Thieves

[woodchucker]

Is your friend's property in your "jurisdiction".....  

[Stone Knife]

My neighbor had a stand stolen only to see it at a garage sale, police were called stand returned. I really cant tolerate thieves, I work for my gear they should work for theirs.

[Groundpounder]

thats why ground hunting is less expensive.put out a decoy stand an camo a game cam up in a tree maybe youll catch them on cam

[m laughlin]

my little fantasy has always been catching a thief in the act. they would have to first deal with me then the police. i would think anyone that would steal would also lie. i've never been able to understand the "ability" to steal. it would seem once you stole something you would never be able to use it out of fear of getting caught, making the whole process useless. i sure hope your able to nab them.
matt

[bofish-IL]

I have had several stands stolen on posted private land. I always remove the bottom 5 steps and the stands are locked to make it harder to steal. Some thieves are determined.

On one early morning hunt I went to install the 5 steps and noticed all the other steps were gone. I went back to the truck and got enough steps to climb the tree. Not thinking real straight because I was mad as Hell, I stepped up on the stand. They had also kicked the stand out and it slid down the tree about 6 inches before it bit in again. Just about took a nose dive from 18ft.

The real topper was 4 days later the morons came back with an ax and chopped about a 5 inch deep slot in the tree before they finally chopped through the chain and stole the stand. This was a homemade stand not worth $20.00 for the material. Just shows we have some stupid thieves that will steal anything at any cost or risk.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I put cable locks on all my stands. They are impossible to cut with bolt cutters, but if a guy wants it bad enough he will go home and get a cordless grinder with a cut off wheel and come back to cut the cable, so basically it just keeps an otherwise honest man.....honest.

The 3 main reasons why people don't allow anyone to tresspass or hunt on their land is Theft, Vandalism, and Littering.
Then of course the 4th biggest reason is Liability for someone getting hurt and suing them.

If people would just treat others with respect as they expect from others......everything would be fine. Sadly though, there are more than enough scum bags to go around and they seem to be everywhere.
A guy I hunted with years back had gotten drawn for a hunt at Bush Wildlife Area near St. Louis and spent a few weeks scouting up till the opener. He went in that morning and someone had stolen his climber. He was PO'd to say the least, so what's he do? He wandered around the woods most of the morning and came across some other guy's climber and stole it!
I lectured him for at least an hour about how he just made someone else feel the same loss and dispair that he experienced that morning and how 2 wrongs don't make a right. He didn't seem impressed with my lecturing, so I then explained why we couldn't hunt together anymore. He understood that part clearly. I won't be a part of anything like that, nor will I be friends or even aquaintences with someone who would do something like that.

Sorry to hear about your friend's misfortune, and you can consol him by telling him that we arent' All that way, there are some good guys left.

[ishiwannabe]

That does suck David. I would be tempted to set up another, and hook a car battery to the lowest climbing stick. Of course, the battery would have to be camo'd. And a game camera in a good, unreachable spot would make me smile even more.    

Of course I would never actually do that....but thieves make me think of all sorts of diabolical things.

[PA-Spot]

Tell ya a little story. That happened to a local guy here. So he put an add in the local paper.  ( IF THE PERSON THAT STOLD MY TREE STAND ON PETERSON RD. WOULD RETURN IT BY 6:00 AM SUNDAY NIGHT. TO THE TWON HALL. I WILL NOT TAKE THE PICTURES I HAVE ON MY TRAIL CAMERA TO THE POLICE DEPT ON MONDAY. ) He got three for one. Thats right he had one stolen. By Monday there where three stands and two sets of climbing sticks at the town hall. Heres the great part. Has never owned a trail camera in his live. BAD GUYS - 0  GOOD GUYS - 1

[Steve95]

I have stands out at my own property that have never been touched for years. I do my best to lock them all! I have had fruit trees pulled out of the ground that had been planted for a few years. I have had my posted signs shot off the trees. Its all part of owning/ maintaining your property. I don't see things changing into the future. Sorry to hear about your luck. I make a point of replacing everything that is lost with
at least 4 replacements.  

[Huntrdfk]

That's a good one Joe!!

Jamie, what we have thought about doing is setting up dummie stands........you know, the ones where the straps on the top steps aren't really that good......like you, we could never do it, but things like this get the devious sides of our brains working.

Steve, that's what wrong, having to replace one with four is an indictment of the hunting community.........

I will say that both thefts and one other incident I haven't mentioned have all happened since rifle season opened.......

David

[Sam McMichael]

If you can identify the guilty party, file every charge against them that applies such as therft by taking, criminal trespass, hunting without permission, etc. If you have a camera focused on the stand, try to have a very well concealed one focused on the first camera.

There was a time, if I knew who wronged me, I would simply deck the SOB, but as I have "mellowed" (become more aware of the legal problems it can cause me), I try to let law enforcement handle the issue.

Keep your land prominently posted and all gates locked. Any and all confrontations should be in court. As a probation officer, let me advise you to never take retribution into your own hands. It may be justice in your eyes, but something very different to a prosecutor.

[wapitimike1]

I took a hit for 5 stands and sticks (Lonewolf and Gorilla) on one prop and a Cudi back and stand and sticks on another the second my own!! It's this world of pecker heads we live in!!!

[Maxx Black]

I'm sorry for your loss! And have friends who have lost stands and property due to people jealous of what we have.But! I am proud to belong on this site with Honest,Caring people(hunters). I moved my tree stand this afternoon to a location deeper inside the bush and not so easy to take.Yes it secured to the tree (locked). Because I don't think my local hunter belong to this site. Good Luck with your season.Ken

[Earl Jeff]

I put cable locks on my stands and sticks. That way if the really want them at least they will have to work for it.

[Tajue17]

found one of mine stolen a couple weeks ago but I'm blaming the firemen that put out the brush fires in this area,,, my stand was fine for years and well hidden in this private piece until a brush fire came through and theres a little field where the fire was on one side and the stand was on the other looking into the field and the tire tracks from the woods buggy that the firemen drive through the woods tell me thay sat right there and turned around a couple times and blah blah blah the stand that was locked with a lock on its chain and ladder are gone now and where cut with bolt cutters which they carry in the truck to cut locks on gates ,,,, so even some firemen out there are thieves.

earl I had one stolen that had a cable lock on it and the guy shot the cable with a slug,,, not much effort,,,some of our stands we use stainless deck screws and then galvy wire clips and use a couple of those on the chain where it leaves the stand and touches the tree and then comes backl to the stand---> unscrewing these takes too long especially if you don't have a #3 screw driver and they usually don't take the stand,,,, but for leaving the stand nothing beats the old steel chain ons!

[TSP]

Each season while scouting/hunting I walk by quite a few stands (the land is open to hunting).  Some are so obvious/visible (to people or critters) that it's a wonder anyone would take the trouble to mount them at all.  Other's are illegal (not labeled, left year-round to grow into the tree, etc.). Some are aerial fortresses made of old lumber, lashed logs, bright flappy tarps, recycled kitchen or living room chairs, even saw a fouton in a tree once.  Some stands are there one week and laying in a heap the next...perhaps victims of another 'hunter' who felt 'his' spot was 'violated'?

Point is, there are all manner of people who 'hunt', all manner of folk who use stands, and all manner of dirtbags who steal or abuse them.  In the end, whether legit user or dirtbag abuser, it's always the individual who makes their own call in what and how they do things.  All we can do is follow what we know is right, protect what we can and let fate, faith and a higher justice deal the final hand.  That's the world in a nutshell.

[MrWinkles]

Originally posted by Burnsie:
"NO" to 1,2&3

Thats funny and a little bit sad.

The question was....

"Would you pick up the quarter and return it or keep it for your self? "

If you read the question you can see that there are two separate questions in question 1.

So, which one are you saying "no" to?

"No, (I)you would return it."
OR
"No, (I)you would keep it."

Or maybe you meant,
"no, (I)you would leave it on the ground and walk away without a second thought."

[rick7]

i hate thieves