stolen stands and deer cams

[goblueM]

Went out to hunt today and had the pleasure of finding my stand and trail cam gone... and buddy's cam and stand taken too.

I know the landowner on the north side and he didn't have anything missing (and would never take things), but the unknown landowner on the south side has a ladder stand 100 yards from mine *Just* on his side of the property line, and 3 other stands still there (at least the ones I can see from walking the property line). Grrrr. You woulda had to walk right under his ladder stand to get to my trail cam... but it was still there.

Thieves just make me so mad.

[paceman]

Yaeh stolen hunting gear just plain sucks. I have lost a few stands and they were on private land.

[leech~~]

Did you have them locked up? We put a 16' cable in and out of each part with a lock on the end. At least it slows them down until they can get a bolt cutter! Sorry to hear.

[tunrevir]

That blows! I usually always mark my stands and etch my name into the metal somewhere with my address in an inconspicuious place but if anyone ever finds my stand and takes it I will know what to look for or if a landowner has a qualm with where I am hunting and takes my stand he can contact me and we can talk about it. I have stands taken before from land I had permission to hunt and nobody else. Landowner said he knew of nobody out there but occassionally you run into the turds that feel necessary to take a stand or camera for themselves. Sorry for your loss, it does suck to think someone would do that!

Tunrevir~

[goblueM]

I guess I had to learn my lesson the hard way, and will be locking stands from now on. Trail cams... well I guess I will have to be cautious about placing those.

After talking to the adjacent landowner (real nice guy) he said he knows who did it but can't prove it. He's kicked off this lowlife for hunting (out of season) on his property several times, and he has been arrested for drugs several times. Apparently stole a few stands off the adjacent property 2 years ago, even locked down ones.

I'll be reporting it to the sheriff and the game warden but am not real hopeful.

[archerystud]

I put a couple of my Moultries in metal boxes that lock. I think they would be harder to steal.

[JBone]

I always fear that since I hunt 5hrs away from home. Opening morning is always judgement day if we have stands.

[Bear55]

I might try and catch this guy in the act. Place a cam high up in a tree pointing at a stand you setup, camo it up as best you can. This could get expensive if the guys sees your new cam but you also might have some proof and get all your stand and cameras back.

[Hoyt4]

Marking your stands might seem simple but works. A friend we hunt with had all their stand stolen off his own land. They happen to put thier names on the stand and #. Taken before last years bow season 2009

The start of spring they got a phone call from someone up north in MN (stands stolen in WI). They tried to sell them at an auction. The people got busted after the call. They pulled up an enclosed trailer and had a ton of stands all stolen. I mark mine now.

[B. Amish]

i don't know what it is about trail cams that make people want to steal them. i had one set up in my yard this fall. it got stolen. there were plenty of other things in my yard that they could've taken, but all they took was the cam. big wheeled cooler and a small weber gas grill would've been easy to take but were left in place.

frustrating for sure.

[CC Hurl]

Even if you only have one camera. Write 1 of 11 or something on it and they will wonder were the rest are and if they are getting there picture taken from the others.

[Musky Buck]

Took the cam because they were on it Amish, maybe ? People talk some about horn porn and how it is ruining deer hunting which it's not, you can do whatever you want to do or shoot or not shoot on your own land except the apr area, so anyway, it's these clowns that ruin hunting in my eyes, trespassers, thieves, abusing our tagging systems, poachers,road hunters,etc. It is hard to believe we have so many clowns in our state and for many once it's over they go back to being a somewhat decent human being, but our main big game animal the deer brings out jealousy,dishonesty,thievery,etc all the things we were taught not to be a kid. Like to run a stun gun system on your cams and stands so when touched these I would guess boys would drop like a rock, fill their pants and forget there name for an hour. Makes me sick.

[leech~~]

MB our group puts out our ladder stands on public land for Bow hunting on Memorial weekend each year and don't pull them down until the end of rifle. We do put long cables and locks on them and they have never been messed with. We have been doing this for about 10 years without an issue. So not all is bad.

[Jeff13]

This garbage happens with hunting gear, ice fishing equipment, peoples rigs getting robbed while you pay for gas, it's really sad that we have to worry about this stuff happening. 95% of us would never even think about messing with some ones gear or take it. It's so sad when you hear this stuff going on. So if any of you fit into the 5% that want to steal from your fellow hunter/fisherman, what goes around comes around. Please stop being a bunch of loosers.

[harvey lee]

I have had plenty stolen from fishing to hunting gear. Most was insured so it was not to big of an issue. All my hunting standfs were stolen off private property. If they want it, it does not matter where it is or if it is locked to a tree. A jerk just has to see it.

It would help to lock a stand to the tree but if enough start that, the crooks will simply carry a bolt cutter and make quick work of taking what they would like.

A few always have to make others lose.

[chris63]

It's really amazing to me that people are so bold and/or desperate that they steal well knowing that the owners of said property are and will be coming back with firearms and or bow on their person.Very ballsy/stupid if you ask me.I by know means are advocating threatening and or assaulting anyone for any reason but some folks are very impatient with scofflaws and thieves.c63

[Rippinlip]

Went out today to pull one set-up out of the woods and it was gone....

On private land too.

They took the climbing sticks, stand, rope for attaching the bow, but they left the $.50 bow hanger in the tree. Little peeved, okay alot!!!!

Calling the pawn shop to see if they happened to get some new inventory lately. Sure it will not show up, but you never now.

Low lifes are just that. Tresspassers and thieves just plain bad people(would have rather said something else, but I don't want to get kicked off.)

[LightningBG]

MB our group puts out our ladder stands on public land for Bow hunting on Memorial weekend each year and don't pull them down until the end of rifle. We do put long cables and locks on them and they have never been messed with. We have been doing this for about 10 years without an issue. So not all is bad.

What type of "public" land are you hunting? It's against the regs to leave a stand overnight on most types of public land.

[gopher_nation]

State military land and state forests allow stands to be left over night. On military land stands can be up day before opener to day after close. In state forests, stands can be left up year round. WMA's, SNA's, and NWR's it's a no-no.

[sticknstring]

I've been lucky so far. No stands or cameras YET. I know the day will come unfortunatley. I even had a good samaritan return a Lone Wolf climbing belt to the parking area that I'd lost the week before. Each season I always go back & forth whether to put up cameras on some of the public land I hunt. I never do. I don't want the day to arrive where I walk in to swap cards excited to see what's on it and the dang thing is gone.

[goblueM]

W

They took the climbing sticks, stand, rope for attaching the bow, but they left the $.50 bow hanger in the tree.

your thieves must be related to mine, because they took everything but the bowhanger on one setup too. Weird.

[DaveT]

A tip I heard on another site is to take an old cam that isn't working anymore and use it as bait. Place it in a nice obvious spot where they're sure to see it. Then you hang a working cam HIGH, hide it well, and point it at the bait cam. We haven't had any problems yet but we save the dead cams anyway. Make sure your land is posted so you can nail them with theft and trespassing.

[CC Hurl]

Sorry to hear of your loss. Ya some folks just can't seem to leave others stuff alone. I lost a nice ground blind last year and now I have a hanger in the same spot. Private property to. If this low life takes the hanger this year there is a nice note I have zip tied to it. Basicaly congradulating him on the new ground blind he got from me last year and what a low life they are for stealing peoples stuff. Kind of mentioned if they put as much energy into a job as they do stealing others stuff they could buy there own. I am going into that stand this weekend for a sit and it may very well be gone. They will have to work for it though. Locked it to the tree and took the first four steps out and stashed them under a log. Won't miss it as much as I did the ground blind and at least I will know they read my love letter. Been hunting on private property for a number of years and that was the first time I was ripped off. I am sure it won't be the last as some folks just seem to be more desperate these days. This is just the reason my wheelhouse will never be left on a lake. All we can do it teach our kids right from wrong and move on. Good luck finding your stuff and ya it sucks to be the victim of theft.

[walleyecheeks]

I know the feeling. This year I built a permanent ladder stand for 2. Its was out there for a month. Went to hunt it and it was gone. The only thing around was a few empty beer cans and a old deer hide. Stealing a perment stand that probably weighed nearly 300lbs. Didn't cost that much to build. But really? If they only put that kind of effort into something productive.