How to catch a thief
General Topic
Contributors to this thread:
I'm looking for any kind of suggestions to help catch thieves. I'm on a lease of about 2500 acres. Access to the property via the county roads is very limited with 1 gate on the east boundary and one on the west boundary. The past two years thieves have hit us hard. Last year it was easy for them because they just cut the latch on the west gate. The gates have remained relatively untouched this year but 2 weeks ago they unsuccessfully tried to cut through the 1/2" thick steel plate on the gate latch. We set up a camera near the gate using a step ladder to put the camera high in a tree and pointing down at the gate. They saw it and managed to steal it. We've notified the authorities and the landowner is trying to help out. We've got our treestands locked to the trees but if a thief really wants a stand he will get it. Other things like blinds and feeders are not so easy to secure. Anyway, our lease is a great place to hunt with lots of deer and I really don't want to find another spot. If anybody has some suggestions to catch these jerks in the act I'd love to hear them. Thanks, Stinkbait
You are not going to stop them once they decide to steal, you have to prevent them from deciding to pick on you.
I would be very public letting the community know what you are willing to pay for support in protecting the property, enlist help, be vocal, be visible, you only need to be a little less attractive than another target in order for them to hit the easier target.
you need to make it more risk and not worth it to them vs. thinking you will catch them in the act.
Bou hit the nail on the head!
I called our game warden and he drove down adjacent street to our property and knocked on all 11 doors. That helped a ton! Someone on that street new who was trespassing.
Also I put out around 10-12 of these signs at all access points and at every clearing we had.
I also posted handmade signs that read "Caution hidden tack strips will cause flat tires"
Once the signs went up almost immediately all trespassing stopped.
Now the only thing stolen or broken into is my camper.
Rob, you need to have your lease manager to contact the FOX news reporter. I still have his contact info. I'll bet they will air your plight. Like Bou said, make it known. Talk with the news and let it be known that you guys are "mad as hell" and hopefully these thieves will see this and become a deterrent.
You could try the camera on a camera thing. Put one camera back out and make it somewhat obvious and then put another very well concealed camera pointing to that camera.
They make cameras that look like anything now a days if you're willing to go that route. But bou is a hundred percent on the money. You need to make them think twice rather than catch them. I only had trespassing issues once but I posted 24 hour surveillance signs as well as a custom-made sign on the gate coming into my property stating that the police would be the least of their concerns if I found them and whether it was coincidence or not who knows but it stopped immediately.I would take the crazy landowner approach over the detective approach if I were you
I would like to also mention that I posted the smile your on camera in a very obnoxious manner to make sure anyone who saw them knew I wasn't messing around.
Dogg3250's Link
Set a few cameras on this little surprise. Totally safe and harmless used in paint ball war games and other things.
The fact that they found your camera should put the thought in their head that there may be more cameras, and maybe that alone will deter them to some degree. But, they are thieves, so maybe not.
My shop got broken into last week and the bastards stole about $10,000 in tools. Thanks for the tips guys.
Does anyone have any experience with surveillance cameras?
I HATE thieves!
Get a camera that sends pic to your cell phone instantly. If they steal camera u still gave pic.... If u can get reception.
Andy
I have full survelience around my home total of 9 cameras all HD.
When I use to travel I thought it would be a good idea to deter a criminal with my wife and daughter at home.
It's a swannview system. I installed it all by myself took a full day. I hid all wiring behind my siding.
Holds about 19 days of video. All cameras are infrared and that works great.
I would recommend paying for a cloud host so you can save longer dates instead of the 19 days.
I understand there are some tiny tracking chips you can install in most anything. Trail cam etc. I would look into it and try to get them caught. You could then recover your property. Once the judge lets them off with a tiny fine and suspended sentence, file a civil suit. That will get their attention. As they have already admitted guilt in court, it is just a matter of determining damages.
Here is a photo from a camera this weekend in Illinois.
The camera was in a dead trunk of a tree. I'm pretty sure who it is.
These guys didn't take anything, but I've also come to realize that I simply cannot cover the entire lease. There is just no way.
Being creative has kept my cameras in place.
Video cameras, security, alarm systems keep out honest people.
Other than my stands, cams are always hidden.
What about those actual tire shredders that parking lots use if you enter the wrong way? Place them about 50 feet inside the gate and put a nice simple lock on the fate and wait for them to rip apart all four tires and then have a cam on that spot,make it really exspensive for them. Just remember where you place them. Other than that lots of cams on cams and signs.
Off topic, but what the heck is that in the picture with the guy in the gray sweatshirt, TREESTANDWOLF?
I think it was Charlie Rehor that had the "Cellular surveillance" signs made up and hung them on his property but not sure. Now those signs would get a theif's attention. Not knowing for sure where the cameras were and knowing they were being instantly transmitted would most likely spook them off in fear of being caught. I liked that idea a lot and would think it would deter all but the most dirtball of thieves.
Orionsbrother, LOL.
He is carrying his cell phone, but in the back ground is a metal shed that held old farm equipment.
It's a damn shame any of us even need to worry about this. It should go back to the days where if you find someone on your property you make your own laws. Instead if you treat these bastards the way they deserve you'll end up getting sued
Do you think it's guys hunting or 4 wheel drive trucks or atv's?? At our place it just to hard to keep them all out.
Maybe a camera or two drown the road from the gate will get them. They my look by the gate for one but not down the road a 100 or 200yds. Put it so it gets a pix of them from the front and from the back of their vehicle.. Maybe you can get the plate.
If you think they are hunters then post it with a poster that has a hunting club name on them. Not a name like John Doe. Even if you have to make up a fake hunting club name. We had a guy that, I think just love to have his name on his posters.. That posted his land with his name.. Guys (hunters) would just ignore the posters.. After I got him to post it with a fake hunting club name 95% of the problem was gone. Think about it, if hunters and they want to hunt it and now they think other guys are hunting it at same time. They are more likely to stay off..
In Pa our rifle season is two weeks long.. On days that we hunted our land we would leave the gate open in day when we were there, and close it at night. Almost never saw a guy trespassing when we opened the gate before day break and left it open. But if a guy went up hunting in the afternoon and opened the gate then they would sometimes see trespassers.. After we left our gate open at night and day for the 2 weeks and the trespassers would see the gate opened even on days no one was there. When our guys did come up the hunt they would almost not see any trespassers.. As my guess is they thought some members was hunting the land. Just my 2 cents and how it's worked for us.. Ed
I used to say just hang them out of reach, but lost two trail cameras this week with cameras that were mounted 10 feet in the air.....so, guess I will hang them high and also put them in lock bozes from now on.
These guys are pretty bold and smart. The gate camera was installed using a 20' step ladder and was brushed in. But, they still found it and managed to steal it. So, either one of them could climb like a squirrel or they had a ladder with them. Last year they cut a fence and drove down a right of way then took the internal ranch road and drove right to two abandoned oilfield pumping units. They got them onto a big flatbed trailer and drove right out. This year we found where they knocked down a 15' tall heater treater (also abandoned) and were prepping it to steal. So, they are not only taking tree stands but they are stealing property of the landowners that has value.
The sheriff cautioned us against using things like spikes, etc. Because if the thieve were to get hurt, even though they are trespassing, they could sue the landowner and would likely win. I know that sounds stupid but there's a lot of our laws that don't make sense. Thanks for the tips.
I know one thing for sure. When you are hunting, make sure you are carrying a sidearm. If they are in there stealing scrap. I would bet they are funding a drug habit.
Most effective way I have heard of stopping trespassers was catching them and then beating the living snot out of them with a warning that the next time they get caught the beating will be even worse. Word gets around quickly amongst the lawbreakers and they soon avoid places where they are likely to encounter trouble.
Most of us on the lease have our CC permits. I ALWAYS carry my 40 SW when out there, even when I'm rifle hunting.
Catch one and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law....regardless of cost.
the word will get around.
Mark
Camo up, load your back pack with drinks and grub, get a comfy seat, grab your 12 gauge and ammo and have someone drop you off on your lease. They'll be back. You'll figure out what to do when they return.
We tried everything and despite our best efforts the trespassing continued right up until I caught one red-handed. After some less than friendly physical contact I told him that we will not call the law anymore and that the next whooping would be more severe. Also told him to spread the word. Apparently he did as we have had no more problems. Good ol'boy enforcement works just fine.
I went to look at a horse trailer at a fellows place up in the mountains first thing I seen when I got in the yard sign saying, Stop there ain't nothing here worth dying for, that will do it for a lot of folks. good luck on getting your problem solved.
Dang! You have a problem. Have you thought about a sting operation by putting tracking devices in some valuable things and placing them as bait. and maybe ID those same items with serial numbers etc. ?
Call Chris Hansen, he will get to the bottom of it.
Another thought Is to befriend a local of high standards who might want the right to hunt and watch out for your place. Being a local he would have knowledge of who might be doing it and can stop it or at the very least be around to deter the scumbags.
They make cameras now that will send the image to a remote receiver within 100 yards of the camera. It can be hidden very well and is so small they will never find it. Steal the camera, but not the images!
carry a , shovel , lime , and a 12gauge. you can also get a plot watcher that will take day time pics from a distance , may be able to get plates and description of vehicle. next hide cams away from gate a bit , so they cant just look around gate area.
Stinkbait, you got local guys fooling with you. Ones that have watched you install the camera or knew it was installed. It is someone that knows a member of the lease possibly. Most definitely if this is the case, Someone in the lease is telling them these things or, they have watched you do it. Did anyone drive by when you hung the camera? Was their a house in sight? Etc....
Good luck and God Bless
I would bet the thief lives very close to your lease. they no exactly when you come and go. Forrest
There is some complete insanity in this thread. The number of people advocating for severe physical beatings of trespassers is frightening. If I'm out for a hike, get turned around, and hike across your property to get to the road, would you really feel justified beating the crap out of me? If they are stealing, it is a different story. But someone simply hiking on your property, not showing any sign of doing harm, ease up! I would sue you very severely, and odds are extremely good that you would spend some significant time in prison. Physical beatings for simply being on someone's land? Get over yourself.
I'm pretty sure everyone in this thread is speaking of the thieves myself included. It's our hard work and time away from our families that makes these leases possible. How dare some lowlife scum try to sabotage us of that. I think it's a completely different story if a lost hiker who's apologetic , respectful, and not carrying an armful of my s&@t comes along. As far as the crooks go I'm completely on board to teach them some redneck justice!!
We are fairly certain the thieves are locals. We are looking at more covert ways to catch them. Regular hunting type trail cameras are too easy to spot. I'm interested in the camera that sends images to a hidden receiver. Anybody no where I can get some of those?
Covert makes a cam that sends pics to your phone or PC. I have 4 coverts and they are great cams.
I put a black flash camera up looking down the road after I was burglarized last year and nobody so far has spotted it (knock on wood). Was your camera an IR? Just curious because that red glow at night when it goes off would give away it's position every time. They've got me worried though, had a four wheeler come by at midnight last weekend and when I tried to follow him in my truck he took off. I talked to the local farmers an called the sheriff, just hope they don't strike again!! Good luck! Thieves suck!
Meat Grinder's Link
Stinkbait1--Spypoint makes a camera that transmits the photos to a separate receiver that can be hidden up to 250 feet away, instead of sending the photos through a cellular connection to your phone or computer. See the link for info.
Cabela's has it for $299.99. I've also seen them on Camofire. Good Luck and stay safe.
My experience with leasing is that the locals know when you are gone and they come and go as they please. Even if you do get their face, it is usually of no use. The key is to get their license plate number on camera.
Meat Grinder's Link
I just checked Bass Pro. They have the Spypoint camera on sale for $199.99. Link attached.
And these jerks are why some of us can no longer find anywhere to hunt!
Hook a 220 line up to the metal gate!
Just kidding, don't do that...my brother's buddy in Mexico used to do that to keep thieves from stealing copper wire out of unfinished building projects, worked well I hear...
Thanks guys. Hopefully, we can catch them. There has been a big theft ring going on in this area for the past year or so. They are not just taking tree stands. They are stealing farm equipment, building materials. They've even hit one of our lease members who lives only 2 miles away. He's been hit 4 times in the past year. They stole AC units, power tools, ripped his TV off the wall and took a pistol and a couple of shotguns. They did this in the middle of day while he was at work.
Sounds like these guys are locals and they know who you are, or at least they are patterning you. I wonder if they use a pursik knot and safety line while stealing your stands? Probably not, safety first you know. You may one day find them at the bottom of one of a tree when your ladder, climbing sticks or the branches fail.
I have a couple of broken cameras that don't work you are welcome to have them as decoys plus u can use another secreted one to focus on the broken bait camera.
"Catch"?
I've long had a fantasy about it. It involves a 6/0 VMC treble, about 12" of 120# test SpiderWire, and a treestep or other handhold at about the 12' high level. The treestand is bait.
I'd love to land that one.
Wait in the woods night after night... Put your time in, you'll catch them. Get license plate and some DNA via blood. Baseball bats work good for that.
Im with ace !!!! u can host a outlaw biker party on the place !!! wow it sounds like druggies looking for a fix !!! I myself have no problem getting arrested while i was protecting my property !
Landmines work well I hear.
I agree with the thought of getting the camera that texts the pic to your cell phone. That way you got'em before they get your camera.
I used to hunt on a property owned by a guy that was a Native American. He had signs that said "trespassers will be shot".
I once spoke to a local that said he had, years ago, been poaching turkeys on the guys property and the guy shot at him with a shotgun. I wouldn't advocate that. But I will say that word got around quickly and no one was going to trespass on his property.
A lot of you guys are assuming any pics you get of these guys will identify them... What if they have masks or hoodies on... Might not crack the case. They obviously know to expect trail cameras
Glue fake antennas to your cheapo trail cameras so the bad guys think that the camera is sending the photos out via cell.
A-GPS device and something that they would love to steal and its over. Busted.
250ish dollars for said anti-theft device. Trick is keeping power to it, or simply have it report position once a day. I've hosted training events on them. You can draw a fence around the position in the software so that as soon as the device leaves that area, a txt message or email is sent to you. Example, your property, you draw a border around it in the software. AS soon as the chip goes outside of your property, call in the dogs.
They work on cell and GPS networks so even if they store it in a building, GPS signal not needed. There is an underlying Google Earth map to determine visual location. If you're dealing with remote locations, where a house is sitting on every acre or so, it would be a snap. It's a bit more difficult in heavily populated areas such as intercity due to signals bouncing.
It's not easy to catch them but if you do the best thing you can possibly do is prosecute to the fullest extent to make an example of them.
I caught a guy coon hunting in my woods earlier this year on my way home from work at about 2345. I pulled up behind his truck and waited for him to return. I asked him whose woods he was hunting? He gave me the previous owner's name. I then asked if he had written permission to hunt? He said he'd always had permission to hunt there and didn't think he needed it. I let him know the woods had new owners and his permission had been revoked and if he knew anybody else that hunted without written permission, spread the word. The next day I posted the dogshit out of my woods. I haven't had an issue with trespassing since. We have a good system around here with neighbors looking out for each other. We all call each other if something fishy is going on. I'm typically up all night so if someone were to go near my woods, I'd more than likely see it. Luckily, where I'm from, it's pretty close knit. Everybody knows everybody and we all respect each others land.
I have had this problem in the past and was able to successfully catch the thief. Wile many people will give you advice on what to do in this situation, very few have had real success.
I went to spyassociates.com and bought a GPS device and put it in the seat of a tree climber. I put the climber on a tree where it was very visible and within two weeks it had been stolen. The cool thing about the device is that it stays in a dormant mode until it gets moved, so the battery lasts for a very long time. Once it moves outside of a range that you set, a signal is sent to your phone telling you that it is on the move.
In my situation I was able to log onto my account and watch the guy drive down the street as my device pinged a signal back to me. The device took me straight to his house.
Long story short, I got my stuff back, he lost his bow and had to pay thousands in court bills and I never heard from him again. Trust me, if you go to this extreme to catch someone, the word will get out and it will make others very cautious about trying anything. If you are interested knowing what I did wrong and what I would change, feel free to send me a personal message.
You could use some invisible detection powder. We use it occasionally.
Just Google "theft detection powder". When it gets on your skin it does not come off - the more you try to wash it off the worse it gets.
Amazon sells it - about $18.00 I think