This past weekend I got out to my farm and went to check one of my cameras. Its located on a neighbors piece where I have complete access to hunt. I get there, my camera is gone. I spoke to the landowner and he said he didn't touch it, but he's allowing another guy to hunt there so I'm guessing this dude took it. I walked around the woods and found his stand set up on the fence line facing my property. I've figured out his name and spoke to a few locals. They say he is a big time trespasser and is nothing but problems. I'm currently trying to figure out his number and address. My question now is how would you guys deal with this situation? We've have never had any problems since buying the farm, so I really dont know how to handle this. Any input would be appreciated.
Dirty bastard. I would have left a note on his stand asking about my camera.im sure he won't admit taking it but at least he would know your on to him. I hate thieves!
tempting to get a free stand but there is another way of revenge. get irish spring soap and shave little bits off with a pocket knife around his stand. might want to avoid a feud due to both of you have hunting rights to the area
Keep looking for the camera. Do like other guys do and if you put another camera out, place a camera above out of the line of sight. This way, you can get him on camera if he takes another one. Also, you can buy a 4 pack of Irish Spring soap, cut it in to say 50 pieces and as you walk around his stand and the surrounding area, drop it as you go. Deer hate the smell of that stuff. My Dad uses it to keep them out if his garden and it works really well.
Do you know for a fact this guy took it ? With out knowing for a fact any retaliation is no better than the act of stealing your stuff
He is the only other bow hunter on that property. Two surrounding landowners knew about the camera and left it alone. Im 99.9% sure.
I would forget about the camera and not start a war. You will get nothing out of it. I would make contact with the other hunter and get an idea of his schedule, behavior and his overall hunting habits. I would avoid the area he is pressuring. I sat up a blind awhile back for a family member on one the different locations we hunt. It was for Illinois slug season. I know the boundaries quite well. The southern contiguous neighbor allowed a gentlemen to slug hunt there and we did not know it. The site comes to a defined point. Our blind was taken and everything else that was in it. We think maybe he thought it was on their side. I knew if I confronted the individual whom took it. It "could" start a feud between neighbors and risk access because they don't want the drama. I looked at the blind as another hunting expense that year and I am still hunting it and the other guy I have not seen.
I'm shocked at how many posts we get like this on a weekly basis on this site. There seems to be no end to the blatant disrespect of another's property. I'm shocked.
Hate thieves. But as said, I refrain from accusations and retaliation until I'm 100%. After that it don't matter about hunting rights or starting a feud its all about lighting the bastard on fire. If I can prove it and the neighbors still back him I really don't care to be too neighborly with them. Oh and M&P9c your more likely to find me without keys or a phone than it.
When you finally see him have a sd card with you and have it out when you see him. Then say you have him on this sd card from another camera set up by the one that got stolen and say hes on it. Then ask for your camera back than threaten with the cops. Its a bluff but it might help to figure out if he did it or not. Or he could fess up if it was him. P.s. all my trail cameras i write idnr on there with a serial number and gps tracked. Even though its b.s. nobody will mess with it
Call him nicely and advise him to lock his stuff up because someone stole your camera. Then tell him that on a second camera you got pictures of the guy stealing it, and that you don't know him, but plan to show the pics to the landowner to see if he knows the guy. If he starts stammering and acting nervous, you got him, and he probably won't come back.
+1 on frenchbritt's post. The first rule in a situation like this is to think about the consequences. Doesn't matter who's right. What matters is the impact your actions will have on yourself going forward. Or as my boss always says, you can't control how others act, but you can control how you react. Keep your cool and learn everything you can about this guy so he can't take advantage of you again. And use his mistakes to your advantage. If you do, chances are you'll be hunting there for years while he's gone in a year or two.
