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My bow stand, dripper, & 25' of ladder steps were stolen off public land in Marathon Co yesterday. They missed my camera but I got no pics of the thieving ba$tards.
My stand was set up 40 yrds behind an illegal ladder stand left up from last year. I had no intentions of rifle hunting this spot. Its a 1 mile walk in unless you trespass and I have not hunted the stand since it had snowed So unless you were looking for Iit tou wouldn't have noticed.
This person cut 3 cable locks to remove the stand, walked under the illegal (not tagged) ladder stand to an atv. Atv tracks go to a roadway with one house (public land and this roadway are not open to atv use) but I cant prove it was this homeowner who thinks he owns this strip of PL.
Im so pee'd I want to steal his stand! I dont think he'll see a deer during the opening weekend cause im going to be sitting 20yrds from him shooting squirrels.
That stinks, but man, be careful, avoid a confrontation with a nut job with a gun in hand.
Good luck with the squirrels!
Let him know that you will leave after you get your stuff back.
Take a video camera with you, a small wearable one, like a GoPro or something would work best in case he says something about having it and he won't give it back to you.
Keep enough trees between you and him while you are chasing your game though to be safe.
Its not worth it,I would wait and think of a better way than to get even than to jump into this and pissing the guy off with a rifle in his hand-use your imagination. What comes around goes around.
I'm from Hayward and lost a friend and fellow worker (Denny Drew) to a crazed hunter over a deer stand almost 14 year ago- he killed everyone in site- we all heard about that one-its not worth it.
Jim might have a point there. Maybe you should help out the local property owner and take down the illegal stand after dark tonight and maybe move it about 100 or so yards, then move a few downed trees to block the illegal ATV access to the property. Do it after dark though, then you can sleep in and wander out there around 8:00 - 9:00 opening morning like you have no idea what happened. Maybe even start talking with him and tell him how terrible it is that someone would do that, then mention that you had a stand and other stuff stolen in the last week. Tell him that he is lucky that his stand was only moved, at least he still has it.
Imagine what will go through his mind when he gets there to find his stand is not there, but there are drag tracks leading away from there and he finds it laying under some brush 150 yards away. He would spend over an hour to get it back up where it was with all kinds of noise to go with it. And that would be after he has to stop the ATV several times to move trees and brush out of the way so he can get to his stand with the ATV. That would probably be way better than squirrel hunting right in the morning.
I would go to the guys house and simply ask if he took the stand. If you know that is his ladderstand explain to him that stands cannot be left on public land and that the thieves will take his next.
You could bluff and say you have pics of him, and if your stuff is returned you wont report the theft.
Just had my brand new Cuddeback stolen yesterday, was in a bear proof metal box and bolted to the tree, private property.
No stand is worth a gun fight! Get the sherif there on opening morning.
NWO, in my opinion, a lock simply means you expect a thief to steal it if they can get past your security system. A lock just adds extra cost when stolen. I almost believe theblock actually entices the thieving bastards. Honest people don't steal. Thieves make it their way of life to take what is not theirs. Most have the means necessary to cut, break, jimmy open, etc to get what they did not work for.
When I was younger, I had a stand stolen. Found it on the neighbor's property that I had permission to be on. I wasted two weeks of hunting to watch him climb up in my stand. Turned out it was the landowner's nephew. I escorted his ass to the house. GONE! Landowner looked at him and said you're gone, and I'll be calling your dad. Told me I now had exclusive rights to his property, and to politely escort anyone I see off his property. That land is no longer his, but it was a nice little woods while it lasted!
My son and grandson had their pop up blind stolen on private property in Richland County. Nice way to introduce a new hunter to the sport. They made the best of it and got a coyote and a doe.
Pete-pec, Do you lock your house when you leave for a few days? The lock box isn't necessarily for thieves its to keep the bears from destroying the camera. It has been out since October and yes those bears were still out up until Nov 9th. Also much easier for thieves to follow tracks in the snow now and I if they want to take it they will have to work for it.
Funny you mention the house? What really prevents a thief from getting in your house? Locks? A rock and a window, and you're in! Again, a lock keeps honest people from stealing as does an unlocked door. In other words, the same guy so brazen enough to enter your home is certainly not beyond taking the necessary means to get in in the first place. I just feel that these people don't think rationally in the first place. In their twisted mind, the lock may simply say you expect him to steal it, that's why you locked it in the first place? The lock is the only thing in their way to taking what you expected they would take....hence the lock. I have had shit taken. I used to lock it up. I haven't in 15 years, and the only thing I have had taken in that time, was a chip from the unlocked camera. The camera stayed however? That means the guy who took it was a trespasser more than a thief. I know who it was. I played a little poker trick on him and got a tell. Followed by...I still need to upload that internal memory from that camera to see who wanted to know what was on the other side of the fence? That's when I got my second tell.
Boxes for the bears. Good idea. They don't play by anyone's rules. Maybe you wrap the camera in bacon. A little reversr psychology. Let the bear know you expect him to try and open the steel box. The bacon says you don't expect him to lol.
If you know the guy maybe just ask him if he has anything taken. Tell him your camera was there but you haven't looked at the pictures yet. Just ask him nicely if he knows anyone else hunting back there? Had this happen and the guy just gave me my stuff back. I didn't say anything just took my stuff and left. Haven't had my stuff touched since. Good luck and don't go alone but don't accuse because you won't get anywhere but if you play "dumb" you have a slight and I mean slight chance.
I have little respect anymore for most guys that are in the woods.
This year I lost another pop up blind (Private Property) I lost a ladder stand (Private Property)
The trash and litter I find along the streams and back off the forest roads is terrible, and make many trips to the local dump, with what I pick up....
I will always help someone in the woods that needs it, but times have changed, and in alot of respect, not for the better.......
I lost over $3000 worth of tower stands in Waupaca County. We went in and checked the stands the Sunday before the youth hunt and when we went out on October 11th the stands were destroyed. The vandals removed the turnbuckles and pulled them over with an ATV. Took one ladder and threw it in a pond. There is a reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprits.
I just don't understand what goes on in people's heads and why they can't respect someone else's property. This kind of stuff is very frustrating and very disappointing.
Has happened to me on my 80 acres and I'm shocked every time something turns up missing. I've resorted to leaving my driveway gate open during prime hunting dates to give the impression I'm there. Has worked the last 2 years.
How can you sleep at night knowing you stole someone's stuff? Despicable!
Do any of you have your things listed on insurance? I have my cameras listed; both trailcams and my pro photo equipment. I do this since I get replacement if stolen or damaged.
Some camera companies now have trailcams with wi-fi so you could place a camera watching your equipment and the receiver hidden somewhere else. If they take the cam the receiver will still be hidden with evidence.
We have replacement cost coverage but do not need to list anything on the policy or with the agent for them to be covered. Deductible still applies so for small stuff it is like not being insured at all.
Mike F, sucks that happened but double sucks since it probably messed up youth hunt plans.
Jeff,
The young hunter was successful on Sunday afternoon. Yes it really sucks and yes insurance does help. The worst thing for me is the lost time during Archery season to replace/repair the stands for gun season. I really believe that the criminals knew the lay of the land before they went on their rampage, avoiding the cameras along the way in and out.
razorhead x 1. Used to be you DID offer to help someone drag a deer etc. Those days are gone, especially so on public land.
