This is Ad Crable, an outdoors writer for LNP in Lancaster. I will be writing in next few days a story about the all-too-common, it seems, cases of hunters having their field cameras stolen. I know I have and it seems a majority of the hunters I know have had it happen to them at some point as well. I'm looking for feedback from hunters who have had it happen to them. How did you feel? Why is it so prevalent among a group that likes to think they have kinship with one another? Has anyone ever gotten their cameras back? How? I will be featuring two hunters who got images of the thieves from other cameras that were not stolen. They put the photos out on Facebook pages and had people identify the culprits. I'd need any feedback by Tuesday. Thanks in advance. If anyone wants to talk by phone, I can be reached on my cell at 717-341-7270.
I believe you came to the right website to grt your information. I believe this has been discussed several times on here. hope you get the information you are looking for
I believe they had a picture of people not thieves if the camera where not stolen.
The part is the only camera I ever had stolen was by non-hunter, most think things get taken by hunters or destroyed by hunters. The truth is it’s by fractions that want to harass hunters from hunting.
YES - I have recovered a stolen trail camera...for someone else, much like the guys you are featuring.
Crazy enough, it happened on an Air Force base, and I got pictures of the thief - an Air Force civilian worker, no less - stealing a fellow hunter's trail camera while said thief *was on the job.* Little did he know that me an the victim had set out cameras up in very close proximity in order to share intel. The thief never saw my camera, and I got CLEAR photos of his face and actions. I even got the AF control number from the hood of the tractor he was riding in the pics.
I turned the pics over to the base wildlife manager who then turned them over to the civilian manager. We had that camera back within 24 hours after the guy was presumably confronted with the evidence. If I can find the old pics, I'll post them.
I had trouble with folks reading my cards, deleting them, and putting them back into the camera. Once I figured out what was going on, I replaced my camera with a junk camera. I took a picture of a 8x10 piece of paper, on which I printed “ keep you #$@&*##@ hands off my camera “, and put that card with the lone pic into the junk camera. I then climbed a nearby tree and hung a good camera looking at the junk one. I got a couple pics of a stranger pulling the card on the junk camera, then taking off, leaving the card on the ground near the camera.
People are turds. It goes beyond personal competition in the field when you handle and degrade someone else’s belongings. I hope you get to see that clown in person some day.
I sure will. It will be on Sunday. Both victims found out who stole their cameras, thanks to social media and sportsmen's groups. One has gotten the cameras back from the guy (a hunter) and is still deciding whether to prosecute. The other guy, who was not a hunter, was wanted on other warrants and has skipped town as state police tried to talk to him.
SERIOUSLY ??? deciding to prosecute....if he doesnt prosecute the guy will keep stealing. if he doesnt prosecute he deserves to have his stuff stolen again and no one should help him find it.
Some but not all of the cameras were stolen. Both victims, with help from social media have found the thieves. One returned the cameras when confronted and the other is on the run from state police.
Yup. A guy willing to steal gets a second shot, and now he's nothing more than an educated criminal. Next time, he'll be sure to do a more thorough sweep and likely steal a few more cameras before departing the woods.
I talked with my local game warden in MO about helping me if I caught a poacher on my place. His #1 point of emphasis was that he would but, to please not waste his time if I wasn't going to prosecute whoever he caught. Seems a lot of folks want poachers caught...until they find out it's a neighbor or their neighbor's kid. Suddenly, they get cold feet and he's wasted a ton of time and resources catching them.
Yup. A guy willing to steal gets a second shot, and now he's nothing more than an educated criminal. Next time, he'll be sure to do a more thorough sweep and likely steal a fee more cameras before departing the woods.
Unfortunately, I have never had a stolen camera returned. I had 2 stolen last year off a private property lease adjacent to a state forest. I had the camera's in metal boxes lag bolted into the tree with a lock on them. I found the locks busted off and the metal boxes bent up and the camera's stolen. I kinda have an idea who it was but can't prove it. I had pictures from the week before (bear season) of a guy from a neighboring cabin looking them over. I came back the next week to change out the cards and they were gone.
I had problems in year's past with people taking cards or bears messing with them while they were strapped to a tree but this is the first time in 3 years since I went to the metal box that I had a problem. Sadly, at this point I kinda consider it a cost of my hunting budget to lose a couple camera's a year.
if they keep getting stolen i would consider some kind of soft booby trap...maybe pack the insides with dog turds
i use to suggest booby trapping it with a razor blade or two but all that did was turn into an argument. some said i could be prosecuted by the criminal, i said the criminal would have to prove i was the one who did it.
anybody coming across a camera can booby trap, it doesnt have to be the owner. it could be done by an anti hunter.
Intriguing read. Thanks for following up. It's only a matter of time before that guy who stole the cameras from Mr. Clare turns up doing something stupid elsewhere. Good on the people who came to aid the victim after he got those leaflets out.
I should add: the sorrowful song sung by the guy who lived in the apartment complex is even more infuriating the more you think about it. He "got scared" because he clearly knew that he was already trespassing on posted, private land...so his response was now to steal trail cameras in addition to trespassing to cover up his infraction. Amazing. It can't be overstated that this guy needs to be prosecuted as quickly as possible. I don't believe for one minute that he's not at least a serious suspect in stealing those cameras the previous couple of times.
Some people just feel entitled, most likely they steal, even if they have not been stolen from. Heard a guy talk about how he was going to shoot two deer one year, because he did not get one the year before, this was when you could only shoot one a year. Thieves follow no rules, but their own. I remember when I was a young kid, how bad it was to have your traps stolen, but once I did get my traps back.
I was gonna say the same. I'm pretty sure he was ribbing folks.
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