GPS Tracking device
Wisconsin
I am sick of my cameras being stolen and nothing that can be done about it. 2 cameras in 2 weeks. They are not close to the road, just well used paths to my baits on private land.
Does anyone other than davebow know of any good inexpensive GPS tracking device that can be installed inside of a camera that works. So I can finally catch these thieves??
I'm not aware of any small enough to be put in a camera without being obvious to the thief.
Password protection might deter the thieves.
Turkeyhunter, that sounds good but I doubt thieves care or take the time to see if it's a password protected camera. Being that they're on private land they're probably being stole because the people are trespassing.
Only thing you could do is place a camera in plain view and have a second camera hidden from view to hopefully catch the thief in the act of taking a camera or trespassing. Or if there is a known parking area, place a camera high up to snap pictures of cars or people in the area. It is a hard thing to do and to catch someone in the act. I have old, non-working cameras that I use as decoys in plain view to detour trespassing. So far so good.
I feel your pain. Been crying about this for years. Average 6 per year, and last year was 13!!! Mine are all marked with my name in several places. As well as a mark in hidden location.
Not much can be done other than setting up multiple cameras. No locks, chains, or lag bolts will stop them. They will just cut the trees down. Have done, and seen it all.
There are several GPS trackers that could be used. Concealing them would be tough. Would need to find room inside the case for them. Might be tough with power options. Cost though is going to be at least $100 per device. Then you will need a subscription plan for each one. Those vary from $40-$150 a year.
So it could be done depending on how much you are willing to spend. My budget and wallet not normally big enough to even spend to much time researching it.
Trapper and Dave seem to have the best solution. Mike, hope you'll pay attention to both of them, cameras are expensive and anyone who steals deserves to be caught and prosecuted.
Like Trapper & Dave said, but use the new Plot Watcher Pro. Time lapse camera, turns on in the day and shuts off at night, takes picture every 3 seconds, battery life will last for weeks. Very easy to use.
Thanks guys. I found a small GPS tracking device for $14 that I will be putting in an old camera case and not locking to a tree. They are going to modify the battery so it will have a 10 day charge. It takes a SIM card the cost from Consumer Cellular is $0 for the card, $10 for the additional line, and shares my text and data for $5 a month and no contract.
It activates when it is outside it's specified GPS coordinates and sends updates every 10 seconds.
I sure hope it works. If not I am out 1 old camera case and a couple of bucks.
Funny how I never loose and cameras from public land, but need to lock, chain and bolt everything down on private land.
The lock was a Python by masterlock.
What's the range on the GPS transponder? I know with my dog tracking colars I'm lucky to get 3 miles.
Hope it works, good luck!
Wow. I hope you catch them. SteveWhite, I can't believe how many cameras are stolen from you! That would drive me absolutely nuts.
This past month, I've had 2 SD cards stolen out of my cameras, but the cameras were left and they aren't locked to the tree.
One thing to remember about the tracking devise hope it leaves a tracking trail that can be printed out or shown on another devise otherwise all a thief has to say is " I found it on the side of the road". Had that happen with a stolen tree stand one time, kid got caught in my stolen tree stand while hunting, sheriff asks him about the tree stand and he says I found it along the side of the road, he could not and was not charged with stealing my stand.
Along with the tracking devise I would also still try to capture them on a hidden camera.
Mike, What are the names models of what you found. That kind of cost worth looking into.
With what DT brought up leads to this. Some of us may have issues with some of these devices. To answer DT, the range is really unlimited. Being that they are using cell towers. There in lies the other problem. Not everyone one/tower is on the same network. Here most of our towers are verizon CDMA. The spypoint cameras use the WCDMA band. AT&T and T mobile use that. Not looked into it much here. We have at&t so guessing they have agreement like cellone did. People using T-mobile though when they come here have problems. Much like those on sprint, etc that are using the GSM network. If you look at spypoint coverage map. No coverage in most of WI. No sim cards that I am aware of here either. Not looked really lately to be honest.
So one really needs to look at the cell carrier of each product to fit your area. Of course keeping in mind you need a cell signal. Some places I hunt there is NO cell service at all!
Am real interested in what Mike found!! Catching a few of these thieves would be nice. Almost got one last year redhanded. Swam over 100yds of creek to get away, lol!!
If it works the way I hope I will post everything here.
I have had enough of people walking in and taking what isn't theirs.
Steve I am going to assume you are having cameras stolen on your baits in Vilas and Forest Co on public land?
The reason I ask is over in Florence Co, one guy recovered his camera last year, after finding a guy with his camera, at his house on Long Lake. I was told the guy had over 20 cameras on a table at his house...
Later I heard the sheriff made contact, and I do not know the legal ramifications, but a lot of guys got there cameras back.....
I will keep my eye out for yours, since you marked them
I would set a cheap camera on the trail....50 bucks or so can get a camera that will easily catch bears as they move much slower then deer ..then set it in plain site right where the stolen were taken..then take a climbing stand and mount a decent cam high above watching the cam on the ground..you may be surprised who is stealing them.
Prolly another bear hunter..
I had a camera stolen a few weeks before 1st turkey season. My fault. On the edged of a field with the sun shining on it. Almost impossible for someone not to see, set at about deer rub height. Just the height I scan trees at. Put the two remaining ones out. This time 15-20 feet back into the trees. High up, above the eye line of scouters. Both in the shade of the tree, stuck among branches and not right on the expected walking path. If I was going to leave one up for a while, I would hang it out of reach. Most thieves are lazy or they would have a job paying well enough they could respect someone else's property. Another thing I would do is get an engraver or soldering iron and mark my name ALL over it. So the effort to remove your name would be more then someone would be willing to do. Stickers and paint is easily removed or covered. You have to etch it in. Those black straps sure stand out when nothing in the wild is truly black, but always some version of gray/brown. Some spray paint for plastic should camo those straps better.
Yep, name scratched in all over. Unless it needs charging my dremel in truck most of the time. Touch ups every so often. But always before start of season, and when they go out. So my name is clear on the front by law.
Of course I like the convenience of the straps that come with them. However, most of the time. I use no 12 trapping wire. Cheap, quick, easy, and hard to see.
No time to really look into this much more. Every camera I set though the thought cross my mind. Soon I am sure the first one of the year will go missing!
Put the camera out last weekend. Checked baits yesterday. Still on the tree. The unit is supposed to send a text and email withing 20 seconds of leaving a set perimeter. Tested before setting out and it works. Now it's a waiting game. I also put a working camera up in a nearby tree to monitor the bait and bait camera.
Only time will tell....
