Author Topic: Grrrrrrrrr......Trail Camera Stolen (Read 5084 times)

Land_Owner · « **on:** October 04, 2008, 04:42:13 PM »

That's $500.00 down the drain...new Recon Talon IR w/Flash Card.

Etched into the bottom of the plastic case by soldiering iron is the following:

THIS CAMERA STOLEN FROM RICHARD YOUNG 800-225-7201
along with my SSN.

Hardened steel lock hacksawed off of "anti-theft" device.

No bucks, no does, no pics, just POACHERS. What a CRAPPY way to start ANOTHER hunting season.

As Gilda Raddner used to say to Jane Curtin on Saturday Night Live:

"It's always something."

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #1 on:** October 05, 2008, 04:49:28 AM »

That sucks. Was it on your property? I'd spend vacation time to catch them.

Graybeard · « **Reply #2 on:** October 05, 2008, 05:22:01 AM »

Sadly it's a sign of the times. You can depend on the fact it's gonna be stolen if you leave it out where someone can find it. Doesn't matter what "it" is it's gonna be stolen. Not smart to put that SSAN on there along with all your other id info. Whoever stole it now has about all they need to steal your identity as well now. Losing the camera maybe just the beginning of your problems from this theft.

GregP42 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 05, 2008, 12:22:19 PM »

LO,

They haven't got my trail cam yet on the farm I hunt, but they stole the bush hog, the flail mower, all the copper out of the house and stripped the metal hut of all it outer skin.... and the neighbor never saw it.... yea right... They cut down the tree that the chain closing the road was wrapped around because they couldn't cut the locks. The world is going down the tubes.

Greg

bilmac · « **Reply #4 on:** October 05, 2008, 12:50:09 PM »

Years ago these cameras were only available for LE or wildlife management survailance. A salesmen showed me how they camoflaged their cameras. What they did was to make a case around it from expanding foam. As the foam was hardening, they covered it with materials in the local environment, in our case rock and dirt. In the forest maybe sticks and leaves. The only thing left showing was the lens. This had another advantage of masking any noise the camera made.

Land_Owner · « **Reply #5 on:** October 06, 2008, 04:06:13 AM »

I should take a photo of the location of my secutiry device as mounted in the tree. It is in the palm of an oak tree where the first five distinct limbs diverge into the branches of the tree and about 8 feet off of the ground. It was cloaked in Spanish Moss, which is ever present in the south and on that tree. It was not easy to spot. They used a piece of extension ladder to get to it and left that at the site. So I have a couple of options, watch the camera security device AND watch the piece of extension ladder. One or the other may give me a decent result. Another guy said to to be creative and cut an old stump in half with a chain saw, gouge out the innards, mount a camera, cut a viewing and IR hole, then set it where it will watch the roads and trails in and out. Not a bad idea at all.

Graybeard · « **Reply #6 on:** October 06, 2008, 11:37:48 AM »

Did the police attempt to get finger prints from the case left behind and the ladder? I'd bet some were left and might help in identifying the theives.

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #7 on:** October 06, 2008, 02:10:21 PM »

I don't know that they take them. I had an apartment broken into once and when I asked the officer if he was going to dust for fingerprints he told me I watched too much television.

I do hope you find out who did this.

Land_Owner · « **Reply #8 on:** October 06, 2008, 05:31:25 PM »

GB...as in the "Wildlife" Forum on GBO, the Sheriff said the surfaces would be nearly impossible to get a set of prints from, it had rained hard that morning, and he wouldn't dust for prints over 3 days old. My "best" recollection was it had been stolen approximately a week ago - maybe, too hard to tell for sure.

Some food for thought though...the thief(s) hacksawed the lock off, which took quite a while from the scuff marks, disassembled the leveling adjustment nuts and bolts, disassembled the cross bars holding the camera in place, and REASSEMBLED THE BARS, WASHERS AND NUTS prior to closing the security box. What REAL thief takes the time to reassemble the "workings" after they have the prize? That to me is kids AND someone that feels VERY COMFORTABLE on my land to take their time that way.

Thoughts?

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #9 on:** October 07, 2008, 04:11:52 AM »

I would guess kids also. They were probably hoping that by reassembling the unit you wouldn't notice it for a while. "comfortable" also points to kids to me, local kids, as they have been there before and know noones going to walk up on them.

cbshunter · « **Reply #10 on:** October 16, 2008, 06:16:32 AM »

Those guys are crazy. Why would someone mess with people with a rifle or bow in hand? Maybe you can install two trail cams with one hidden somewhere looking at another one. So you can capture the perpetrator on camera

tjbailey1967 · « **Reply #11 on:** October 16, 2008, 11:06:56 AM »

i had my cam stolen in west texas. what i did is built a angle iron box around the cam with a good pad lock,
welded the box to a piece of 2 7/8 drill stem and concrete stem 2' in the ground.
they can still get it if they want but they are gonna work for it.

tjbailey1967 · « **Reply #12 on:** October 16, 2008, 11:11:41 AM »

ps.. i also encased the lock in some pipe so when locked the only thing exposed is the bottom "key hole" of the lock.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #13 on:** October 16, 2008, 11:27:32 AM »

Don't look at this as a loss. It's an oppertunity to mate a 50,000 volt stun gun to a camera with a remote disarm feature that you can sell to the camera people or to others with cameras and make million$.

Land_Owner · « **Reply #14 on:** October 17, 2008, 05:03:48 AM »

What we need is miniturized auto-enunciating GPS technology that can be inextricably embeded into the guts of Trail Cameras. When fired up the technology tells you where it is. Like "Low Jack". You check in from time to time (every day?) to see that it is where it is supposed to be. If it isn't, you call LEO and immediately go to take a look.

A few cameras are "stolen" by bears and other wildlife, but don't leave the intended location by more than 100-200 yards from their previous locations. The rest are truly stolen. Most are recoverable.

When really stolen, the LEO could go straight to the equipment and potentially the thief(s). Making the thief(s) the target is a good thing.

We're a "captive audience" awaiting some technology "breakthrough" that would spell millions for the inventer/marketer.

BRING IT ON! We're waiting.

Graybeard · « **Reply #15 on:** October 17, 2008, 11:23:19 AM »

Be careful, BE REALLY CAREFUL what you wish for.

The technology is out there and coming to a town near you a LOT sooner than you think. But the problem is it is far more pervasive and invasive than you suspect. Let's assume for a moment it is put into all items you buy (a tecnological possibility today) then the "powers that be" begin tracking your every move and listing in on every thing you say and do. Is that REALLY what you want?

It's not what I want but get ready for it as it's heading your way and fast.

Land_Owner · « **Reply #16 on:** October 17, 2008, 11:28:21 AM »

Quote from: Graybeard

get ready for it as it's heading your way and fast.

If true, do you or I really have any "place to hide"? Not that we have anyone or anything to hide from...

Graybeard · « **Reply #17 on:** October 17, 2008, 11:46:48 AM »

Sadly nope.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #18 on:** October 17, 2008, 12:06:05 PM »

I still like the idea of hooking up a cattle prod to the chain and being able to have the police arrest the people that are knocked out and lying next to your camera with cutting tools.
I say cattle prod or stun gun only because a Claymore mine would ruin the camera.

Bigeasy · « **Reply #19 on:** November 05, 2008, 07:32:09 AM »

Hey landowner

CBSHunter had a good idea - Mount an old, broken trail cam in an obvious place, in clear view. Mount a hidden, functioning unit in a spot were it can observe the obvious one. You might get lucky and get a good look at the thieves. If they are locals, you might recognize them......

Larry

teddy12b · « **Reply #20 on:** November 05, 2008, 07:41:41 AM »

Quote from: Bigeasy on November 05, 2008, 07:32:09 AM

Hey landowner

CBSHunter had a good idea - Mount an old, broken trail cam in an obvious place, in clear view. Mount a hidden, functioning unit in a spot were it can observe the obvious one. You might get lucky and get a good look at the thieves. If they are locals, you might recognize them......

Larry

I don't think it'd be too difficult to set the theives up, if they're dumb enough to try and do the same thing again. Could you tell what direction they came from or left to? I have a camera up with my first name carved into the cover and camera so at least they have to scratch that off before they show their buddies. I definately wouldn't make a habbit of putting your SSN on that kind of thing.

d_hiker · « **Reply #21 on:** November 06, 2008, 09:56:22 AM »

I have been trying to find an article that I read about a stolen trail camera. It happened to be one of the wireless types that used maybe a cell phone connection to transmit photos when they were taken. The camera took a picture of the thief and sent it when the camera was stolen. The camera happened to belong to a Game Manager that was doing a population study. They caught the thief and recovered the camera.

Looking at a few of the new cameras, I see that they have a security code so if they are stolen, they can't be used. I doubt the crook is going to bring it back when he finds out he can't use it.

BirdHunter94 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 29, 2008, 02:59:42 PM »

Quote from: GRIMJIM on October 06, 2008, 02:10:21 PM

I don't know that they take them. I had an apartment broken into once and when I asked the officer if he was going to dust for fingerprints he told me I watched too much television.

I do hope you find out who did this.

My house was broken into in November of 07 and when the cops got here they said that there were too many fingerprints to do it. they probally just wanted to go to dunkin' donuts. they stole all of my stuff.

BirdHunter94 · « **Reply #23 on:** December 29, 2008, 03:02:42 PM »

here. for only 50 bucks you can get a security box. although it has gotten bad reviews. good idea though.!!!

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0057147418474a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all_NYR&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Products&QueryText=trail+camera&sort=all&Go.y=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&Ne=46&nyr=1&N=48&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form23&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

trotterlg · « **Reply #24 on:** December 29, 2008, 06:29:39 PM »

Now that they have your name and SSN you will have to watch your credit and charge cards for the rest of your life. I just use an old one that uses film, it works and wouldn't stress me out if it goes missing. Larry

deerhuntertyler · « **Reply #25 on:** July 29, 2009, 07:22:21 AM »

I hide my trail cams inside of the big wood duck houses that are so common around here. the lense and IR deal fit in the door hole our what ever. never had a problem

SteveFinMD · « **Reply #26 on:** August 25, 2010, 01:47:02 PM »

I would be very reluctant to put my name, AND SSN, on anything that might get stolen. You could be setting yourself up for identity theft.