Ok gotta vent
 

Sons birthday was the last week and bought him a trail camera he's been wanting one and we have never used them so I bought him one. Went out last week to put it up by our tree stand put it up. I figured we would give it about a week before we check it. So after school today I pick him up and take him to the farm he's excited to see if it has got any deer pics on it and well someone done stole it. Now I know this type of thing happens in the world but man has it got me fired up. Someone stole a 11 yr olds trail camera. It makes me sick. Don't understand how someone can touch something that's not theirs. Well ok I vented now I'm done. :throw::rant:

That's terrible... You ever seen anyone sneaking around your hunting spot before?

Trail camera theft is pretty common..

I have to wonder why the manufacturers don't put encryption capabilities on them that would make them useless to anyone who doesn't have the code.

It would be a simple and very cheap feature to add that would make the unit useless to anyone who steals it.

I think I know why they don't... Its because having it stolen means you'll probably purchase another one.. And, people who steal stuff like that usually don't purchase them anyhow so its not like they're losing a sale.

That said.. there may be a solution that would almost force the manufacturers to install theft protection devices..

The solution is to pay for it with your credit card and then make a claim with your cc company when it's stolen. Most people don't even know you can do this but its part of you credit card terms and DOES NOT increase your cost of using the card in any way. Its already built in and has been that way for decades.

Once the credit card companies start getting thousands of claims, they'll have a chat with the camera manufacturers.

Did you know that using your credit card also doubles your manufacturers warranty up to 1 year?

That's a heck of a way for a young fellow to find out how lousy people are.

I'm thinking that there's a more simple explanation for why many game cameras get stolen.

Ok, so you're trespassing on posted private land which is where 99% of game cameras are placed. You look up and notice that a game camera has just snapped your pic. There's one sure way to prevent the owner from getting your picture. Most folks might not think to simply take the SD card.

Just a thought.

It sure sucks about your son's camera and of course, now you're naturally going to be hesitant about placing another one there. HEY, maybe that's it. Put a cheap one out in the open and camouflage another in range of that to photo the theif!

I hate a thief! My old grey haired Grand Mother always told me not to hate anyone, but I still hate a thief!

I don't know if you want to push the issue or not but I'd go back with 2 cameras. Put one in the same place and then hide the other one really well to take pics of the first one. See if you can get the slimeball on film! Then pay his worthless butt a visit if you recognize him.

OK,

I'm in on this. Your boy learned that people can be scum. Good lesson. It's true.

Now he needs to learn that hunters are not scum, in fact we are good people.

I'm in for $20 to buy that son of yours a new one. Who's in? Let's get enough to buy him two or three to replace the one he lost, and to teach him which crowd to follow.

Set up a paypal account and let's get the real message of real Americans going.

I was wondering where you got a hold of this statistic? I'm thinking that there HAS to be more hunters on public land than on private land. So, I would think there's more cams on public land. No?

I've been using 2 cams on State Park land for the last 10 years and I've yet to have one stolen. You need to be creative as to where you locate your cam, at least on public land. Bottom line is, anything you leave in the woods, public or private, is at risk.

put them up high pointed down, hunters are like deer they never look up
RR

Hey thanks a lot for the kind words guys I have hunted in this spot over 12 years with never a issue at all. Just goes to show ya I guess you really never know. Thanks again for allowing me to vent.And Djfan that's a heck of a nice thing to try to do I appriciate it brother.

Hey if you did want to do that for him that would be a huge surprise for him. If not I'll pick up another when I can either way I appriciate it. Pay pal is [email protected] thanks guys

Im in...

I had one stolen before myself on my property no less...I ended up welding a box together and lag bolting it to a big tree where ever I used it. sure they could get it off eventually but not without some effort. I have my suspicions on who it was but cant/couldn't prove it...next ones I put up will be put up in a box like the others...

I hate to hear about hunting equipment theft. Unfortunately, there are evil people in our world. I just had my NEW (barely-used 5 times) Climbing Treestand stolen this past weekend...FROM THE WOODS BEHIND MY HOUSE. It really got me fired-up, because not only was it my treestand, it was in close proximity to my home.

I went and made a police report, but we all know how that goes. I just had to force myself to shrug it off, and unfortunately be on the offense. I just bought a new climbing stand today, and immediately etched my initials on both the seat & foot platform. And IF I ever leave it in the woods, I bought a nice thick cable & Masterlock to go on it!

Thank you to William Amadore means a lot to know people do care.

I was wondering where you got a hold of this statistic? I'm thinking that there HAS to be more hunters on public land than on private land. So, I would think there's more cams on public land. No?

Just made it up and perhaps stand to be corrected. Just thought that dynamic might account for some of the thefts on private posted property.

As I mentioned, any time you leave ANYTHING in the woods, it's at risk of being stolen. Yes, it sucks, but it's reality. I had a Lone Wolf sit and climb stolen from private land I had permission to hunt about 5 years ago. And that stand was locked with a cable lock!!! :mad:

Sorry he had to learn it that way. I also cannot understand the thinking of some people. HD.

The big thing in my head is we are out along the main road a lot anybody that drives by sees me and my son. I haven't hunted one day with out him this year. Everyone in town knows the wood lot and field on a said road is where I hunt with my sons 11 and 5. Yet someone still does this. It had to be someone close and someone after dark cause the lady who owns the farm would of shot them had she of seen them.

Just some food fer thought... Did your son happen to mention the cam to other kids at school? Some kids can be very jealous, and unforgiving rascals!

I'm sure he probally did buddy u know kids will be kids. But its over and done now but thanks to all for letting me vent and understanding without any negative comments. Thanks guys.

my steath cam has a 4 number code in order to use it

I had a camera stolen a couple years back as well, the feeling of someone stealing from you is unexplainable, knowing you'll probably never know who did it is even worse..

Here is what I would do... I would place a cheaper camera down on the ground where it could be easily noticed/stolen. I would then place another camera near it, but it would be much higher. Bring a ladder back so that it cannot be reached from the ground. Make sure this camera operates quietly, has infrared so the flash doesn't give away its location, and has a decent range on it also. Then maybe you could get a picture of the thieves, but hopefully they do not return.

They also make metal boxes that fit over trail cameras and have steel cables that wrap around the tree. These boxes can be padlocked. They could probably still remove it with bolt cutters or by cutting the tree down, but at least they'd have to work at it.

That totally sucks! A thief should be buried in an ant hill and give back to nature.

Well guys they stole his camera but didn't steal the deer there.

Congrats to the young hunter! That's a great looking buck. :happy0001:

Olive I've had two stands stolen off 2 different private properties I hunted growing up in WI. I found both thieves and they were both adjacent land owners. I was young and stupid and kinda got into it with one of them. What it came down to was he had been tresspassing so long on this owners farm. That I actually think he thought he had permission. In his mind I was moving in on his hunting ground.

Tresspassers are good at what they do and you'll never see 'em. So saying you never saw anyone doesn't surprise me.

Awesome looking buck congrats to the young hunter.

Congrats on the buck.

I hunt private land, and it's 100+ acres with a 30 acre plot of woods where I keep the camera.

i still put my camera in a lock box with a Masterlock Python lock. $15 lock, $200 camera.

One of the other guys on our land thought his camera was stolen once.... found it 50 yards away floating in the pond. Wonder who wandered upon that camera?

My first trail camera was stollen also.