collies. This is the safest and most tolerant place I have ever lived, and I’ve lived in 15 or 16 different places in America. We watch out for one another here.

People here respect private property and value courtesy and straightforwardness. No self respecting or ethical hunter would ever set foot on someone’s property without permission. Nor would they dare to come and complain if found out.

And no one is going to come to the farm and harm me for taking it down. If he or she did anything like that, the law would come down on them hard, and so would real hunters. I’ve gotten all kinds of offers from ethical hunters to come and take the stand down, even some offers of help from state environmental police, the ones who oversee hunting licenses and safety.

So we’ve checked it out, we will return this afternoon with the appropriate tools. We’re going to cut the straps and just pull the stand away from the tree.

How fortunate I am to be married to someone who zips up and down ladders like a money and loves to care care of our woods, and wields a mean drill. Day by day, we are claiming these woods, orphaned a bit by life.