Advise on a camera to catch a vandal

[Oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

Someone don't like my tires to have air in them when I return from the woods. They stick little holes in the sidewalls while I'm away. I have staked it out a couple times with no luck. I'm afraid the first time I don't watch it He will strike again. Anyhow it is costing me hunting time as well as cash for tires. My questions are which camera would be best suited for trying to catch a person? Are any of the infrared invisible? What is the trigger distance on most of them. Thanks Oog

[Tom Leemans]

There are many out there now with IR lighting that will not alert the perp. Some will even e-mail a pic or video to your cell phone or computer. Just make sure no one sees you setting it up.

  smart scouter

[doeboy]

get an i.r. model and put it within 25 feet of your truck.make sure its hidden so they dont steal it also. i have good luck with the cudde back models but there are others that will work also.

[shawnee]

Dang Mike, that kind of stuff can make a man just want to hit somebody.  I hope you catch them.  I had 3 ladder stands stolen off my property and the property right next to it this year.  No one else supposed to be there, but they got them.

I'd vote for the IR cameras, too.

[Pat B]

I would also report it to the sheriff and DNR. It is illegal to harass hunters in most states.
  On a trail cam you'll want to disconnect the flash on go on inferred. Pat

[kurtbel5]

I just ordered a Cuddleback 3.0 it has the IR option, from Gander Mountain (best unit reviews)
I wish I was buying it for hunting but mine is for an escalating vandalism problem at my house, was going to buy a security camera, but convinced the wife I could use a game camera better.
        Kurt
No, I don't recommend vandalizing your own house to get the wife to agree to get you one.(unless that's the only way lol)

[Swamp Pygmy]

rat trap with a shotgun shell should work pretty good.

J/k

just make sure he doesn't leave with a new game camera.

[Gaff]

i had a guy take the valve stems out of all of my tires about 8 years ago in ny. the land was state land, and the nearest posted land was a half mile away. the guy did it to me on a sat night. so i had to walk about 3 miles down a dirt road to use a pay phone. ( back before i had a cell)

i went back on sun afternoon and parked mt truck in the same spot! only diff. was i walked accross the rd. and hid behind a tree. my buddy went with me because he said he was affraid i would kill him...
like clockwork he came back for rd. 2.

you should have seen the look on that guys face
when i asked him what the hell he was doin!!!   :eek:  

i wont get into detail bout what happend next.
lets just say dont mess with a guys vehicle!!!   :mad:  

be careful thats all person is doin to ya. i had a good friend of mine get in his car and drive home after hunting. halfway home he had a crazy vibration, he pulled over only to find all his lugnuts loosend up!!! ( neither he nor i were where we werent supposed to be)

jamie

[Oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

Thanks for the replys. I have contacted the Sheriff first thing. I have read that IR models are not visible and then I have read that they are. So is the cuddleback 3 visible?  Sorry for so many q's Mike

[Steve O]

The IR models I have seen light up a red array...more of a soft glow of red than a flash.

I just got two ScoutGuard 550s.  I think they are the cats meowwwww.  Half the size of everthing else out there, IR, SD Card, and runs for thousands of pictures of 8AA batteries for under $200.

[Little Chief]

This year I went to check my gamecam but it was not on the tree.  I thought for a moment maybe a bear.  Looked on the ground saw a red piece of wire.  Looked around some more and saw the camera.  I became excited thinking that the camera might be ok.  It had seen the likes of a hatchet.  I think I found all of the busted up pieces,  but  NO CF card.  This is a spot that is right behind my house, it is the negiboring property to ours and I do have permission to hunt it.  If I could have recovered the card, the camera might have photographed the vandals.  I guess they knew that too and took the card with them.  My question is why not just take the whole camera?

[osiristheclown]

Think I would figure out a way to inflate my tires with PEPPER SPRAY if it was my vehicle.

[DeerSpotter]

I think you should just setup far enough away, with a video camera, and catch him in the act.

Because I hunt public land, and I had an individual flat new tire.  I have a habit of recording all the license plates on the vehicles that are there before I walk in.  Last time I had someone within a banana clip in a .22 cal it off about four or five rounds 10 yards behind me, I was watching and through the blind window.  He didn't see me all I said was thanks !  He walked to the parking lot, after dark, I found my vehicle with a back flat tire, can't say that he did it or not, but it's a sick society.

Carl

[Junglecat]

I second the recommendation on the Scoutguard 550. I have 2 out presently and 2 more are on the way to me--another for me and one for a friend.They are about the size of a 12 oz. soda can.Check out the website chasingame.com for reviews on the Scoutguard 550 and also some interesting setups where they are used for security purposes.The guy has hidden one near the entrance to his house and I think another one inside a room in his house on the mantle, etc. With a little imagination I think you could easily catch the culprit that is messing with your vehicle.

[John Weaver]

Where did you guys buy your Scoutguard?  I've been thinking homebrew but at $200 the SG550 may be the best bet.  I doubt I could build one cheaper.  AA batteries are a big plus too.  I have some Moultries that work well for the price ($100) but I'll spend another 100 on batteries in the first couple of years.

[Barry Wensel]

Dave Skinner : [email protected]  BW

[leatherneck]

Forget the camera. A nice claymore will do the trick.    Sorry, it's the Marine in me.

[draco]

Loaned a camera to the local feed store last year as they had been broken into twice. Left enough lights on so the IR wouldn't glow. Had it on three round burst. Nine pictures from every possible angle. The pictures were so good that the local police chief knew who he was from the pictures. He went to jail.

[Charles Sorrells]

I wouldn't worry too much about hiding your camera(s), in fact I would set it up inside of your locked vehicle pointing out.  I would almost assure you that the person doing this will be so focused on the surrounding area and the deed at ther tire they would never notice a camera strapped to your head rest or somewhere else in your vehicle.  Even a coat or shirt draped over it would likely be enough to hide it enough.

If you had more than one you could try to get the vehicle too.  If the police had an idea of both the person and the vehicle they could match up the records from both to make your identification of the person more solid.

I am not a litigious person, but if you catch them you should have your Prosecutor not only hold them accounatble in the judicial system, but you are a victim and should be recompensed as well for your monetary losses. Either through a victim assistance or civil suit.  

Also, if your state has a hunter harassment statute I would inform the investigating officers that you wish to seek that avenue of questioning in thier interview to substantiate that charge as well.  You are being harassed even though it is not a tree hugger beating pots and pans around your tree doing the "Flee all of you defenseless creature dance."

I hope you catch them straight away!

[Rich LaBombard]

I like the idea of puttin the camera high up in a nearby tree.  pretty tough to get to it up there.
(use climbing steps, climber stand, etc)
Good luck.