TRAIL CAM VANDALS

[backinthegame]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-24-08 AT 01:27PM (MST)[p]Ok, time to do a little venting. I wish that someone could explain to me why it is that idiots feel the need to kick, smash with rocks, steal, turn around, or otherwise mess with trail cams they find in the woods. Just this season my group has had two cameras fouled up. The first one apparently the a** was at least a gentle one, because he simply opened it up and took the memory card. (Got a pic of the back of his head on the hard drive.) Yes, should have had it pad-locked, no doubt about it, but that's not the point of my rant! The second one was a bit more violent. The camera was all beat up, turned around againts the tree, and all in all just screwed with big time. I have my ways of knowing it wasn't a bear or some other kind of critter that messed with it too, but I'm keeping that to myself for now. A couple years ago we had one stolen completely. Now again, I know you guys will tell me about the things I should do to protect the cameras, and yes, that is all warranted. But what the h**l??? I just can't get over the kind of scum that is apparently crawling all over the hills. I'm gonna find a way to rig the cams with enough voltage to blow whoever touches 'em into the nearest tree!!!

 

[SLIVER]

I agree man, if I come across a game cam while out scouting I make sure that the owner gets a close up of my pretty smile, and then leave. We have started putting our trail cam's up the tree 8 or 9 feet, before they are strapped on put a wedge of some sort on behind the top of the cam so that it is angled down at the site. That way vandals will have to climb up to F with your stuff, haven't had any problems with setting them this way from people, elk, or bears.

}}-SLIVER-->

 

[TheGreatWhiteHunter]

I have had multiple tree stands and a few cameras stolen of PRIVATE LAND so I doubt I would dare put a camera on public ground unless it was secured well.

Cant explain why people do what they do. I guess some people will do bad things if an opportunity arrives and they feel they will not get caught.

THE LORD IS MY ROCK
COLORADO,USA
NRA LIFE MEMBER
HUNTING PASS IT ON

 

[Idahogrinder]

A few of the guys in my electronics class are developing a stray cat elimination device, when we figure out the details, which is getting enough amps out of a atv battery, to fry the putty tat, because a seared live kitty is not good, I'll post the details and it should be easy to hide and attach to the trailcam. I'll have to look at the shielding of the camera if the case is being used tho...could always put up a "decoy" case and put the real cam a few yards away..lol That would be the best trailcam pictures to date!!

 

[VELVETRUSH]

As BITG said we have had some bad luck. I went up yesterday to check a camera that has been up for two weeks. When I got there the camera was turned around, off, and beat to crap. I checked the SD card and it had 4 pictures of me when I set it up and everything else had been deleted. So above my camera location was a newly set up tree stand that was locked to a tree. The pegs were brand new bolts so I new there was no way that I just some how missed it before. We were standing there pissed off when we noticed in the dirt a key. Well it ended up being the key to the tree stand. So I tore that SOB out of the tree and threw it in the middle of the spring that is about two- three feet deep 20x30 feet wide. So this guy is not going to be happy when he goes to sit in his stand but everybody knows what payback is.

 

[1911]

...unless it was just coincidence and the guy who put up the tree stand had nothing to do with it in which case you just vandalized his stuff for no good reason.

 

[VELVETRUSH]

If that was the case then why would he hang a stand right on top of my camera. Even if he did not damage my camera common courtesy would not be to hang a stand on top of my camera.

 

[sremim]

Thats it, make things better by doing what they do.




















It's Bush's fault!!!

 

[Cam@strawberry]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-25-08 AT 09:49AM (MST)[p]Its the wasatch. VR, i live there and i see everyday the quality of ppl floatin around this unit, and it is never very high. they always end up down by strawberry pissin me off and flaunting their intelligence or lack there of.

Wildlife population control specialist

 

[AndymanSavage]

I would never mess with people's stuff, but on PUBLIC land you take your chances. Didn't someone mention a law about leaving private property on forest service or national forest land for more than 2 weeks being illegal anyway? Again, I have no problem with it but some "entitled" fellow hunters might. In fact, I was with Moosie on an ID bear hunt when he found one of his stands cut out of a tree and smashed to pieces and it sucked.


Andy

-----------------------------------------------
http://www.trophyblogger.com/Andymansavage

 

[troutsniffer]

I would never leave anything of too much value on public land. There are way too many dirtbags out there. I don't know why people have to break other people's stuff. I always carry my digital camera when hunting or scouting. If I find a trail cam I pop out the memory card if it is not locked and look at the pictures on my camera. When I am done, I put the memory card back. If I have a pen I will write a note thanking them for the pictures and wishing them good luck. Do others think is ethical to borrow the memory card for a couple of minutes?

 

[eelgrass]

troutsniffer, I hear you. I always carry a Sony Walkman when I walk down the street. If I see an unlocked car on public land I open the car door and pull out any CDs they might have and listen to them and put them back. I need to get a portable CD recorder so I can make a copy.

I figure the car is on public land so it's fair game.

Eel

 

[rifle666]

so thats why my new trees stand was in the mud! dirtbag!

GLAD you confessed!!!
LMFAO

while i don't agree with trashing someone else's gear, i would have probably done the same thing. i don't practice what i preach. but i try.

as for "borrowing" the SD card. stealing is stealing no matter how you sugar coat it. why would you want to see what was coming into the guys set unless you planned to invade his set on the hunt?

i have not had any problems with mine, but i don't put them on the only tree near water, instead i move to trails coming and going. or a ways back from the main (ideal) places. i have many pics of dudes looking at water, treestand locations, and obviously looking for trail cams.

 

[nickman]

Sometimes people just simply SUCK.

I might show you some poses of my body parts that you REALLY don't want to see, but I would never touch someones stuff.

I couldn't tell you how many deer camps we have come onto over the years, and I was always taught that you NEVER mess around there.

 

[troutsniffer]

Hiking in the woods on public land and being in somebody else's car are considered equal? If you were on a bus (public transportation) and saw a CD sitting on a seat, you listened to it, and put it back when you were done you would be more honest than 99% of people. I also didn't realize I could claim an area of public land for an entire season by putting up a trail cam. Maybe the person that put it there isn't even going to hunt there. I have put up cameras in an area, wasn't satisfied with the results, and took my camera some place else. Why did I find somebody else's camera, because I thought this would be a good place to put a camera. So should I put my camera on the next tree? If you find my cameras, you are welcome to take a look at the card.Just please don't steal or break the camera!

 

[out4elk]

I too get frustrated to think that people will spend their time damaging other hunters cams. I have never gotten into puting trail cams out because I am paranoid somebody will cost me money some way some how.

+1 on Slivers first post. A friend and myself hung a singing/talking deer head from walmart on a nearby tree to mess with another buddy. Everytime the deer head came to life the camera would fill up the memory card...it was good for a few laughs until somebody stole the deer head.



?Here?s to the hero's that Git-R-Done!!?

 

[ICHABOD]

Hiking on public land is like walking down the sidewalk. Everyone has an equal right to be there. When you open someone else's car door to get anything inside you are a thief. When you take an SD card out of someone else's camera you are a thief. Even if you put it back when you are done "stealing" the photos. "I wasnt stealing... I was just borrowing...I was gonna put it back." Ever heard a thief say that one before?
By putting up a trail cam no-one is "laying claim" to the area...merely wanting to know what animals are around. Putting up a tree stand is "laying claim."
Yes, If you want to know what animals are entering the area, put YOUR camera on the NEXT tree.
You can justify dishonest behavior any way you like, or you can be honest.
Pretty simple really
------------------------------------------------------
By the way,
I live in UT.
There are a lot of UTARDS that live here.
I have also seen quite a few WYOMORONS, NEVADUHNS, COLORADORKS, ID-IOTS and AIRHEADZONANS in my travels.

 

[troutsniffer]

>so thats why my new trees
>stand was in the mud!
>dirtbag!
>
>GLAD you confessed!!!
>LMFAO
>
>while i don't agree with trashing
>someone else's gear, i would
>have probably done the same
>thing. i don't practice what
>i preach. but i try.
>
>
>as for "borrowing" the SD card.
>stealing is stealing no matter
>how you sugar coat it.
>why would you want to
>see what was coming into
>the guys set unless you
>planned to invade his set
>on the hunt?
>
>i have not had any problems
>with mine, but i don't
>put them on the only
>tree near water, instead i
>move to trails coming and
>going. or a ways back
>from the main (ideal) places.
>i have many pics of
>dudes looking at water, treestand
>locations, and obviously looking for
>trail cams.

I have hunted the same spring for 2 years now without seeing another hunter in this spot. Yesterday I hiked up to it to place a trail cam. I noticed there was already a camera up. I was hardly planning on "invading his set." I thought about placing my camera as well. Instead I looked at the photos and like most thieves I left a note with my contact info. I am hoping to hang a stand and share the spot. I was hoping to not get up at 3:30 am and have somebody else in the spot. If the other hunter is reasonable, I will share the spot. If he is not, he can have it. I don't break into cars or camps. I would certainly never steal or damage anyones property. I questioned what I had done and asked what people thought.

 

[Gator]

I would be having a treestand sale at the end of the week.

 

[supersider34]

I use them but I also have a camera going into the area.I use one on bait sites. But the canyon going to it has only one way in. Have one set up bottom of canyon to see who is coming into it. The other on the bait site. Has worked great for me.

 

[polarbear]

Rig up another trail cam high up a tree pointing at the other cam. When they come to f- with it you have picture proof of who it was. Or you can just rig an old mouse trap/shotgun shell devise to it.
Eric

Ultra liberal, wolf loving, illiterate, gay, hippie midgets on crack piss me off!!!!

 

[Triple_BB]

You'd think it'd make more sense to just take the camera and sell it on ebay versus smashing it up. An unfortunate risk when dealing with public land...

 

[slcbohntr]

I have been lucky enough nopt to have a camera trashed yet. I'm sure setteing on public land one day a jealous hunter or a tree hugging animal loveing hippy will get me one day. I have to say if i found my cam trashed and a treestand over it I would have turned the stand into an unrecognizable pretzle of metal. If i came across camera that someone have destroyed the last thing I would do is put my new stand over it. Even if the camera was or wasn't broken already it just makes you look like the guilty party. some people do things like this because they are too insecure in their own ablilities or they are just plain ignorant.
Good Luck and Great Memories

 

[Gator]

+1 on PolarBear, you can catch them pretty easy using the dumby camera as adecoy and get some pictures of the SOB that is wrecking things, Or you set another camera up on the trail into your site and catch them that way,
I'm sure it is NOT over yet, whoever did your camera will be looking to do more(camera wrecking) if their treestand is swimmming in the pond.
You need to plan now to catch them later.

 

[backinthegame]

Thanks for all the replies fellas...I'm thinking putting the cams up the tree a bit is the ticket, although I do like the "dummy" camera idea as well!

 

[completesportsman]

I would definitely try the dummy camera. My brother-in-law used a trail cam to catch an employee of his stealing fuel out of his company fuel tanks for his personal vehicles. You can't deny pictures as proof.

 

[swbuckmaster]

troutsniffer thanks for not stealing anyones camera. I would rather have someone like you mess with my camera. No harm done in looking at my camera as long as you know how to set it back up so I dont miss any action.

Archery is a year round commitment!!

 

[birdbuster]

I know a guy who 'claims' about 40 spots by having his tree stands up. He builds his own and leaves many of them up year around. On public ground a tree stand means nothing to me anymore. I've seen spots with 3+ on the same water hole. I've used them before as well. If I've hiked into a spot packing my tree stand for an evening hunt and there is already one in 'my' tree I'll leave mine on the ground and use the one there. Is that 'stealing'? If someone has built a bridge over a creek on public land can I use the bridge or do I have to wade the creek? I think anyone who damages another's property should be severely punished but borrowing 'abandoned' property is a different matter. I'll bet in my life I've opened hundreds of car doors to shut off lights people left on by accident so I'm a criminal. I guess I'm also old because people didn't used to lock their cars and lights didn't shut themselves off! If I've left property out on public ground you are welcome to borrow it as long as you don't damage it and give it back when I need it.