Trail Camera Locks Don't Work
Equipment
Went bird hunting the other day on public close to my house and saw this. I just hope it wasn't a kid or new hunter. Reminded me why I always place my cameras in a cedar and camouflage with camo tape and mud if needed. I've never lost one yet on public and none of mine have ever worn a lock.
Maybe I should have said "hinges"
I've had them cut down the tree. And it was an old cheap camera. Sad the efforts they will go through to take something. If they put half as much effort into getting a job they could easily pull in $200K annually.
That would be illegal in PA. Looks to be nailed to the tree. Can't do that on public ground here. Not saying what was done was right...………………………………………...
seems that locks on most anything only keep the honest people out. This is just another example.
Locks only keep semi-honest people honest. When someone wants it, they will get it.
Locks only keep semi-honest people honest. When someone wants it, they will get it.
Ugh. That sucks. Sadly, people seem to define OK as what works for them to often. Ugh.
Back in 2012 I had two treestands stolen. They must have been in a hurry or did it by the cover of darkness, because they left all the straps at the base of the tree. lol
There's an old saying that 'locks keep honest people honest.'
A real scumbag will find a way through all the locks you care to use. Steel bars. Bank vaults.
I've taken to placing my cams higher, but I've still had one stolen. Scumbags is scumbags.
Rut Nut, the security box is lag-bolted into the tree; can't say that's legal everywhere. Or on public vs private property (?)
I've never used those 'security' boxes but I only place cams in thick out-of-the-way places, and I do NOT leave them out during gun season. Learned my lesson.
Perhaps the owner lost the lock key and did this. Why always so negative unless you really know the facts?
Bottom line is if they want it they are gonna take it.
Only way to stay ahead of the game is a good job, insurance, and hand gun.
Keep your nose to the grind stone and make smart decisions.
I use password protection on my Coverts. Doesn't prevent theft, but at least it makes the cam useless to the thief.
I have numerous BOA cable locks bought at separate times and they all take the same key. Each one comes with 2 keys and they are completely interchangeable between locks. Someone could just carry around a BOA key and probably unlock most cable locks.
Before discovering the keys are universal, I misplaced one and had to retrieve a trailcam I had locked up. I brought a pair of tin snips and was through the cable in 30 seconds. If a thief wants your camera, they're gonna find a way to take it.
#1 way to protect cams is having them difficult to see. Past that is just a gamble
I use the same type of cam lock boxes on all my set ups. I think a trespasser trying to steal my card/camera to prevent the evidence of his presence being discovered is just as likely to motivate him to get at my gear as him wanting my camera. So I put a small label on all my TC's that simply says "You're picture is on my PC". Never have had any pics of trespasser's, nor have I had any of my TC's jacked with, but I think the labels may deter a guy if he thinks his picture is already in the cloud somewhere before he starts trying to pry open the box or cut down the tree.
Has my worst year ever for theft last year. I lost 10 cams all in lock boxes or cable locked. Thieves suck!
If you lock it, thug thieves see it as a challenge. I’ve known guys that worked for a living that thought if someone wasn’t looking it was ok to pilfer their stuff.
I used to hunt National Forest land as a kid and fish on the rivers in my area. Always parked my truck and never locked it, neither was the tool box. Man, that time is long gone. I stopped fishing the rivers because anything free and easy attracts the crappiest elements and there would always be some shady looking bunch or couple fishing or just hanging out, (usually drinking beer) and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving my truck there. It’s a damn shame that decent people have to defend against turds, but that’s the reality in today’s world.
Back in the late 70's a group of us (construction workers) would meet once a week to play some pool and have a few beers. We were all regulars and everyone knew everyone.
One evening someone came in and told one of the guys someone was in the back of his truck taking his tools. He was a cement worker, 22 years old and a monster of a guy as well as a golden glove boxer. He went out and caught the thief just as he was taking the last of his cement tools out of his truck.
We had to eventually (let it go for several minutes) pull him off the scum bag as we were afraid he was going to kill him. He put him in the hospital for a few days with several broken ribs, jaw, nose, etc., etc., The cops came - he was a known doper and thief no charges pressed for assault, but charges for theft against the scum.
After the cops left, we went back inside and the entire bar cheered - so many of the patrons bought him beers he had to get a ride home that night.
Sometimes there is justice!
I had one stolen this year lock and all. I'm sure he had to break the camera to get it off the tree. I think it was because he didn't want anyone to see his photo on private land poaching plus inside the safety zone with a gun. What I can't figure out is why he ripped down my scent rope that was over a scrape. Seems kinda personal.
Had someone break the lock on the latch and steal the SD card this year from my Browning and then pull the battery tray out and take it. If I hadn’t had it locked I’m sure it would have been gone, too. This was on public - figure the guy was sending me a msg to stay out of “his” area with swiping the battery tray. Still pi$$ed about it!
Lee
I have five and am lucky i guess since i have never lost one. i have seen some in the woods and always sneak up behind and then walk out in front and give it the finger. i don't lock mine, just hide them pretty well and only use black light. if they flash they will be found easily by coon hunters or people coming in or going out in the dark.
For those of you who have had cameras stolen, locked or not, what state and what kind of human traffic do they see?
I'm in CO and typically have 4-5 cameras set up each year, two being locked up. None of them would be obvious unless you were elk hunting or scouting, and they are all 1-4 miles from a trailhead off the main trails. I have never had one stolen (yet), some guy seemed pretty interested in my locked DS4K last year but ended up leaving it alone. I've never had any hunters acknowledge my unlocked cameras so I can't say if they would have been stolen or not.
I'm even tempted to put a little note on my cameras way off the beaten trail saying "email me and I will send you pictures from this camera" just to prevent any temptation of messing with it to see what's on the card
I have had one camera stolen. It was a couple years ago. This muzzle loader season I had the card stolen from a brand new camera. I left a note on our town forum. I left an inoperative camera just in case the thief developed a conscience. No card has been returned. I found it interesting that one hunter walked within three feet of one of my cameras . If she saw it she didn't react and the camera was left alone. There is no need to lock anything from the best of us and no lock strong enough to protect from the worst of us.
I would never put a camera on public land. Maybe an old broken one, with an old, small memory card, with pictures of dog poo on it.
Place them high-angled down, lock them, conceal them and hopefully you will make it difficult for someone to touch them. Other than that it's just good luck. Oh, and stop pointing fingers. The thief has only one sin, those who point fingers have multiple sins blaming innocent people.
I have a virtual unlimited supply of steel and the tools needed to make almost anything I wish. Set about making lock boxes for my trial cams. Took a few designs but came up with this made from mostly 1/4" steel. 100% welded. But you can not beat the price or durability. Only weak spot is the lock. Only draw back is they are heavy.
With how small and invisible cameras are becoming in my opinion your making it more likely to get stolen adding locks and cases that just scream “look at me!”
oh how I long for the good old days when they would have to steal the boots off your feet to prevent a hunter from scouting.
My sister had thieves break into her camper several times, parked outside the house. The last time they came though the floor as the door and windows were bared. Cheap TV, some old tableware and small microwave was all that was in there.
Her husband told us a story of a thief who repeatedly was trying to steal his coworker's radio. The owner caught him in the act three times at various stages with the radio. Called police 2X, third time he did not. Problem solved by taking physical actions...
Many years ago had someone try to steal the mags on my classic 442. Had locks on them they loosened all the other lugs till they found out they couldn't take the locks off. My brother and I took it out for a spin- almost crashed it as all the wheels wanted to come off. Would I have taken physical action if I found out who it was caught them in the act?? Maybe, we had some tough characters in the neighborhood, it could have been deliberate.
With cameras I use the leg irons so plan on hanging them up in the tree pointing down with no access left on the tree. Most idiots should just walk right by. If someone wants to take them they will have to work on it
Not advocating violence but keep in mind you are not always dealing with a sane person. On drugs, poaching, etc.
Just had a buddy get his stolen here in AZ, up in the Prescott area. He has a bunch out and none of them near water. As said before, a-holes will be a-holes and they'll get them if they want them. I guess best bet is to buy them cheap, put them high, away from roads/water, and hope for the best.
Its almost like a new movement; scumbags are out to steal every and anything now that isn't nailed down, or rightfully theirs. Porch Pirates, Camera robbers, tree stand thieves, break ins, etc. It pisses me off , as I work hard for everything thing I own, as I am sure you all do...what gives some POS the right to steal?? Id love to catch them in the act.
"oh how I long for the good old days when they would have to steal the boots off your feet to prevent a hunter from scouting."
The only time I scout now is to figure out where to place my cams bwahaha
I used to get several of the python locks snipped off and the cams either stolen or the card taken. I now leave the card acessible and have had a few cards taken but haven't had one stolen in a couple years now. Guess they just didn't like getting their pics taken !
Thieves are SLIMY mf'ers. Period.
Had two of my tripods stolen this year. It's pretty depressing. No so much the loss although that hurts, but the depressing realization a guy can go from hunter to thief so casually...very sad what these people do to their subconscious...might as well shoot themselves in the foot.
I've even had ladder stands stolen off my own property. Would be nice to have a way to trigger an M-80 under the camera when they try to take it. Just enough of a bang to require they go home and wash out their underwear.
I used to hunt way up north and we had some guys try and sneak into our camp at night. After that incident my buddy talked to a friend that was a Ranger in Vietnam. He showed my buddy how to set up a security zone around our camp with m-80s and trip wires . The part that sucked was releasing the fishing line after the m-80 was live and hoping you didn't do something wrong and have it go off next to you lol I'm sure it could have been rigged to attach to a game cam and set the m-80 up over their head.
That sucks! Thieves really blow. Heck, now a days, if someone stuck a note card / business card in the side of the box that said: "Good luck! I hunt here to, happy to share my cam's pics, would you be open to sharing a few from yours so we can help each other out?" then left name/number or email... I bet most folks would share. Heck, I used to write in sharpie on my lock boxes "Cam Pswd protected. Do not steal. Leave number and I will share images with you". A few folks actually took me up on it!
Then last year scouting I found a note on a tree in a plastic bag. 2 pages of this guy laying on the guilt to someone who stole his cam and stand. His hope was that they would go back and see it, and know they stole it from an average guy who just wanted to enjoy some time in the woods. I felt bad for the guy... Been there, for sure (had cam's stolen)! Ugh!
Again, thieves SUCK!
