Cougar on camera and another camera stolen!(updated)

[JLS]

This is one of the most interesting threads I have been a part of lately. Learning a lot about people here!

And, unfortunately not all of it is good.

[bobcat]

For the most part there were very few TRUE FACTS mentioned.  The one FACT that was completely correct was the camera was removed.  Everything else mentioned was assumption with NO proven evidence against any of the individuals.  I can tell you FIRST hand who the individuals are, who actually took the camera

So what are the facts, and who took down the camera?

[Wilderness Addict]

If the forest service does take a camera, it would be nice if they left something(business card tacked to tree) in it's place to let the owner know who took it. And as owners of cameras, we should provide contact info just like trappers.

Glad to see you got your camera back!

[jackelope]

I removed any identifying pictures that were left in the thread.

[motg9_6]

For all that have made comments about the following thread:

I would like to first mention that I am one of the accused individuals who have been bashed in this thread about the Game Cam being removed from Scalawag Ridge up off of South Fork Sherman Creek. 

For the most part there were very few TRUE FACTS mentioned.  The one FACT that was completely correct was the camera was removed.  Everything else mentioned was assumption with NO proven evidence against any of the individuals.  I can tell you FIRST hand who the individuals are, who actually took the camera (NONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS ON THE PICS TOOK THE CAM DOWN, NOR DID WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL A COUPLE DAYS AGO.  I AM GLAD TO KNOW THAT WE ARE COMPLETELY GUILTY SINCE OUR PICS ARE ON THE OTHER CAM THOUGH), and that no intended harm was meant to come from this act of HUMAN KINDNESS. 

A few things I have taken from this thread:  I have learned from reading this that many people out there would like folks to let their property be ruined instead of saved, point taken.  It was funny to watch this thread switch to an Eastside/Westside discussion and also a govt bashing discussion as well. 

Thanks for taking MOST of the pics down and would appreciate the last few taken down as well.  Also appreciate the pics of the cat since I will be spending time up there prepping for the future burn.  If I see one of your cams I will make sure to leave it and even give you a smile and wave so we stay on good terms. 

Food for thought to everyone – If I place a $100 bill nailed to a tree out on public lands would any of you take it down if you saw it?  I would hope not since it is not your property and you should leave it alone as stated many times in this thread about the game cam. 

Appreciate the time to hopefully let folks know that all individuals in the pics had no idea about the cam, thank those of you that have stuck up for the individuals in question, and also to wish all of you good luck in getting whatever it  is you are hunting!

I understand what your saying and agree with you but take into consideration how you would feel if it was us camera somebody removed and left NO sign of who took it. If it wasn't for the other camera with your pics he wouldn't have known where to start looking. Not saying its right for those to just accuse but what the difference between your camera getting burnt and just going missing??? Nothing your camera is still gone! So in retrospect no body should have touched the camera. Just my 

[motg9_6]

Or left a Curtisy note

[h20hunter]

Interesting. I also would be curious of the facts and the policy. I agree it is a nice gesture IF the camera is returned to the original owner. How many of these cams get taken down without the owner getting it back? What happens to the cams that are unclaimed? If an owner left his/her info on the inside or back of the cam would they be notified every time this happens? Thank you for coming on and voicing your stance. Most cam owners have lost one and the assumption is always theft.

[Greenhorn]

I like the idea of taking it down and leaving a business card if the burn would be within a two week period.  they could have just let the camera take a picture of a note that described when the burn would be and then left the note tacked to the tree.  I think this incident sure shows the power of cameras and the internet to locate perpetrators.  Glad to hear things are going to work out in the end.

[Broker]

For all that have made comments about the following thread:

I would like to first mention that I am one of the accused individuals who have been bashed in this thread about the Game Cam being removed from Scalawag Ridge up off of South Fork Sherman Creek. 

For the most part there were very few TRUE FACTS mentioned.  The one FACT that was completely correct was the camera was removed.  Everything else mentioned was assumption with NO proven evidence against any of the individuals.  I can tell you FIRST hand who the individuals are, who actually took the camera (NONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS ON THE PICS TOOK THE CAM DOWN, NOR DID WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL A COUPLE DAYS AGO.  I AM GLAD TO KNOW THAT WE ARE COMPLETELY GUILTY SINCE OUR PICS ARE ON THE OTHER CAM THOUGH), and that no intended harm was meant to come from this act of HUMAN KINDNESS. 

A few things I have taken from this thread:  I have learned from reading this that many people out there would like folks to let their property be ruined instead of saved, point taken.  It was funny to watch this thread switch to an Eastside/Westside discussion and also a govt bashing discussion as well. 

Thanks for taking MOST of the pics down and would appreciate the last few taken down as well.  Also appreciate the pics of the cat since I will be spending time up there prepping for the future burn.  If I see one of your cams I will make sure to leave it and even give you a smile and wave so we stay on good terms. 

Food for thought to everyone – If I place a $100 bill nailed to a tree out on public lands would any of you take it down if you saw it?  I would hope not since it is not your property and you should leave it alone as stated many times in this thread about the game cam. 

Appreciate the time to hopefully let folks know that all individuals in the pics had no idea about the cam, thank those of you that have stuck up for the individuals in question, and also to wish all of you good luck in getting whatever it  is you are hunting!

From the limited info I've read here, I'm not buying what you are selling.  You are trying to tell me that this guy (you) took the cam down out of human kindness? 

How were you going to return the camera to the owner?  Or was it acceptable to steal the camera since it was going to get burned up in a few weeks?

Must have been embarrassing to explain to your coworkers that they ended up looking like thieves on an internet forum because you chose to steal someone's camera.  I hope they ride you about this for the rest of your time at this job.

Thieves and criminals are always sorry...once they've been caught. 

[hunterrcc]

For all that have made comments about the following thread:

I would like to first mention that I am one of the accused individuals who have been bashed in this thread about the Game Cam being removed from Scalawag Ridge up off of South Fork Sherman Creek. 

For the most part there were very few TRUE FACTS mentioned.  The one FACT that was completely correct was the camera was removed.  Everything else mentioned was assumption with NO proven evidence against any of the individuals.  I can tell you FIRST hand who the individuals are, who actually took the camera (NONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS ON THE PICS TOOK THE CAM DOWN, NOR DID WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL A COUPLE DAYS AGO.  I AM GLAD TO KNOW THAT WE ARE COMPLETELY GUILTY SINCE OUR PICS ARE ON THE OTHER CAM THOUGH), and that no intended harm was meant to come from this act of HUMAN KINDNESS. 

A few things I have taken from this thread:  I have learned from reading this that many people out there would like folks to let their property be ruined instead of saved, point taken.  It was funny to watch this thread switch to an Eastside/Westside discussion and also a govt bashing discussion as well. 

Thanks for taking MOST of the pics down and would appreciate the last few taken down as well.  Also appreciate the pics of the cat since I will be spending time up there prepping for the future burn.  If I see one of your cams I will make sure to leave it and even give you a smile and wave so we stay on good terms. 

Food for thought to everyone – If I place a $100 bill nailed to a tree out on public lands would any of you take it down if you saw it?  I would hope not since it is not your property and you should leave it alone as stated many times in this thread about the game cam. 

Appreciate the time to hopefully let folks know that all individuals in the pics had no idea about the cam, thank those of you that have stuck up for the individuals in question, and also to wish all of you good luck in getting whatever it  is you are hunting!

From the limited info I've read here, I'm not buying what you are selling.  You are trying to tell me that this guy (you) took the cam down out of human kindness? 

How were you going to return the camera to the owner?  Or was it acceptable to steal the camera since it was going to get burned up in a few weeks?

Must have been embarrassing to explain to your coworkers that they ended up looking like thieves on an internet forum because you chose to steal someone's camera.  I hope they ride you about this for the rest of your time at this job.

Thieves and criminals are always sorry...once they've been caught.

Very much agree that I highly doubt that you were going to take the camera down to save it from burning up.  Leave signs around on main road that burns going on in the area from X date to X date or post it on your website so the public can be aware of it and leave it up to us to know where we can put a camera and where we can not.   

As for the $100 bill to a tree comment.  What about $40k tacked to the tree it is no different then leaving your truck parked beside the public property tree then Right?

[Curly]

I always hate the comparison of leaving money laying around out in the woods.  Obviously when someone leaves a cam out in the field, the intent is to come back and retrieve the cam and see the pics.  A bill left tacked to a tree has no obvious purpose and no real expectation to just leave it there, I would think.

[Curly]

huntnw - You ought to post the pics over in this thread if the guys have a problem with them here.

[turkeyfeather]

It's entirely possible that the guy were trying to be nice. But I doubt it. It's far more likely that they thought they got away with a free camera. And that is why they are trying to be so apologetic and accommodating. The bottom line is that Hunt was right and only because he had proof did he get it back. Does anyone really think they were going to put the camera back? NO. And now they aren't doing a burn. So one has to ask was there ever a scheduled burn in the first place or is that a story to cover some thiefs butt and not make the agency look like crap. If it looks like a duck, well you know the rest.

[shredneck666]

I have been holding back on responding to this schoolyard mentality on this thread, but it has sickened me enough to jump in now.  You guys are wrong. The guys in the pics are good, honest hard working people who enjoy being in the woods just as much as the folks that are on this website, perhaps more.  I know these guys personally.  They are honest people and it is kind of sickening that so many here are so quick to judge without any real knowledge of this situation. 

The funny thing from my perspective is the owner of the camera had placed his camera on Forest Service land.  He must have thought is was State DNR land.  As responsible hunters, aren't we suppose to know whose land we are hunting on?  Perhaps his "ordeal" of getting the camera back is on him and not the administrators of the land?  Leaving a business card up  on a tree in the forest will always work out and of course will never wash away in the rain we've been getting.  It wont blow away in the wind, no, that could never happen, so sure business cards would be a great idea.

If people, and I am one of these people, leave a trail cam in the woods, it is perfectly reasonable to leave my name and my number in my trail cam, in case for whatever reason someone decides they want to pull my camera down.  I left a camera in a unit that was to be logged.  I called the DNR after noticing the unit boundaries and they let me know a rough time frame for when it was to be cut.  I retrieved the camera around that timeframe.

With prescribed burning within the forest service, we get 'windows' when burning conditions are right for burning.  We dont know that these windows are there until they they are almost upon us. a notice of burning is not the easiest thing to just throw out there.  The F.S. has hundreds of these units that come into 'prescription at different times.

Point being that things are not always as simple as we all wish they were and we all could use some help in rushing to judgement.

[pendoreilleadventures]

I take it you do the burns as well is it policy to take someone property  with no notice as to why? If you guys take them down do you put them back after.the burn?