Who Steals Trail Cams?

[Jonathan_S]

Why take it down in the first place?

Because that's the way he plays it.  Don't like it?  Tough.

[grundy53]

Why take it down in the first place?

[fastdam]

I agree theft is wrong.  Period.
i also think leaving valuable items where strangers come and go for weeks and thinking it will be there when you get back is a bit hopeful. Wrong or right its the world we live in. You cant leave your rifle, wallet or television out along a trail for a couple months and expect it to be there when you get back. The camera is in the same danger.
Some people dont want to be photographed by secret cameras,ever. Those same people probably really dont want yhat kind of harassment when they are making a specific effort to get away from that kind of stuff and outdoors enjoying nature. I personally dont appreciate it. 
From my perspective being someone who has no trail cameras and has never found one, it kinda looks like some people feel like they are reserving a hunting spot by putting a camera there. Past threads about cameras and "people were in MY hunting spot" have helped to form that perspective.
Or anyone, who has seen you guys posting pictures of people on your cams and the making fun of them or accusing them of being shady, may not want to be the person in the picture.
This year i am putting a cam up and i would not be surprised if it gets stolen because i am going to abandon it for months in public. I am not going to cry about it because i know thats how things work.  I wont be leaving my rifle or anything else there because they would also be gone.  Its not realistic to thinkk if people see your camera that they wont mess with it.

[Curly]

Why would anyone leave a rifle in the woods? If I find a rifle I would assume it is lost. I wouldn't think that about a camera that is setup on a tree.

Taking a trailcam is theft no matter what justification people come up with.

Dave of the farms and his brother at least gave the camera back, but that was still a jerk move to remove the cam. That fellow sportsman lost valuable time when his camera was down. Hopefully karma gets paybacks on you guys.

[netcoyote]

I am always amazed when jerks seem to act offended when they are called out for doing jerk type stuff.
 

[mountainman]

I am always amazed when jerks seem to act offended when they are called out for doing jerk type stuff.
 

world is full of them though..

[Jonathan_S]

Yeah but he'll return them if given the chance  he just didn't want anyone to steal them.

Also, for whomever saved me from having two trail cameras stolen 3 years ago, thank you.  Now may I have them back please?

[The scout]

just got back from checking my camera with my son. only to find it gone. brush pickers got it. very pissed right now. that's number two stolen for me in the last year

[Jonathan_S]

just got back from checking my camera with my son. only to find it gone. brush pickers got it. very pissed right now. that's number two stolen for me in the last year

Sorry to hear.  Don't worry, I imagine somebody took it to prevent the brush pickers from getting it.

Don't let it stop you.

[vandeman17]

Why would anyone leave a rifle in the woods? If I find a rifle I would assume it is lost. I wouldn't think that about a camera that is setup on a tree.

Taking a trailcam is theft no matter what justification people come up with.

Dave of the farms and his brother at least gave the camera back, but that was still a jerk move to remove the cam. That fellow sportsman lost valuable time when his camera was down. Hopefully karma gets paybacks on you guys.

Exactly. People don't leave a rifle, wallet or whatever out in the woods on purpose but they do with trail cameras. It just boggles my mind the logic that people have regarding "expecting" to have things stolen. It is pretty obvious when my camera is up on a tree, in a box and locked that I fully intend to come back and get it. If its not yours, LEAVE IT ALONE! Simple as that. Maybe if anyone sees Dave's truck parked along the road or in a parking lot they should drive it home since he obviously lost it and if he wants it back he can contact you.

[Skyvalhunter]

Where does Dave live and I will take his truck back home for him?

[pianoman9701]

Actually it was much easier then that. We told the neighboring land owner if anyone showed up looking for a trail cam to let em know someone "found it" and to give em our number. Even though the property is free to hunt, its not posted as such and you pretty much have to go through this neighboring land owner to hunt it. Whom we know very well. So it played out as expected. They showed up, it was gone, they swung by the land owner to cry about it. He called us and the next day we dropped it off so they could pick it up. We had a chuckle about it when we dropped it off with the land owner. End of story.

Now I know many of you wanted to assume there was a much more devilish story or motive. And as entertaining as its been reading the comments, Im sorry to have to kill that and disappoint. But feel free to continue on. Just let me get some popcorn first. 

Nope, taking someone else's cam off private land is devilish enough. You're either a troll looking for a reaction or a sociopath.

"Our thinking: On private land we would never touch it NOR even trespass onto the land to see it anyways. We have our own but dont use em (That's the biggest line of BS I've ever heard). Would rather get out there and scout it. Gotta put work in son.
But if you are stupid enough to put a cam on public land without security or even an attempt to hide it, you dont deserve it. Dont like? Tough. Its the way we play it."

 

This statement really says it all. You're definitely not part of the brotherhood of hunters and really have very little care for others at all. For you, hunting isn't about tradition and heritage, it's about what's in it for you. I have little doubt that you play fast and loose with the law, as well. You're the guy that picks up his spent shells only if he's sure he can't get away with leaving them, not because it's the right thing to do. Or, when it's 5 minutes past shooting time and you know it, you shoot anyway. Sticking to regulations is just for the "suckers", I'm sure. I sure hope you're not raising children.

[netcoyote]

Actually it was much easier then that. We told the neighboring land owner if anyone showed up looking for a trail cam to let em know someone "found it" and to give em our number. Even though the property is free to hunt, its not posted as such and you pretty much have to go through this neighboring land owner to hunt it. Whom we know very well. So it played out as expected. They showed up, it was gone, they swung by the land owner to cry about it. He called us and the next day we dropped it off so they could pick it up. We had a chuckle about it when we dropped it off with the land owner. End of story.

Now I know many of you wanted to assume there was a much more devilish story or motive. And as entertaining as its been reading the comments, Im sorry to have to kill that and disappoint. But feel free to continue on. Just let me get some popcorn first. 

Nope, taking someone else's cam off private land is devilish enough. You're either a troll looking for a reaction or a sociopath.

"Our thinking: On private land we would never touch it NOR even trespass onto the land to see it anyways. We have our own but dont use em (That's the biggest line of BS I've ever heard). Would rather get out there and scout it. Gotta put work in son.
But if you are stupid enough to put a cam on public land without security or even an attempt to hide it, you dont deserve it. Dont like? Tough. Its the way we play it."

 

This statement really says it all. You're definitely not part of the brotherhood of hunters and really have very little care for others at all. For you, hunting isn't about tradition and heritage, it's about what's in it for you. I have little doubt that you play fast and loose with the law, as well. You're the guy that picks up his spent shells only if he's sure he can't get away with leaving them, not because it's the right thing to do. Or, when it's 5 minutes past shooting time and you know it, you shoot anyway. Sticking to regulations is just for the "suckers", I'm sure. I sure hope you're not raising children.

You nailed it p'man. The guy is a sociopath with an extreme need for control. He does something to violate another person and relishes being in the position of forcing them to come to him to ask for something that he feels he has entire control over. He may, or may not decide to return a stolen item, but HE is in control. He feels he is in control of this thread because he has infuriated so many to comment. The guy has some serious  personality issues.

[Torrent50]

Well, it sounds like good old Dave also likes to impose his own values on other people in addition to being a thief.  His comment about having their own but not using them, preferring to scout and stating that you have to put in the work adds an additional motive.  Not only did he(his brother) take the property, but wanted to punish the owner who clearly wasn't willing to "put in the work" to his/their level of satisfaction.  In addition to being a thief he/they seem to have a bit of a "holier-than-thou' complex. 

[grundy53]

he's lucky he didn't steal the wrong persons trail cameras.