Lucas County trespassers

bthompson1004 · Dec 9, 2013

I haven't even had my 2 trail cameras out for 24hours yet and one got stolen yesterday afternoon.

The worst part is I had them in front of me and let them leave after telling me they won't be back.

I did as much as trespasser patrol this week as I could possibly do...yesterday drove by and saw a vehicle parked on the property...saw the kids running back to the car and as I drove up on their vehicle they were trying to turnaround to get out of dodge...I stopped them and asked them why they here when they don't have permission to be here...they gave me all the BS in the book but said they won't be back...they left, I went to check my cams and found out the one was missing...

1st mistake...letting them go
2nd mistake...NOT taking a pic of license plate and sending it to landowner

luckily, the one camera was the only thing stolen, but I did go back and pull my 2nd camera and removed my leverage climbing sticks from under my stand.

This could be a great place to hunt deer as there are many deep cut trails, buck rubs and lots of bedding areas...I haven't seen a deer all week out there and now I know why...this property just changed ownership over the summer and sat vacant and unused for who knows how many years...I figured I was going to deal with trespasser issues because of this....but now I just feel like quitting.

I'm at the point of feeling like a burden to the landowner if I say anything, but I think something needs to be done...gate at the entrance, signs? something?

What should I do guys?

Stolen: Wildgame innovations IR5, black w/2GB SD Card and dollar general batteries
3 kids, driving a black Ford Escape SUV, around mid to late teens.

Thanks for reading and any suggestions are most helpful, especially about handling this with the landowner.

cotty16 · Dec 9, 2013

It feels like a kick in the nuts, doesn't it? I've been there man.

If the landowner is like most, I think he will want to know. As far as a gate, maybe make a suggestion about it and offer to pay for it and put it in.

On the one property I hunt, the very first year I bought all the signs and marked off the property. The landowner was thrilled. I also always offer to help around the place (he never takes me up on it) and I send him a thank you card with a gift card for a restaurant in it after every season. Just some ideas for ya.

bowhunter1023 · Dec 9, 2013

I'd drive the immediate area looking for the car and then I'd have a talk with them. Most likely, there is not much you can do but hope for the best...

Big_Holla · Dec 9, 2013

Man that sure sucks. Good information for a reminder to us to go ahead and take pics, write plate numbers down, etc.. I'd say you will want to let the landowner know, that way he understands what he is up against. Offering to put a gate in and post the land may go a long ways with your relationship with him.

Outdoorsfellar · Dec 9, 2013

Little bastards are just that.

brock ratcliff · Dec 9, 2013

Posted signs caused MORE tresspassing for me. The best thing I've found is parking where my truck is visible, and being there often. That isn't a guarantee that idiots won't show up. Heck, the landowner saw a guy shoot one from the road on opening day of shotgun season! Some people have more balls than I can imagine, likely because they know there isn't much chance of prosecution. Good luck, tresspassers are an unfortunate variable.

finelyshedded · Dec 9, 2013

Dang! This kinda of stuff just raises my blood pressure! Sorry to hear this man! Hope you get to the bottom of it and catch the P'sOS!

oakswamper · Dec 9, 2013

I've had the same problem on our land. I will keep an eye out for the suv, I'm gonna start putting my yote and fox traps out this week

bthompson1004 · Dec 9, 2013

oakswamper said:
I've had the same problem on our land. I will keep an eye out for the suv, I'm gonna start putting my yote and fox traps out this week

Sorry to hear you're going through the same thing...appreciate the looking out.

Hoytmania · Dec 9, 2013

So sorry to hear about this. Thievary really pisses me off. Hope you fund them and give them what for.

Milo · Dec 9, 2013

The best thing you can do is have a talk with the owner and make sure he is willing to press charges. If they don't have the nads to do it I would not waste your time. I'm dealing with this for 3 years now.

oakswamper · Dec 9, 2013

The more I think about it, seems like they might have watched you walk in.(since it was less than 24 hrs) You might want to check for the suv close by

GoetsTalon · Dec 9, 2013

I will keep a look out over this way at some of the public hunting places like metzgers and if i see anything i will get the plate for ya. Couple cameras got riped over here but one guy got his back.

bthompson1004 · Dec 10, 2013

oakswamper said:
The more I think about it, seems like they might have watched you walk in.(since it was less than 24 hrs) You might want to check for the suv close by

I didn't even think about that, they could have tried to get in there while I was there hanging my stand on saturday, could have even seen me on sunday while I was parked out there just watching for deer movement...

I'm pretty sure when I saw them they had just gotten there, maybe they meant to push the woods, but saw my camera and just stole it and tried to get out of dodge...they didn't make it far enough in to the brush to see my stand and other camera, which I am thankful for.

They did tell me they lived on the road on the othere side and that they came over to push any deer out of my area into their own...sounded like they were somewhat instructed to do so...

GoetsTalon, sorry to hear this is going on in your area too...also, appreciate the extra help

This is an older model Ford Escape SUV, black, with tinted windows...I will try to find a picture of it online and post it.

thanks for all the great suggestions and helpful info guys...if anyone else has experience in this similar situation, I would love to hear any success stories! Thanks again TOO!

Hortontoter · Dec 10, 2013

I never could understand someone taking what don't belong to them. I stole one thing in my life. It was 30 cents, a little girls lunch money when I was in first grade. Couldn't resist those three shiney dimes in the inkwell on her desk. Watching her cry in the lunch line about killed me. I confessed, gave the money to my teacher and knew I'd never steal another thing in my life. Never have and never will. Too bad others didn't learn the lesson I did.

MK111 · Dec 14, 2013

The trespassing is everywhere. I use a cable lock on my camera. Putting a lock on my hunting tower door since I've been told the neighborhood 2 kids are wondering around all over.

"J" · Dec 14, 2013

MK111 said:
The trespassing is everywhere. I use a cable lock on my camera. Putting a lock on my hunting tower door since I've been told the neighborhood 2 kids are wondering around all over.

Sad that you have too do it but if you don't you're just in inviting problems.....

Big_Holla · Dec 14, 2013

MK111 said:
The trespassing is everywhere. I use a cable lock on my camera. Putting a lock on my hunting tower door since I've been told the neighborhood 2 kids are wondering around all over.

We had that going on for a while, mostly during the summer so we now have pad locks on all of our hunting shacks, blockers on our treestands and everything gets a lock. Planning to start hanging cameras high this next summer and deer season too. Just so tired of people wanting to see if the grass is greener instead of doing their own homework on their own property or land they can hunt.

bthompson1004 · Dec 15, 2013

This is not the thread that i wanted to update after being able to hunt this morning...pulled onto the property only to find tire tracks all around the woods i hunt...i wS so pissed...thought it was going to be a great morning to sit and then i found that...i didn't travel the whole property to see if there were any gutpiles anywhere but i have to say that the tracks are right on the perimeter of all the standing timber and vegetation...and the tracks weren't covered over in snow so i didn't miss whoever it was by much time at all...was someone out there spotlighting? Possibly i guess...where i walked there were no other foot prints.

I called the landowner and told him about it and he wants to install a camera immediately...i asked him if he had any signs and offered to put them up for him and he said "sure"....thanks guys for the suggestion, it worked, and i picked the signs up today. We got the ball rolling on trying to keep these fuggin' idiots the hell off his property...sure does make it hard to hunt when trespassers are scareing the deer out of there

Milo · Dec 15, 2013

Makes it even harder for honest folks who are left in these peoples wake of landowners abuses. Sad reality that hunters make a bad name for themselves so easily and with little regard for others

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