Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Firewood theft

[quote=12344mag]Good man Roundoak!

Maybe take him and his kids under your wing and soon enough you will find out if the story is true or not....If true you just might have found a friend that will have your back anytime.

Thats worth a couple of truck loads of wood anyday. [/quote Absolutely, my thoughts exactly.

I live on an Indian Reserve---there ain't no such a thing as stealing firewood this time of year.

Please keep us updated if his story is true.

Good man, Round Oak.

yes, if his story is true i am sure we'd come up with some cash and clothes and such to help. anyone who served, i already owe anyway.

If it checks out please let me know. Let him "work it off" but I'll send you a check for you to give him to cover both loads

yup. and i will buy a gift card for walmart or wherever's close to cover food and clothes for the kids.

He was afraid you would say no and he must have needed it bad . At least he was honest and made it right

i had it happen with a gas can i left on my porch. guy came over and apologized and said he needed it to finish his yard. probably a gallon of gas or so. i started to get mad and then i saw my yard was cut. he said he thought the least he could do was cut my yard. i told him he could steal all the damn gas he wanted from me if he was cutting my yard too lol

Whew.... I've been mulling this one over for a bit. Tough call. I figure you're 50/50 on either getting ripped a new one or making a difference in a young man's life. I believe you've handled yourself & the situation very well to this point while still covering your bases. I honestly hope that I would handle it as well. Good on you sir & I hope all works out well for both of you.

Sounds like a fellow that would do well in a rural community...given a few breaks and a bit of unobtrussive networking.

This story sounds like a load of crap, not firewood.

roundoak - please follow-up on this if you will - advise how the whole thing comes out.

Play it slow and find out for sure. I'm not buying this.

My take.

#1. He shouldn't have taken the wood without asking.
#2. He did, for what ever reasons, take it without asking but left a note stating his intent to pay. Why he was taking it at night remains to be seen. Perhaps it was the only time he wasn't looking for work.
#3. He returned, as per his promise, to work off the debt.
#4. while this method certainly isn't the preferred method of obtaining cut and stacked firewood, he's a 1 in a million who would actually do this.

Here's what I would do (and I don't allow anyone to traipse around on our place). If his story checks out, which it likely will, I'd tell him that he needed to cut, split and stack 4 times the amount he took. When He finished I'd tell him to load 1/4 of what he just stacked in his truck and that when he needed wood all he needed to do was show up and cut, split and stack 3 times as much as he needed and take the 1/3. That way he has an honorable way to get wood and you get work done.

This fella will get back on his feet some day and He's gong to make a good acquaintance and possibly a good friend. He does need to know though, that what he can obtain for the asking, he will be prosecuted for as well if he doesn't. I have a feeling, if your description is accurate, that he knows better. Perhaps he had reasons that seemed good to him at the time. Desperation does strange things to men.

Alan

Well Roundoak I think you handled it just right, don't believe he would of come back just to bullshit you and not show up for the work he promised. Yup would have been better if he asked first for a work for wood trade etc. Desperate times and they will get worse. Best a luck on the morrow. Magnum man

I think you handled it well Roundoak.

Possibly the kids were asleep or he had managed to get child care for a while.

I believe you handled it just like I would have guessed you would. Let him work what he think he owes you. You might even babysit his kids while he works.

Then let us know what he needs. I am anything but wealthy but my kids are raised and I have yet to miss a meal. I would gladly give what I can to a Vet in need and an honest man.

Sounds legit to me. Why would a chitbag leave a note AND come back to work as promised? Sounds like an honorable man in a big pinch!

Count me in too!