Stolen camera rant

[hunter399]

I get it that people think this spot,or that spot is theres.
I don't really understand it though.

So one of my cams was taken,plus the salt block.
Which I really don't understand why someone would take the salt block. I guess the SD card and camera wasn't enough I suppose.
I was there recently to remove the camera before season opens.

Not sure which way I should go from this point.
Or just leave it be and move on,I already know what's in the area.
Not sure how someone can show up in
the fall , destroy my stuff,claim a spot as there own.
Reason I say claim a spot ,cause they must not of liked me there to take the salt block. I was standing on snow when I put the cam up this spring.

Camera+salt 40.00$
Few camera checks,100.00 fuel.
Pissed to the wind I suppose.
I've thought about placing a few dummy cams with another cam in a lock box to catch a picture of them.

What you guys think?
Leave it be.
Or risk another cam trying to catch em stealing.
Sorry guys just a rant, this public land stuff happens all the time.
Just venting I guess.

[greenhead_killer]

This boils my blood to no end. I use custom boxes for our cams and have had numerous stolen over the years. Usually a mile plus from any road, at the minimum. Guys have packed in sawzalls and cut my cams off the tree. Nothing infuriates me more, knowing that it’s a 90+% chance it’s another ‘hunter’ of some sort. I wish them all the worst seasons with lots of interactions with wardens!!

Sorry you have to deal with this. It just flat sucks!

[hunter399]

All I was trying to get was a daytime pic of this guy..
Now some other guy probably has my day pic of him.
I wasn't really planning on hunting that spot,due to other spots.
But my plans might change, I'll probably make it a point to hunt this spot now.

[HntnFsh]

I would hunt that spot. Might find out who the culprit is and kill a nice buck.

[Taco280AI]

Use a bait camera and have one well hidden, get footage of the theft.

[follow maggie]

I'd hunt that spot as many times as possible just out of spite

[Mfowl]

Put a bait cam low and obvious then put your second up high and looking down on the spot. No one is ever looking up for cams. If you catch them blast them on social media as much as possible. I hope you catch them next time! Sorry you had to deal with this. My buddies and I have had lock boxes pried open and the cams stolen out of them.

[pickardjw]

Been pretty fortunate with my cameras so far. Had a few people pose in front of them and another dozen or so walk past.

I did have one python locked and someone broke the plastic latch to check the SD card. Fortunately that camera was garbage (stealthcam refurb) and took about 500 photos of does in 5 days before dying. And they put the SD card back. I checked it mid-hunt and left it on the ridge to retrieve this summer when I found the broken latch. In hindsight should've taken the SD card the first time.

I'd put another one up, maybe a broken dummy cam off ebay or something, with a real working one elsewhere to catch them. If there's an obvious parking spot or route in/out, one there too to catch the vehicle. Turn any info into the authorities. If someone is s****y enough to do this they may be known to the authorities already.

[2MANY]

Does your location under your avatar actually say "in your hunting spot"?

Hhhhmmmm

[ghosthunter]

I would go to that spot and set up camp near by. Hunt the heck out of it. The worst thing  a guy can do is tell me they have a stand up and stay away. I don’t like being pushed around on public land.

Old ,cranky, and determined with all the time in the world. I am know as a nice guy but they also say don’t piss him off.

I would never knowingly screw with someone’s hunt and I hunt out of blinds some. Don’t bother me I won’t bother anyone else. But public is public.

Cannot stand thieves. Hope I never catch one. I am certain it would put my medication to the test.

[kodiak06]

Does your location under your avatar actually say "in your hunting spot"?

Hhhhmmmm

LMAO, that's funny

[Bearhunter308]

I was just having this conversation with my son yesterday. We hiked in a little farther than usual looking for bear, and ran across a great spot, which had 2 trail cams set up about 50 yards from each other. Gave the cams a wave on the way by, and talked with him about hunter ethics. “We don’t want someone messing with our cameras, treestand, ect., so we respect other people’s stuff too.”
Also discussed public land being public, so there’s no guarantee, but in general there should be room for all to hunt and share the woods respectfully.
It is too bad though that not everyone shares decent values, and there are jerks who hunt, just like there’s gonna be jerks everywhere else occasionally too🤔

[Westside88]

Has anyone attempted to imbed an air tag somewhere inside the camera? I assume at least some of the stolen ones get taken home. Thieves suck

[2MANY]

Outlaw cameras and thermal stuff in the woods.
It's ridiculous.
The end.

[kodiak06]

Has anyone attempted to imbed an air tag somewhere inside the camera? I assume at least some of the stolen ones get taken home. Thieves suck

Air tags alert apple owners they are nearby and transmit a tone...

[hunter399]

I think I'll just leave it be for now.(Kinda over it)
As soon as the camera check was done,salt was gone.
I immediately started bear hunting, glassed a few bucks.
Found some bear sign,took a look at the berry situation.
So the drive and fuel cost wasn't as big of an issue.
Kinda turned into a hunting trip,when someone took the salt .

A little more info about the setup.
Camera was put up in the spring,it was about 8 ft on the tree.
Just out of reach. With a Cable lock .I only did two checks, probably two month soaks. I had cameras in this spot,4-5 years ago ,have had a camera stolen,and a SD stolen before. It not a surprise.
Camera was 60 mi from my house as the crow flys.
One of the farthest cameras.
Recently I've been pulling a lot of cameras out since.

My location is NE WASHINGTON ,my avatar location is just me being a jack wagon. I don't intentionally look for people's spots.
But do end up in someone's spot ,such as this case.
I agree my avatar location is lmao.....LOL 😂

[kodiak06]

I think I'll just leave it be for now.(Kinda over it)
As soon as the camera check was done,salt was gone.
I immediately started bear hunting, glassed a few bucks.
Found some bear sign,took a look at the berry situation.
So the drive and fuel cost wasn't as big of an issue.
Kinda turned into a hunting trip,when someone took the salt .

A little more info about the setup.
Camera was put up in the spring,it was about 8 ft on the tree.
Just out of reach. With a Cable lock .I only did two checks, probably two month soaks. I had cameras in this spot,4-5 years ago ,have had a camera stolen,and a SD stolen before. It not a surprise.
Camera was 60 mi from my house as the crow flys.
One of the farthest cameras.
Recently I've been pulling a lot of cameras out since.

My location is NE WASHINGTON ,my avatar location is just me being a jack wagon. I don't intentionally look for people's spots.
But do end up in someone's spot ,such as this case.
I agree my avatar location is lmao.....LOL 😂

I would hope everyone on here would know your "location" is simply a joke. Definitely sux that people can't can't just leave things alone. I drive 480 miles one way to check cams and I'd come unassed if I caught someone taking one.

[GWP]

Don’t you guys think the more probable is an anti hunter?
That vid with the anti trapper messing with the guys stuff on here in the middle of winter shows some dedication.

[follow maggie]

I don’t. By far & away it’s Almost always another hunter that doesn’t want someone else in “his” spot. Most hunters are good honest people, but there’s a good amount of trash that hunts, also.

[MeepDog]

I don’t. By far & away it’s Almost always another hunter that doesn’t want someone else in “his” spot. Most hunters are good honest people, but there’s a good amount of trash that hunts, also.

It's the same ones who litter, sh*t in the parking lot, drive where they aren't supposed to, and put their family members tags on animals they kill. If one thing isn't sacred, then nothing is sacred.

[GWP]

I will say I am glad I was done with hunting big fur, for the most part, before all the camera's and remote hunting started being used a lot.
Then again, I have the fancy electronics for my boat to fish with, so I am not completely in the stone age.
It would quite suck to have someone mess with equipment that does not belong to them.

[kodiak06]

Don’t you guys think the more probable is an anti hunter?
That vid with the anti trapper messing with the guys stuff on here in the middle of winter shows some dedication.

I'd bet 99% another hunter. I've had A-holes steal SD cards or take batteries out of my cams. Pretty good idea of who it was since they were on other cameras near the same areas

[hunter399]

I would say 50/50 if it's a hunter or anti-hunter.
Anyway you slice it,they didn't want me hunting or having a camera setup there.

Years ago the SD stolen and camera damage occurred during archery season. That was the primary reason for pulling it before September this time .
With that said ,I still can't say for sure if it was a hunter back then or now.

Going forward next year.
I'll probably find a new spot,this will be the third new spot I'll have to come up with. I'll weld together a lock box,bring a ladder.
Probably put it like 20 ft up. See if that stops them.
Maybe a sign with my cell, maybe a tree that isn't easily cut down.
I share about 90 percent of my photos with HW,id probably share photos if they ask nice.

[kodiak06]

I would say 50/50 if it's a hunter or anti-hunter.
Anyway you slice it,they didn't want me hunting or having a camera setup there.

Years ago the SD stolen and camera damage occurred during archery season. That was the primary reason for pulling it before September this time .
With that said ,I still can't say for sure if it was a hunter back then or now.

Going forward next year.
I'll probably find a new spot,this will be the third new spot I'll have to come up with. I'll weld together a lock box,bring a ladder.
Probably put it like 20 ft up. See if that stops them.
Maybe a sign with my cell, maybe a tree that isn't easily cut down.
I share about 90 percent of my photos with HW,id probably share photos if they ask nice.

Just carry a couple climbing sticks and hang them...

[hunter399]

I would say 50/50 if it's a hunter or anti-hunter.
Anyway you slice it,they didn't want me hunting or having a camera setup there.

Years ago the SD stolen and camera damage occurred during archery season. That was the primary reason for pulling it before September this time .
With that said ,I still can't say for sure if it was a hunter back then or now.

Going forward next year.
I'll probably find a new spot,this will be the third new spot I'll have to come up with. I'll weld together a lock box,bring a ladder.
Probably put it like 20 ft up. See if that stops them.
Maybe a sign with my cell, maybe a tree that isn't easily cut down.
I share about 90 percent of my photos with HW,id probably share photos if they ask nice.

Just carry a couple climbing sticks and hang them...

I did use tree stand steps ,the cam was 8 or 9 ft up ,with a Cable lock. It was the only camera that I used tree stand steps this year.
I know the area is problematic for trail cams .
I will say I have had a handful of good people on cams.
All of them ,good or bad I welcome them to hunt the area or even at my salt blocks or cameras.  Just leave my stuff alone ,and hunt all you want. It's public land . Instead of stealing my stuff ,just utilize what I already setup for ya.
I have so many new and old spots it's impossible for me to hunt them all in the same season. If someone is hunting there ,I'll find a new spot. Or move a few miles down the road or whatever.
Anymore it's not a big deal to me.

I showed a buddy the other day the pics from this camera.
Told him about my missing camera,he said he'll be hunting it.
I said ya ,you ,me,the dozen other people that have my pics.
We laughed, I thought it was hilarious... 😂.

[GASoline71]

Outlaw cameras and thermal stuff in the woods.
It's ridiculous.
The end.

This ^^^  100% 

Gary

[phildobaggins]

I would say 50/50 if it's a hunter or anti-hunter.
Anyway you slice it,they didn't want me hunting or having a camera setup there.

Years ago the SD stolen and camera damage occurred during archery season. That was the primary reason for pulling it before September this time .
With that said ,I still can't say for sure if it was a hunter back then or now.

Going forward next year.
I'll probably find a new spot,this will be the third new spot I'll have to come up with. I'll weld together a lock box,bring a ladder.
Probably put it like 20 ft up. See if that stops them.
Maybe a sign with my cell, maybe a tree that isn't easily cut down.
I share about 90 percent of my photos with HW,id probably share photos if they ask nice.

Just carry a couple climbing sticks and hang them...

Yea that, I always hang my cams high!

[kodiak06]

Outlaw cameras and thermal stuff in the woods.
It's ridiculous.
The end.

This ^^^  100% 

Gary

LOL, cameras aren't hurting anything

[2MANY]

BS.

Cameras give hunters a schedule of animal movements. It's 100% unfair and Flys in the face of the Sportsman's Code, page 173, paragraph 2.1

Put in your time scouting, quit baiting, and hunt the animals like they deserve to be hunted.

[Feathernfurr]

I’m torn on cameras. I love them, and it’s a really cool way to learn about animals. I absolutely think a significant number of animals get killed solely because of cameras though, and can speak to this personally. I would like to see more states go to the model of cameras being legal out of season, but have to be removed during season. This is on public land at least. What people do with their private property is no one’s business but theirs as far as I’m concerned.

[MeepDog]

Once you give something up it's very hard to get it back. If you don't like cams, don't use them. Wildlife photography should be embraced.

[2MANY]

Thermal and cameras need to go bye bye on public ground.
AND
Of course I've done enough to establishmy own opinion which is what it is.
I feel the same way about hiring 10 spotters.

[Feathernfurr]

I’m nervous about this new trend of drones with thermals for “scouting” that I’m seeing guys do on YouTube too. We’re definitely losing the point these days. Too many people consumed with being social media hunters. But, I will refrain from hijacking the thread. It’s a shame people can’t leave other’s cameras alone, people need to show more respect.

[hunter399]

We will be losing baiting deer/elk in the NE ,CWD and all that.
I'm sure the trail cam issue has came up in a commission meeting.
I'd be fine with banning trail cam use during the season , Sept 1 - dec31. Most of my trail cam use is done by September.
Mainly to inventory animals, we all want to hunt where animal are located.
All my cams are SD card cams,I do not use cell cams or any type of thermal camera or drone. That's my choice,I do not mind what others use as long as it's legal.

[GASoline71]

I think the game camera trend is way out of hand.  I use them on my property for the 2 legged A-holes that sneak around in the dark and steal stuff.  And we have one on the 40 acre private parcel we hunt at the access gate.  We do see quite a few deer on it though. 

But just like everything else in this "industy", we have dumbed it down due to laziness. Sure it makes it easier to set up a cell camera on a ridge and check it from your recliner.  Instead of driving out dozens of times a year to actually watch that same ridge to see what's going on. We also have bows capable of kills out past 100 yards, muzzleloaders capable of shooting close to 200 yard groups like modern rifles, everyone wants a muzzle brake or a can on the end of their rifle, all the clothing we use nowadays is so lightweight and comfy, it makes you wonder how we hunted in woolies and union suits with wood stock rifles and fixed 4 power scopes, mediocre compounds, and sidelock muzzleloaders 30 years ago. But I digress... 

Gary

[hunter399]

I think the game camera trend is way out of hand.  I use them on my property for the 2 legged A-holes that sneak around in the dark and steal stuff.  And we have one on the 40 acre private parcel we hunt at the access gate.  We do see quite a few deer on it though. 

But just like everything else in this "industy", we have dumbed it down due to laziness. Sure it makes it easier to set up a cell camera on a ridge and check it from your recliner.  Instead of driving out dozens of times a year to actually watch that same ridge to see what's going on. We also have bows capable of kills out past 100 yards, muzzleloaders capable of shooting close to 200 yard groups like modern rifles, everyone wants a muzzle brake or a can on the end of their rifle, all the clothing we use nowadays is so lightweight and comfy, it makes you wonder how we hunted in woolies and union suits with wood stock rifles and fixed 4 power scopes, mediocre compounds, and sidelock muzzleloaders 30 years ago. But I digress... 

Gary

I totally agree with ya. The hunting was way better 30 years ago.
Now we have onx,SxS,1000 yard rifles out the box with hand loading instructions. I feel what your saying.
But we have went so far forward,that there is no going back.
Can't beat ,join 'em.
With that said ,I still wear blue jeans,still put on a flannel to hunt sometimes. Still leave my junk at home sometimes,put a knife on my belt,some TP in my back pocket. Take my rifle that just sighted in for 100 yards . GO HUNT.

I do wish we could go back, open sight 30/30,my knife and that's it.
So now I just draw a line for myself on what is fair chase is for me .

[chukardogs]

What's the difference between a game camera hooked up to a cell phone in real time and a drone? And please don't with one flies and one doesn't. You get the point. Knowing where an animal was at some point during the year, last month or even last week doesn't mean he's there now or going to be there in a few minutes if he stays on a specific trail. How can that possibly be considered fair chase? I guess now I have to go back and read the regulations.

[GASoline71]

I think the game camera trend is way out of hand.  I use them on my property for the 2 legged A-holes that sneak around in the dark and steal stuff.  And we have one on the 40 acre private parcel we hunt at the access gate.  We do see quite a few deer on it though. 

But just like everything else in this "industy", we have dumbed it down due to laziness. Sure it makes it easier to set up a cell camera on a ridge and check it from your recliner.  Instead of driving out dozens of times a year to actually watch that same ridge to see what's going on. We also have bows capable of kills out past 100 yards, muzzleloaders capable of shooting close to 200 yard groups like modern rifles, everyone wants a muzzle brake or a can on the end of their rifle, all the clothing we use nowadays is so lightweight and comfy, it makes you wonder how we hunted in woolies and union suits with wood stock rifles and fixed 4 power scopes, mediocre compounds, and sidelock muzzleloaders 30 years ago. But I digress... 

Gary

I totally agree with ya. The hunting was way better 30 years ago.
Now we have onx,SxS,1000 yard rifles out the box with hand loading instructions. I feel what your saying.
But we have went so far forward,that there is no going back.
Can't beat ,join 'em.
With that said ,I still wear blue jeans,still put on a flannel to hunt sometimes. Still leave my junk at home sometimes,put a knife on my belt,some TP in my back pocket. Take my rifle that just sighted in for 100 yards . GO HUNT.

I do wish we could go back, open sight 30/30,my knife and that's it.
So now I just draw a line for myself on what is fair chase is for me .

Yessiree!  I will admit that OnX has probably been the one new "tech" that I have embraced.  I still hunt elk when its really cold in woolies and long johns. Warmer weather, Jeans and a jacket or flannel for me too, unless it's raining or wet.  Then it's rain gear.

I bought a big mountain hauler type pack 2 years ago and have yet to use it.  Don't know if I ever will. LOL. It is nice to just have a knife and a sharpener on my belt, and a wad of TP in my back pocket. My hunting style has changed a lot as I have aged. I'm approaching 60 and my knees don't allow me the freedoms I once had in the backcountry. But, I trudge along the best i can. Technological advances in the hunting and fishing industry are mind numbing to me.  There just seems like a gadget or gizmo for every single thing nowadays. I'm too simple minded to change. haha. How's that song go?  "I'm a dinosaur, should have died out a long time before... hand me my hat, excuse me man, but where is the door?" 

Gary

[chukardogs]

I can't find anything in the regulations that says a person couldn't set up game camera's in a canyon or on a trail and then sit farther up or down the canyon or trail and then have the camera tell you when an animal walked in front of the camera's.
 I can't believe that the state fish and wildlife haven't thought of that. Am I reading too much into it? Are the camera's and cell phone's that sophisticated and accurate that they'll give you real time info? If so, I gotta get me some.

[GASoline71]

I can't find anything in the regulations that says a person couldn't set up game camera's in a canyon or on a trail and then sit farther up or down the canyon or trail and then have the camera tell you when an animal walked in front of the camera's.
 I can't believe that the state fish and wildlife haven't thought of that. Am I reading too much into it? Are the camera's and cell phone's that sophisticated and accurate that they'll give you real time info? If so, I gotta get me some.

That right there is reason enough to have them out of the woods during the hunting season.

Gary

[dreadi]

How unstable is our animal population due to advances in technology associated with hunting?


BLACK HAMMER ARMS
07/02 NFA Dealer

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[ganghis]

I've got mixed feelings on cameras in the woods too, especially the ones that work over cellular networks.  On the other hand, I have a buddy who I'm trying to get into hunting and I got him to put up one of those cellular cams on his inlaws property.  He keeps sending me pics of blacktails and bobcats and is pretty psyched to go sit in a blind with his bow for the first time this fall.  I think it excites him a lot more than finding some fresh scat or rubs would - maybe that's backwards from the way some of us learned, but I also think it's pretty cool that technology can help someone get into hunting in the first place.

Most of the places I hunt are away from roads and don't have cell service, so if someone wants to do the work to put them in and check the sd cards over multiple backpacking weekends I don't have a problem with it.  I've done it on occasion (including this season) and have used them to cross places off (no spike elk  or legal bucks in this drainage, etc.)...I think that can save some time but is no way a slam dunk.

I do not, and will never bait, because that doesn't jive with my personal ethic.  But I know other people do and don't want to do the "this is the right way to hunt, that is the wrong way to hunt" thing.  Hound hunting deer was legal when I lived in NC and that kind of pissed me off too.  Since then though, I've kind of taken up the mentality that there's enough other forces against us hunters, I'd rather everyone just do their own thing as long as it's not anything egregious.

As for the original thread, that sucks that people took your stuff hunter399.  I hope mine are still in place when I get to my elk spot in early October!  There's one wallow in particular that I've seen other hunters flagging going into in the past - giving it a 50/50 chance that the wallow cam is still there!

[Ridgeratt]

The neighbor and I went to replace the batteries in his. This last Tuesday and we ran into a couple of bear hunters in the middle of the day. We started talking about game cameras. I asked him if he could guess just how many cameras where in the drainage he was hunting. He admitted that he had 24 in the general area. Neighbor had close to a dozen out last year and pulled back some and I had close to a dozen. That means between the 3 of us there was 48 cameras, and his buddy didn't admit to any. I know that other people have put cameras out as well. This is just a small area in 105. The bear hunter did say when he found a camera he would run the card on his reader to see what others have seen and if he wants hunt the area.

The bear hunters had shot a bear earlier in the morning and had lost the trail. I would guess in the heat it wasn't much good if they ever found it.

[chukardogs]

I do have cell service where I hunt. The fact that I hunt alone quite often, (don't say it) and the fact that I have cell service where I hunt is the only reason I still hunt and I'm not divorced.
Where's that point where the technology takes over and the ability to hunt and shoot falls to the way side? I have a buddy with one of them fancy scopes that's set up for his specific caliber out to like a thousand yards. The state says, sure, you can bait deer and elk. Throw in a cellphone camera set-up that let's you know when the animal will be standing 1000 yards away. Can we really call that hunting?
Camera's in the field for watching animals throughout the year, sure. Camera's in the field as an active hunting tool crosses a line for me. I'm just surprised the state hasn't already seen this possibility. They jumped on the drone usage during the season as soon as it became a thing.     

[GWP]

Wasn’t there a shoot by camera outfit where you could do the hunt by live stationary camera on your computer? That was some time ago.
I suppose hunting by drone would be the next step from that.
48 cameras in one area?!?! Good grief.

[Ridgeratt]

48 cameras in one area?!?! Good grief.

Just think that is only a small area of a unit. What about all the folks on the west side that are hanging cameras over the hill in the east side. Not counting the other cameras' that we have run across while in the field. 

[boneaddict]

I tried to go for a hike this spring in the Clockum and quite frankly it was difficult to try to be polite skirting one camera to walk right into another.  It was frickin ridiculous.   

[bearpaw]

We found a camera had been stolen this week, it was in a security box at one of our bait sites in Idaho, we figure someone was hunting our bear bait when we weren't there, saw the camera, they knew they weren't being morally right, so they kicked at the bear box until they could steal the camera which had their photo hunting our bait. I think we are going to start putting a second hidden camera to watch the first camera, then when we get pictures of the thief I'll plaster them all over social media, everyone hates thieves!

[raydog]

How unstable is our animal population due to advances in technology associated with hunting?


BLACK HAMMER ARMS
07/02 NFA Dealer

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I think about this a lot as more and more things come out that make killing easier. It especially hits home for me in what are supposed to be primitive seasons.

I think cell cams should have some restrictions. I know of several people who will run out the door if they get a notification..... Personally feel it crosses a line