Otsdawa_Game_Hunter

Here's what you do:

1. Go out and buy a cuddyback and place it in a spot observing your stand where you know they wont find it.
2. Make sure that you place it in a spot where it will take good face shots.
3. Using a green piece of construction paper take a black marker and write "Smile!! your on cuddyback camera (bad name inserted here)" and laminate it with some lamination sheets.
4. hang that near your stand where you know they will see it but wont be blowing around.
5. Demand that all of your stands be returned or you will call the DNR officer or state police!

* You could also just put up the paper without the camera to freak them out.

My buddy did this and busted 3 guys trying to steal his stands. He knew exactly who they were and you could see them trying to cover their faces as they ran! Too late!!! He made one phone call and had 4 of his stands returned after he threatened to prosecute. Sounds like alot of $$$ but you have to look at it like you are protecting your investment.

brushbustin

Chances are they are going to see your camera and take it too!

1shotkill1993

why would i put more money into a camera that they would probly just take as well?[&:][&:]

Mossy_71

Good and bad idea.

We have never had our stands stolen but have had a lot of issues with trespassers. One day while out checking game camers, we discovered that one of the trespassers discovered their picture had been takem (not what the cameras were intended for). To make a long story short, they couldn't steal the camera because it was secured but managed to damage it enough to get the SD card out and render the camera completely useless. $300 out with the dirty dishwater.

The only way I can see this working without the worries of more money lost, would be to set the cameras high up in trees where they would be less likely noticed. But there is no guarantee with that either.

Nice thought though and kudos to your friend. Glad to see the idea worked for him and he was able to recover stands that had already been stolen, just not sure I would be willing to take the risk knowing that people were already targeting me.

Otsdawa_Game_Hunter

Yes. It was good that he recovered his stands. He hid the camera well enough and thats what matters most. It just keeps honest people honest I guess. Not saying it's fool proof but if you walked up to a stand would you mess with it after reading that it was being watched? How did they know there wasnt more than one camera? Just throwing an idea out there to you guys which worked well on this occasion. Heck its like i said you could put a sign up and say it was being monitored. That would be enough for me if I stumbled across a stand. I sure wouldnt mess with it.

Mossy_71

Just playing Devil's Advocate. The real problem here is the fact that people steal and trespass in the first place.

And to answer your question...I wouldn't be there. But I do see your point (theft deterent).

CamoCop

i lock my stands to the tree with a thick cable and master lock. with that being said, anyone walking through the woods with bolt cutters needs a good butt kick'n

zrexpilot

I was thinking why dont you all just lock the stands to the tree. By the way cable type locks can not be cut with bolt cutters

mcraddock

Yes they can. Be glad to demonstrate. Even hardened, high tensile cable can be cut with plain 'ol boltcutters. You won't get through with the first cut. But all you have to do is crimp it hard enough to make it flat at one spot. Then keep bending cable back and forth at that exact spot at a sharp angle. Hardened cable is brittle after it has been "worked' like that and the strands will just start breaking at bends.

Not a stand theif, just had to remove stands that welost keyto. It was a 5/8 wrapped cable from Master Lock.

http://www.inlad.com/masterlockcablelockmodel8155dpf.aspx?DepartmentId= 492

LKNCHOPPERS

Do you really think people don't see your camera? They will take that too. The only way around it is to hunt places that are more private or find out who did it and confront them.