Stolen Trail Cam

[ML_Hunter]

Sigh...So, Cabela's had a TON of game cams on sale for $50 so I picked two of them up, then went to Best Buy where they had 8GB SD card on sale for $15 (I picked up 4 of them  )  I went out last week and decided to set one of them up.  I set it up in an area that seamed to have a ton of deer activity but was about 1/4 mile from a road.  Came back 3 days later to hunt the area and pick up my game can only to have discover it was gone!  I knew where it was at and had the spot marked on my GPS so I'm 130% positive that i'm not looking at the wrong tree.  Just disgruntled that someone would actually take it  .  I knew that one day this may have happened...but really, my first trail cam on its maiden voyage  .  Grrrrrr 
 

[PolarBear]

I was poking around a landlocked chunk of state land behind my place yesterday morning and found a sign asking that whoever stole their treestand, please return it.  I keep hearing of treestands and cameras being ripped off all over Thurston County.  I just don't get why some folks can't leave other peoples stuff alone.   

[woodman]

Sorry to hear that this happened to you. Last year I lost one that was lag bolted to a stump in a metal case. You could see the wood splintered where they pried it off of the stump. Just a reality check as to the kind of jerks that live in this world.

[wayner]

we always lock our cameras to the tree with cable. Have'nt lost one "yet". But if someone really wanted it they could get it. Just keeps the honest people honest. 

Woodman it sounds like they really wanted your camera that sucks

[Skyvalhunter]

two words LOCK BOX

[rasbo]

go where the masses are not...if its easy for you to get to ,or you leave a nice trail leading to it,thats gonna happen..where I hunt, bears are my biggest worry,they mess with damn near anything ,and love plastic and foam seats...its really sad we all have to worry about anything left  out..hide your camera well,if it sticks out they are easy to spot......

[woodman]

two words LOCK BOX

Mine was stolen lock box and all!

[Skyvalhunter]

Then it was too close to the road and visable. If you conceal it or put it further out people are not likely to pack bolt cutters to cut off your paddle lock and the python cable you have on it.

[sportsman002001]

Right there with you I lost one 2 years ago and have been putting a couple cameras in the same spot for about 5 years. This was a spot that you had to hike into and I thought I would never loose a camera when you put in the effort to get off the beaten path. I was wrong. Don't let it discourge you from putting up cameras. 

[woodman]

Then it was too close to the road and visable. If you conceal it or put it further out people are not likely to pack bolt cutters to cut off your paddle lock and the python cable you have on it.

My camera was probably 250 yards back off of a logging road on an animal trail many miles in from any asphalt road on  gated tree farm (Hancock Kapowsin). I think that it must have been someone shed hunting or something and my camera was the victim of chance opportunity. I do make sure the my cameras are in deeper brush now.

[Decker]

I have a friend that labels his "WDFW camera # ...... serial # ...... GPS tracking #......

Says he hasn't lost one yet, and has TONS of photos of curious people looking at his cameras.

Might be worth a try 

[ser300wsm]

That sucks to have stuff you paid for stolen.... Bunch of low life rotten *censored*s...   I have also had stuff stolen... Sorry to hear that....   It seems as though nothing is safe these days guys....  

[Decker]

I wonder...if you are in an area where you think someone might strike, or re-strike and would take another camera...what if you put on in more plain sight (as low-life bait) and then hung an infrared (no flash to alert them) camera up higher pointing at the "bait" or first camera. Maybe you could get a picture of them stealing your camera and take it to the police? I mean really? I -F- with people's crap in the woods. If I find a tree stand, I figure someone's already got me on camera. If they're *censored* enough to take it once, they might try again. I think it would be worth it 

[ML_Hunter]

The area I posted this camera was in a restrictive access area and many people do not hunt the area anyways.  It's brushy, I've almost never seen deer on the road, and seldom see another hunter.  So I felt somewhat safe that it would be there when I returned.  This obviously was not the case.  Next time I will be taking further action to ensure its safety.  I just wanted to put it up for a few days to see really how many deer were in the area. 

Thanks for all of your support.  I had looked at lock boxes when I pick up my game cameras but they were more expensive than the camera.  I've found a few ways to home make lock boxes that i'll look into, and I have a friend who just LOVES to weld, so i'll see what he can come up with. 

[Dmanmastertracker]

 I've never had a cam stolen, but I had one monkeyed with and the idiot left a shot of themselves on the camera, but took the card, made some other obscene photo's and put the card back in, lot's of free time I guess.... I check mine very often due to that, I like to think that the more people see me in that area, the more they stay out of that area, seems to be effective, but it's harder to do the more remotely you set them.