New Anti-theft plan!

[winslow]

So, I was less than happy, as I'm sure anyone would be, that someone decided my cage trap should go home with them. This is how I plan to limit theft:

1. Only set private land or remote public access land far from roads out of hunting season.

2. Secure the trap to the Earth.

I drilled a hole through a nut that is welded to both the frame for the wire and the heavier frame of the door, then straightened out a heavy-duty J-hook just enough to sneak it through the hole. I attached a 3' piece of #2 chain to that J-hook, and a wolf fang with a 16" chain to the other end of the chain. It takes a stake puller to remove that wolf fang. That makes it a ton of work and time to steal my trap.

3. Camouflage the heck out of it! (I would post a pic, but you wouldn't be able to find the trap in it. LOL.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Hate to say it but all they need now is bolt cutters. 

[jasnt]

That looks like it will help. Make taking the trap a huge PIA and it will stop most thieves. I think hiding it good and camo will help a lot too.  That one reason I've shied away from guillotine style doors. Just seems like that door sticking up would be harder to disguise. 

[winslow]

Hate to say it but all they need now is bolt cutters. 

Yup. And be willing to walk 5+ miles to access the land I only have to walk ten minutes to get to from private land. I wouldn't want to have to carry that darn trap (or the bolt cutters!) more than a mile or two.

[Machias]

There will always be ways a determined thief can steal your stuff, but most theft is spur of the moment, this should help a bunch.  That or you will come back and find your trap damaged.  I still think it's better than just setting it and making it easy for someone to walk up, pick it up and walk off with it.  Good luck, I hope it helps!!

[winslow]

There will always be ways a determined thief can steal your stuff, but most theft is spur of the moment, this should help a bunch.  That or you will come back and find your trap damaged.  I still think it's better than just setting it and making it easy for someone to walk up, pick it up and walk off with it. Good luck, I hope it helps!!

That's all I can hope for. Doing nothing invites the worst outcome. As it is, I can hardly stand to leave my truck parked at a gate. I spend the whole time listening for a breaking window or for a car slowing down instead of concentrating on scouting sign.

Getting off pubic access land is job one, which is too bad because there's a LOT of it here! Back where I'm from, basically everything is private land. There are no tree farms or the like. All this accessible space felt like a fantasy. Like a fantasy, in that it has its limits when you get face-to-face with it.

[JimmyHoffa]

Could you just move/hide the traps for the weekend?  If there's a lot of animals on easy access public land, it would be a shame to let the critters get a pass because thieves.  Maybe use the worst condition traps or homemade ones in those areas.