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....