my trail cam was stolen!

burlyman · 09-13-2009, 02:56 PM

ok so i have permission to hunt a very large piece of property at the edge of my town. there are other guys who hunt the property as well but the property manager told each of us which general areas to stay in. i set up my trail cam on a great spot about 3 weeks ago. i go in today to check it and its gone! im not so much disappointed about the loss of cam/pics/money..than i am the fact that someone would actually do it!...the thing that is keeping me going is the thought that what goes around comes around. anyone else every have this happen? is there anything i can do? thanks.

elkhuntinut · 09-13-2009, 03:06 PM

First, I had the same thing happen to me not only with treestands, but trail cameras. The camera was on a small tract of land that only I had permission to hunt. Somehow the camera walked away, but I made the landowner aware of this.

The most recent happened two years ago, went in the day after Thanksgiving for a morning shotgun hunt and couldn't find my stand. I did find my safety rope, so for that I was thankful..

Now I have a tract that I allow nobody access too. This should reduce my issues slightly

bowmanaj · 09-13-2009, 03:22 PM

Very sorry to hear that, that sucks. Not a whole lot to do except call authorities right away if you see people trespassing. Haven't had it happen to me, yet.. Knock on wood.

Hope it works out and you find out who the thief is..

Sniggle · 09-13-2009, 04:14 PM

I had mine stolen last year in the woods behind my house.....next time I buy one I think I may booby trap it (just kidding). May the theif develop a nice case of bone cancer.

BrentH243 · 09-13-2009, 04:24 PM

Unfortunately, it does happen. We've had multiple things stolen on our private property but are yet to have a trailcam taken (knock on wood).

I have thought about a scenario of someone trespassing and then seeing a flash or the camera itself...and being afraid of being caught on camera for being on our property, that they just take the camera to destroy the evidence. I would rather them come to me and make up a lie that their dog got away or something and that they had to go on the property to get it.

Good luck catching them...it would be even worse if you were about to draw back on a big one and they come walking through the woods that they aren't supposed to be on!

09_bobcat · 09-13-2009, 04:27 PM

make the DNR or local wardens aware. i had this happen on my place, but i found a cam, several feeders, and 3 tree stands in return from the trespassers. quite a trade. lol so i guess what comes around does go around.the game wardens now pay closer attention to my place and with the addition of several more no trespassing signs it hass decreased substantially for now.

Ed McDonald · 09-13-2009, 04:31 PM

I don't hang a camera unless I can lock it . It's only a deterrant but so far it has worked for me ........

spudrow · 09-13-2009, 04:33 PM

I have had my film stolen out of my old 35 mm trail cam before. I guess they had their picts taken and didn't want to get caught tresspassing. At least my cam was left alone.

Sorry to hear about yours being stolen.

Spudrow from MO

bcward · 09-13-2009, 06:56 PM

That sucks, I hate to hear it. There is not really anything you can do, but if you do catch trespassers I would definately prosecute them. I know in Arkansas where I live and hunt, if someone is caught tresspassing/hunting on someone's lease and are caught they have to pay each member of the lease a certain amount of money, I can't remember the exact fee, but I'm sure if that is the case anywhere else that would discourage repeat offending!