SD CARD MISSING
Contributors to this thread:General Topic
From: Stryker
04-Sep-21
So we went up on the Big Horns today for our first chance on our elk hunt. I had two trail cams set up on wallows with one of them with a pre set tree stand. They have been in place for two weeks so we’re excited to see what was on them when I retrieved them. Much to our surprise someone had taken the SD cards out of both of them. I’ve never had this happen and wondering if anybody else has experienced this.
From: DL
05-Sep-21
Sounds like a hot spot that someone doesn’t want you to know how good it is.
From: Thornton
05-Sep-21
Be glad they didnt take the whole camera.
From: tkjwonta
05-Sep-21
Yep, had both a camera and just an SD card stolen the last time I put cameras on public land.
From: DanaC
05-Sep-21
Easier to steal the card, and not raise suspicion if they meet someone on the way out. Thieves suck.
Climbed into a tree one opener, still dark. I felt the chain of my stand, stepped around and...air. Bastards unbolted the stand from the locked chain. Thieves suck.
From: Zap
05-Sep-21
Need to climb up and get a camera hanger and prep a spot in a fir tree. Not the best angle but the terds won't or find it. Done this on public a bunch. Works well enough and bears wont mess with it. Some spots i elk hunt black bear will beat your camera all to heck. Have to buy the steel protective camera boxes for them in those areas.
From: TGbow
05-Sep-21
Ive never had that happen but Ive had a camera stolen. I hate a theif
From: wvfarrier
05-Sep-21
Lock box and a chain are the solution
From: molsonarcher
05-Sep-21
Thieves are useless. I’ve had the same thing happen, only on private land. Always knew who did it, just couldn’t prove it. Those bastids will get theirs someday. Karma is a, well you know.
From: TGbow
05-Sep-21
Matt, my camera was stolen on private land...Im not gonna say what should happen to thieves
From: molsonarcher
05-Sep-21
TGbow i agree and get where you are going with the punishment train of thought.
I personally really enjoy the suspense of running cams and checking cards. When a thief takes your property, its like waking up on christmas to no presents.
From: TGbow
05-Sep-21
Exactly
From: hawkeye in PA
05-Sep-21
Exactly X2
From: Woods Walker
05-Sep-21
Well think about it....you are in effect stapling $100 bills to a tree in the woods. What did you expect to happen? "Opportunity" of this kind brings out the worst in people. Always has, always will. Unfortunately it's a "cost of doing business".
From: t-roy
05-Sep-21
Had the cards stolen out of the same camera twice last year, on private. Was going to put a cellular camera there this year, but trying to find a Reveal cellular camera this year, was harder than catching a dang thief.
Lots of deep, secluded ravines on our property. Might end up naming a new tree stand spot, the “Train Station” if I catch the bastages!
From: Lost Arra
05-Sep-21
Your camera probably took a pic of the guy's wife peeing in the wallow. It was faster to take the card than figure out how to delete the pics. He might have saved you some nightmares.
From: Woods Walker
05-Sep-21
Didn't think of that angle Arra! IF that's the case, then the "thief" was being nice!
From: JL
05-Sep-21
I've lost two cams to thieves.....one homer cam on public years ago and one last year on private. The terd bag also tried to steal my buddies cell cam on the private last year too. He didn't know the pics were being sent back to my buddy. My bud called me and said he was getting a bunch of pics of what looked like a piece of cardboard. Turns out the terd bag was using a piece of card board to block the cam lens in case he couldn't break the cable. I called a neighbor near the property and he ran over and caught the terd walking out. The terd tried to bluff the neighbor and tell him he was on private property and words were exchanged. The terd started to walk towards the neighbor and said neighbor pulls out his sidearm. Said terd ball knows he's been caught and runs back into the woods and bails. I get down their and we call the sheriff. Two of them come out, one with the dog. They can't put the dog on the trail because the charges would only be misdemeanors. It's got to be a felony before they will turn the dog loose on the trail. The terd bag gets away but we think we know who it was and where he lived. The terd has since moved out of the house he was renting by the property.
From: drycreek
05-Sep-21
Face the facts, some guys that call themselves hunters are thieves, poachers, and liars. We want to think the best, but it’s best to prepare for the worst.
From: DanaC
05-Sep-21
"Im not gonna say what should happen to thieves "
They should meet up with someone who has as little respect for 'due process' as they show for 'property rights.'
From: Dale06
05-Sep-21
I’ve heard that “known” thieves of trail cameras and tree stands etc, sometimes get an ice pick to the sidewall of their auto tires.
From: TGbow
05-Sep-21
Lol
From: TGbow
05-Sep-21
I believe in due process..when caught red handed, Im going to act. I do have a pair
From: 3arrows
05-Sep-21
When you leave anything on public land, it belongs to public.
From: Pete-pec
05-Sep-21
I've had my SD card taken one time on private land. I figure the new neighbor was trespassing, and had his image taken as he spotted it? Less of a thief and more of a trespasser, but either way, a total loser. Running cellular now, so I feel a little less worried. Public land is cesspool of thieving maggots, and more than once I've had stands stolen. The bear boxes? A thief may not steal it, but they may try and wreck it?
From: Zap
05-Sep-21
Have put a upper elevated camera on a junk decoy camera a few times to find out who was droppin in on our property. Was easy to fix that right after we got our man on film. Had a climber taken off tree locked up on tree. One year to day I went in property and wouldnt ya know the terd was in my stand in the tree he stole it from. Lucky I had a side arm and told him to toss bow outta tree and get down. Walked him out to Sheriffs. Lucky i still had my serial # for stand or they mighta let his azz go. Decoy cameras work great for some stuff.
From: Meat Grinder
05-Sep-21
I had a camera stolen from private property years ago. It had a Python cable on it and the thief tore the camera apart to take the card and keep me from seeing his pic.
Now, whether the camera is on private or public, I use the bottom section of a stick ladder to climb and place the camera well above the line of sight of thieves and deer. Still use a Python cable and weave some brush into the cable to hide everything.
I've caught a great many deer and a couple of trespassers doing this, but haven't lost any more cameras (knock on wood).
Good Hunting to all.
From: jjs
05-Sep-21
Hunting on public doesn't make ownership, but messing with another one property is not justified. I've left a note on preseason scouts on tree stands on public that it isn't their own private area and go buy private it they want it that way. Have an retired USFW friend that removed stands before and after hunting season, auction them off after their shed was full, he said it didn't hardly exist when he started but really amp up in the latter yrs.
From: 400 Elk @Home
05-Sep-21
I always love the “ When you leave anything on public land, it belongs to public” statements. Using that logic, if I find a camper with nobody in it on public, it’s public? What about a camp chair, cooler, lantern at a camp sight, again public? If I am in the back country and find horses tired up…Public? How about a truck at a trailhead? This list goes on and on. The simple thing…if it’s not yours…leave it alone.
From: Dale06
05-Sep-21
Absolutely spot on 400 elk.
From: TGbow
05-Sep-21
Exactly what I was thinkin Elk
From: MA-PAdeerslayer
05-Sep-21
Spot on 400elk. Sure he wouldn’t like you using his horses to pack a few elk out
From: TGbow
05-Sep-21
lol
From: molsonarcher
05-Sep-21
@400elk Well said and thank you for that statement. I walk by plenty of stands and cameras each year on public and private lands. I don’t mess with anyone’s things, and don’t appreciate it when mine is messed with. There is a level of respect between hunters that seems to be diminishing rapidly. If a person chooses to leave THEIR private property on PUBLIC land, said property is still private.
From: 400 Elk @Home
05-Sep-21
I always love the “ When you leave anything on public land, it belongs to public” statements. Using that logic, if I find a camper with nobody in it on public, it’s public? What about a camp chair, cooler, lantern at a camp sight, again public? If I am in the back country and find horses tired up…Public? How about a truck at a trailhead? This list goes on and on. The simple thing…if it’s not yours…leave it alone.
From: 400 Elk @Home
05-Sep-21
Sorry for the double post. My 13 year son’s elk hunt is getting close and not paying enough attention to post. I am in the process of packing and coordinating.
From: TGbow
05-Sep-21
I hope he gets him one Elk
From: 70lbdraw
05-Sep-21
Sounds to me like a lot of these incidents, may be more of a message to, "Stay out of my honey hole!" Rather than blatant thievery when it's on public land. By no means am I trying to justify anything. But I know folks that protect their favorite public hunting spot better than they protect their family.
From: Thornton
05-Sep-21
Chains, cables, and lock boxes are a joke. Any thieving bird hunter can blow the cable or chain in two with a shotgun. I've done it, on my friend's land when we found stands and cameras from trespassers. Literally took a few seconds to remove them with the shotgun.
From: Woods Walker
05-Sep-21
When you leave valuables in the woods, then you are exposing them to theft/vandalism. That's how too many people are nowadays. I understand WHY people want to leave these items in the woods unattended, but the fact remains that whenever you do, that you may never see them again. It's just the way it is, so accept the risk and don't whine about it when/if it happens. Like I said, it's a cost of doing business....and it sucks, but that's what it is.
From: Slate
05-Sep-21
Yeah happens to me every so often on my property. There are dick heads everywhere
From: Medicinemann
05-Sep-21
My biggest problem is that I have forgotten to check the camera and make sure that it had an SD card in it when I put it out.....so I might be blaming a thief that doesn't even exist.....or set up a camera (with SD card), and forget to turn the damn camera on after I set it up. It's hell to get old(er) and somewhat forgetful...
From: Lost Arra
06-Sep-21
Friend found a trail camera on the edge his property. Instead of taking it, he turned it around so it was facing the tree. It disappeared after that.
From: So467
06-Sep-21
Got a friend in Kansas that when he finds cameras on his land he swaps the sd card with an empty one in his pocket. I am sure the trespassers cannot figure out why there are no deer there.
From: 4nolz@work
06-Sep-21
Semi honest creeper.Ive had it happen-didnt want me to see them (probably someone I knew) but not a camera thief
