I hate Thieves!

[Squirrel Bait]

Went in this afternoon to hunt, got to my tree, only thing left was my strap that I hook-in with 20 ft. up the tree. This is private property-archery only. There has been a guy slipping in there  gun-hunting for a couple years, he had a climber in a tree line that I found. I did not steal his stand but I did contact the game wardens, took them in there to show them. He took his tree stand out, then on Dec. 1 , he came walking through right under me, I told him he was not supposed to be there. He said he was lost, so I pointed him in the right direction. Now my Rapid Rails and 3 strap-ons are gone. I GUESS YOU KNOW " THIS MEANS WAR!!!"  

[Sharpster]

Sorry to hear that. I've had more stands stolen over the years than I like to recall. That realy stinks.

I've been reading a lot of threads lately where guys are catching thieves in the act on trail cameras. It's worth a try because not only do you get the guy for trespassing, you can prosecute him for the theft.

Try to have a Merry Christmas in spite of this.

-Ron

[1/4 away]

Mike, I know exactly how you feel. I had a Chippewa Wedge-Loc stolen last year. The thief came back with a pair of bolt cutters and stole my stand and 3 Lone Wolf climbing sticks. All of which were chained and locked to the tree. He did leave me the three cut locks. Being a retired detective I processed the locks for prints  but unfortunately it was December so he probably had gloves on. I look for that stand every time I hunt that patch of woods. I have identifying info scratched into it discreately.

[Ray Hammond]

Mike,

always take your bottom two rails out with you when you leave- he will have to work really hard if he wants to get it then.

[doug77]

I had my first ever stand stolen this year went their 1 hour before light only to find the stand missing. I was P. O. But the next day i got the biggest whitetail in my 34 years of hunting.


doug77

[Cherokee Scout]

I have had 4 stands stolen!

[Bowferd]

Haven't had any stolen yet, but still remember what my Dear Old Daddy tried to teach me about liars, cheats, and thieves. A good old scatter gun might do the trick.

[JC]

Mike, Pap-paw used ta say "One way or t'other, ever feller eventually gets what he deserves."

Sorry you can't make it tomorrow...but we'll see you at the club 1st weekend in Jan. I got a package fer ya....

[ethan]

That sucks!!  Maybe he'll get caught in the act one day and somebody will throttle his head!!

[heartshoth]

it does suck no doubt...but don't discount that many anti hunters have gone to stealing stands to start this kind of dialogue among hunters...beware...but it still really sucks

heartshot

[knot klipper]

I lost a ground blind this year during muzzleloading season up here in NY.  My mother, who passed away last year bought it for me. Very disgusted with the locals around my hunting land. It's Private land with jerks poaching along the edges of it with assault type semi-auto rifles during the single shot ML season.  Called the DEC but they said unless they catch them in the act, there is nothing they can do. H I loath slob hunters.  Seems like there are lots of them around me.  Especially if they hear that a record book buck was taken on your land or nearby.  Brings out all the slobs with the illegal hunting firearms.

[blueslfb]

I feel your pain bro.  I have had my share of problems hunting both State and private land.  I have resorted to using a climber most of the time.  It goes in with me and comes out at the end of the hunt.  Its a shame that a few ruin it for the many.  As others have stated, what comes around goes around and that person will pay the piper some day.  Look at it this way, you get to bye a new stand, bigger and better than the one stolen.

[Curveman]

The price he pays is he has to be him-a genuine bottom-feeder who has no soul or conscience-his own private demons are workin' on him!!!

[Izzy]

Look on the bright side.Now you have a quarry with no closed season.Thief hunting is tremendous fun.Good luck.

[Jeff U]

That is a bummer and you have every right to be upset.  

But, let's see:
You have a bow, he has a gun...

Assuming it is the same guy, he's already shown a willingness to break the law.  (trespassing)  You now believe he has gone a step further to stealing.  If you're right, he's probably done it for revenge that you got the wardens on him.  So emotions are high.

"War" probably not a good idea and could get dangerous.  

People can do crazy things.  Remember the Wisconsin situation, a few years ago, where a number of people were shot and killed by a gun hunter trespassing and using their stands on private property.

[bunyan]

I would never wish this on any law abiding sportsman, but on any slob who has no respect for someone elses' property?  I hope the SOB pulls a humpty dunpty and has a big fall.  That's Kharma!

[Dick4bows]

I had a double bull blind trashed on my property by someone that didn't know how to take it down.  Broke two of the poles and just left it in a tangle.   People don't seem to know right from wrong anymore.

                             Dick

[laddy]

This year I had two pair of scratched up sunglasses stolen from my van.  They did not want my lunch, my stools or tree seats or my my backup bow.  The time before they tried to get my backup bow, I missed with an HTM at 70 yards, just, and hit my van.  I blame it on the cross wind.  I would have used a broadhead, but I was afraid I'd hit my bow.  The idiot thought it was a warning shot and surrendered, he paid me for the dent and then some to keep me from shooting the next arrow or turning him in.  Seemed funny at the time, but if he would have been armed, the next arrow was a broadhead.

[Aeronut]

A coworker found one of my tree stands sitting on the ground while he was squirrel hunting (company land) and took it to the shop.  Someone had stolen the 3 section ladder and hadn't gotten back to get the stand.

I hope to someday come across the ladder sections because they are very uniquely made by me and very identifiable.

Dennis

[Wudstix]

Hunt a Military Reservation so things are fairly secure, but they do walk on occassion.  I have found the more work it is to get in and out of a spot the less likely you are to loose stuff.
Had my F-150 opeened and lost @$4,800 of hunting stuff.  TS III Longbow, Martin Hatfield recurve, day pack with German optice, knives, wool camo, etc...  The one thing I'm most upset about is the Soligen steel, stag horn handled knife that was my great-great grandfathers. @200 years old.
You can omly hope that people like this rip off the wrong person and get what they have coming, plus a little extra....