Having some similar problems right now Atlas. A neighbor that has zero ground seems to think he has the right to hunt anywhere he wants and should be allowed to shoot deer off my ground from the road. Not good. You have worked very hard to have a dream property. You have a LOT to lose and likely they have nothing to lose. That does not bode well for you raising a hand in anger. You have to resist. The days of giving someone a well deserved whooping have been eliminated thanks to a very liberal judicial system and greedy attorneys. I hope its some young kids that don't know better and you can just give them a nudge to find a new meeting place. If not, keep cool. The damage has already been done, and busting someone's nose will not change anything on your property. Good luck!
Just leave a note at the site saying you have them caught on another camera that's better hidden stating that you won't go to the police if they stop coming back. It would be a fair resolution for them to just decide not to risk returning, whether you are telling the truth or not.
Are your camera white flash? Because if they are it wont matter how good you hide the second one when the sun goes down they will find it.
You need to take a chill pill. It's probably just kids. And even if it is an adult, it's not worth getting yourself in trouble over.
^Great Advice^ Do like others said and hang a camera high to catch them. If you don't have one, get one with Black Flash and set it to take 3 pics every time it is triggered. Like Siman/OH said, your site is not ruined. I wish you the best! Be Wise, Be Safe and Be Blessed!
Here's reality.....the cops aren't going to do squat about it.....nobody is. In order to conform with today's permissive society, you are required to "turn the other cheek." If you don't....your in the wrong; your the bad guy. Best of luck to you.
people tresspass all the time, its a fact of land ownerwhip. you are way too emotional about it. "The spot they have disgraced..."
Post cameras up high and if you catch them, give pics to the cops, post them anywhere you can. Local forums, local bars, town halls, etc. Word will get around that you are looking to find them and press charges and they will not be coming back.
Thanks guys. Man it sucks that so many of you are dealing with the same stuff. I can't say I have calmed down much if any. I have to work for 2 more days and then I'm off for 3. If I bag someone in my trap cams that soon it's going to be ugly. I barely slept and I have to work 12 hrs overnight tonight.........not really a recipe to cheer me up.
I will pretty much bet it is just some kids. Here is what to do. Sit down and think. Think back to something stupid you may have done as a kid, something you regret. Think about several things you have done. Spend some time thinking about this, lots of time. Think of things you did and didn't get caught. Now snap to present day. Realize that this is your payback. Some day those kids will have something done to them in a similar fashion. With todays world, it's going to be a lot worse than a camera and some beer cans. Their payback will come. Now, knowing this, when or if you find those kids, use that little walk down memory lane to cool your jets. Yell, scream read them the riot act, but don't take things too far.
That is crazy. I'm just supposed to expect and accept it as part of life as a landowner? No chance. I have worked my *** off for the last 20 years just to be able to obtain some of the things in life I wanted..........I now continue to work my *** off to keep said things and live the way we choose. There is absolutely NO CHANCE I will allow some low life to just take these things from me and/or effect the enjoyment we have worked so hard to acquire. I don't think it's too much to ask to be able to place a game cam in my woods and not have it stolen or that my wife should be able to sit with our dogs at our pond and feed the fish while the sun sets without worrying that some drunk weirdo might be in the woods just out of sight. We also have a cabin on our land back by the pond and now she is afraid someone might be breaking in or hiding in there. You make my wife feel uncomfortable or nervous in her own yard and we are no longer in the same world as game cams and beer bottles. I PROMISE you I will not let something like that slide as a "fact of land ownership". I could give a flip about the spot, I'm pissed but I have 350 acres of better ground to hunt and I have more cams then I can count. This goes WAY deeper then that.
I hope and pray you are right. I would never go nuts on young kids if that's what it is........no need. A little yelling and a clearly made point would be more then enough. I may even laugh it off and just tell them to party somewhere else as I was in their shoes once. The stolen cam makes it worse but kids are stupid and that's an easy fix. If this is an adult I don't see a good ending as likely but I can hope.
A cop or a agent are not going to do zip... They have to catch them in the act. Spent years over this same thing here. Put up a decoy cam and set a black flash cam about 8 feet up pointing at it. Also keep checking the spot you lost it at because sometimes they come back after a few days after they clear the cards... If you get the card back do a google search on sd card picture retrieval even if they cleared the card the pics are still there. I open carry on my place, I also target practice from time to time. Here is a scary thought and some advice if you call the law tell them you think someone was trying to cook meth on the spot then at lest they will come and look..can't be bad to see a cop car in the area. If they were going to cook or just getting there nerve up to rob you house while they tossed back a few keep on your toes and have a house dog always is a good tipoff. Get some home security ie. cams with video that hooks to hardrive there cheap on amazon sells and easy to setup. Couple of years ago a meth head killed my best friend in his home with his own gun you have to step up your game or you may be the next victim sorry to say it but sometimes you can't turn the other cheek.
There are ways for things to get ugly and only the deserved party sees the ugly ...you have to be in control at all times if you run into this jackass....the end result need not be different, but you need to be in control at all times. You have much to lose, but you also have have much to protect. You are one of the smartest guys I know, Mark.... stay in control.
I definitely know this is easier sad than done but what you need to do is calm down and access the situation. You have a right to protect your family and property and no one can dispute that but as others said if you lose it and hurt someone you could be the one paying the price. Meaning you are sitting behind bars while jack wagon continues to pillage your property and you are not around to protect your family. I get it that you are mad and you are justified just don't let it get the best of you. You have worked too hard to get what you have and its not worth it throwing it away of someone who probably has not worked a full week in their life. So I would most definitely alert the local law enforcement that you have a trespasser problem. Document it and ensure it is recorded. Put your cameras out and also put up signs saying the property is monitored via video surveillance if not already. You may even want to invest in the low end plot watchers to catch time lapse pictures. Monitor them. Have a conversation with your neighbors letting them know that you have a problem and they should be on the look out as well. if you have time patrol your area. I definitely agree that sometimes some people just need a good beating but the laws in place today protect the vagrants more than the victims. try handling it diplomatically first but if that fails a as last resort let the beatings commence, but make sure it is all documented so that you can without a shadow of a doubt prove it as a last resort. Sad I know but a necessary evil. I just hope this all goes away. Hang in there and keep your head.
I have just had the same thing happen, kinda ... I have had a camera set up on some friends property on Ohio. The camera is literally 75-100 yards off of their back deck. (Also in a subdivision) It was stolen and a friend/their neighbor put up another camera, locked it to a tree and had pictures of some guy walking with a dog around 10-11 PM. I have let the landowner know...he isn't happy. People who have no respect for others stuff pisses me off... I hope for your sake everything works out.
^^^^ What this guy said!! The spotlight isn't a bad idea at all and also maybe blast a couple rounds off, I would put up the video surveillance signs and also right by that spot a sign that says' " No trespassing, violators will be shot, survivors will be shot again" my one friends neighbor did that cause we use to cut through his yard get to a pond and after we saw that sign and heard him firing off a couple rounds we stayed the heck out of there.
