Why leave the camera?

[Lumpy Taters]

Found one of my cameras vandalized this weekend.  Camera has been in the same spot for almost 2 years and only this February did someone else discover it.  Is it a coincidence that this now happened?   Someone spray painted it, cut the hasp off it, cut the cable lock and took it, and took the memory card.  They left the camera in place. Are they trying to send a message?  Why not just take the camera and be gone?  But I am not sure they realize I have other cameras in the area and have their face, truck and license plate number on the images.  Nobody else has been anywhere near it. 

 The real question is whether or not I should try to turn them in or get justice on my own? Local LEO's probably are not going to do anything for such a small issue and the $100 dollars for the camera, lock and card are easily replaced.    What do all think is the right course of action?   

[b0bbyg]

Found one of my cameras vandalized this weekend.  Camera has been in the same spot for almost 2 years and only this February did someone else discover it.  Is it a coincidence that this now happened?   Someone spray painted it, cut the hasp off it, cut the cable lock and took it, and took the memory card.  They left the camera in place. Are they trying to send a message?  Why not just take the camera and be gone?  But I am not sure they realize I have other cameras in the area and have their face, truck and license plate number on the images.  Nobody else has been anywhere near it. 

 The real question is whether or not I should try to turn them in or get justice on my own? Local LEO's probably are not going to do anything for such a small issue and the $100 dollars for the camera, lock and card are easily replaced.    What do all think is the right course of action?

Report it, who knows what else they might do or have done.  Could just be one more reason for Leo to track them down.

[jrebel]

Make them famous on here and see who knows them.  Post the pics of their faces and rig.   

[fowl smacker]

Make them famous on here and see who knows them.  Post the pics of their faces and rig.   

[elkrack]

Make them famous on here and see who knows them.  Post the pics of their faces and rig.   

X3

[duckmen1]

 

[Skyvalhunter]

 

[fishngamereaper]

I would do both
File the report. Sometimes Leo is looking for one little reason to contact someone because of bigger issues they may be into..more often than not the small potatoes leads to the whole thanksgiving dinner..
You can also post picks. Ask for help to I'd because they may "know" something about your damaged property

[BA Mongor]

Lumpy,

I've had numerous cameras taken and had my cards removed a few times, but never damaged and left like that. I've also set up cameras to see who it was accessing the area after I had one of my HC-500's taken. I was able to catch the guy who took my card when he came back to take a look again. I packed in a ladder and put the camera about 12ft up in a adjacent tree to watch the camera.

Getting the angle of the thief catching camera was hard. Talking with the Wahkiakum Sherriff, he asked if it was really worth all the effort to go after him. In my case it wasn't. But I did make up multiple small signs with his name and what he did and put them on some trees in the area. He's never came back and nor have I seen him in the area again

With that, unless you have physical evidence of the individual taking or damaging the camera, your SOL. A truck driving by or person in the area is not good enough to prove they did it. You need to have the evidence that it was this person who damaged or took the camera.

BA

P.s. Thieves Suck!

[hunter399]

Wow,those muddy cams are pretty good cams .
That sucks ass.

I use tree stand steps you screw into the tree to get them a bit higher.
Just don't forget to take the steps with ya.
I've done that before 

[Bowhunter3]

Let’s see those pictures

[Fatherof5]

Post the pics! Post the pics! Post the pics! 

[Transka]

Public or private land?

[h2ofowlr]

Post his pics.  Might get him to compensate you for the damage done if he sees his mug shot posted.

[Gringo31]

I don't understand why anyone would vandalize a camera.  I can't imagine someone justifying such actions....

[trophyhunt]

Make them famous on here and see who knows them.  Post the pics of their faces and rig.   

X3

x10

[buglebuster]

I hate to be that guy…. But when someone says they have pics of the offender and never posts them, 90% of the time they don’t actually have pics of the offender 🤣 I’ve seen this countless times on forums and facebook pages. Nice scare tactic. If you really have the pics, post them. No need to try and hide the identity of a theif!

[boneaddict]

Camera sat there for 2 years, maybe they thought it was abandoned.  I see posts like that on here.       Personally I don’t own the things and when found in the woods, I try to stay clear out of respect, though it is becoming more and more a nuisance.  Others think public property equals public property.   

[Woodchuck]

I hate to be that guy…. But when someone says they have pics of the offender and never posts them, 90% of the time they don’t actually have pics of the offender 🤣 I’ve seen this countless times on forums and facebook pages. Nice scare tactic. If you really have the pics, post them. No need to try and hide the identity of a theif!

Or maybe the OP hasn't signed on since 20 til 10 last night. Just a thought. 

[NOCK NOCK]

I hate to be that guy…. But when someone says they have pics of the offender and never posts them, 90% of the time they don’t actually have pics of the offender 🤣 I’ve seen this countless times on forums and facebook pages. Nice scare tactic. If you really have the pics, post them. No need to try and hide the identity of a theif!

I agree.

and .....stolen cams are more often than not, "Stolen" by a bear or elk,  heck i have 1 cam out this year with literally 100+ pics of elk and bears face to face with it. Have yet to lose any cam to thieves or critters. Use a box/cable lock and hide it good or put it up high.

[Lumpy Taters]

Haven't had the chance to reply since my phone won't let me post for some reason. Have to wait until I get home.     I am sure they knew the camera wasn't abandoned since I put the cable lock on it once they discovered it.  I was advised of the same thing someone said that since I don't have images of them actually damaging or touching my camera there is no way they will investigate it.  The idea of putting one up high to watch is a great idea and I do have climbing gear so not a big deal for me.   These lower tier muddy cameras have proven themselves and there is often a deal or two out there to grab some. Found out they are the same as the Stealth Cam models and midway has a 3-pack deal right now.    I will make a new post and image all by itself and you can all see there is proof.   But I will not post the vehicle or plate.  I will have solid proof before I publicly call someone out and not just deal with it myself.  I will place more cameras and catch them in the act.    One theory a friend thought of was they want the spot and are trying to get me to leave it.  This camera is over a well used wallow and there was always animals on the camera

[Dan-o]

I hate to be that guy…. But when someone says they have pics of the offender and never posts them, 90% of the time they don’t actually have pics of the offender 🤣 I’ve seen this countless times on forums and facebook pages. Nice scare tactic. If you really have the pics, post them. No need to try and hide the identity of a theif!

I agree.

and .....stolen cams are more often than not, "Stolen" by a bear or elk,  heck i have 1 cam out this year with literally 100+ pics of elk and bears face to face with it. Have yet to lose any cam to thieves or critters. Use a box/cable lock and hide it good or put it up high.

I've had a couple cameras stolen by bears, and one absolutely trashed by a cow elk.    I even have pics of her pooping on it after she knocked it down.

But his camera was spray painted...

[Lumpy Taters]

Small Bull from last year and new young bull from this spring

[Lumpy Taters]

Plus bears dont cut cable locks   lol   I have had them eat cameras and found batteries in their scat. 

[Lumpy Taters]

People on cams thread is where its at.   This site is acting crazy for me.  If I add an attachment, it gives me an error and wont post anything.  But if I put up the post first it will let me add after the fact. 

[NOCK NOCK]

Plus bears dont cut cable locks   lol   I have had them eat cameras and found batteries in their scat.

Was not saying a critter took yours.......was just agreeing/replying to buglebusters post.

I hate to be that guy…. But when someone says they have pics of the offender and never posts them, 90% of the time they don’t actually have pics of the offender 🤣 I’ve seen this countless times on forums and facebook pages. Nice scare tactic. If you really have the pics, post them. No need to try and hide the identity of a theif!

[hunter399]

Why try and spray paint it.
It's just BS .
Putting a branch over it wasn't good enough.

Put up another cam on trail,up high,pointing down the trail, but up there in a way you can't see the cam till they have already walked by.