I've had a few days to settle down and think through our latest elk hunt "experience". Thought I'd post the short version and offer a few lessons learned.

Three of us headed out from Knoxville for our MT elk hunt on Tuesday at ~ 10:30. Drove till ~ 12:00 or a little after, I may have been napping when we arrived, pulled into a nice new looking Comfort Suites on the outskirts of Kansas City, MO. Promptly hit the sack in anticipation of hitting the road early and making it to Montana on Wednesday. Woke up at 5:30 or so, grabbed a shower and headed to the lobby to talk to the wife. About 10 minutes into our conversation, I see one of our crew frantically waiving his arms at the end of the hallway, urgently wanting me to follow. He was saying something I couldn't quite make out but I knew it involved the truck. He had walked out to the truck to find it ..............GONE. No broken glass, no evidence, no nothing, just gone. With all of our gear inside. We literally had our wallets/cell phones and a small bag with a change of clothes.

The next 30 minutes simply pisses me off but thats the way it goes. Seems the police were in shift change and weren't in any hurry to send someone out. A guy shows up about 30-40 minutes later. In the mean time, one of our guys is a LEO and had his ipad under the seat of the truck and had a location 9 miles away. We frantically called 911 to tell them we knew where at least the ipad was and with any luck the truck. About 45 minutes later we hired an Uber driver to take us to the ipdad location.............. All we found was the ipad but the principle still rubs me the wrong way. I was less than polite with the 911 guy after the 4th call. In discussing their lack of urgency, I not so impolitely asked him how many extra guns they wanted on the street that day. I get it that no one was 'available' and there were bigger fish to fry but 9 miles away with a known location? Seems worth a look to me.

We spent the next couple hours talking to police, hotel folks, and making a game plan. The details are for another day and beer.

Lessons:

1) I found out my homeowners policy only covers $3000 TOTAL of all my guns either in my house or elsewhere. I lost 2 Kimber Montanas with Luep VX-3 and a Ruger SS Bisley. I'll be out $500-1000 on that little piece of oversight. My insurance company and I have had that discussion in the last few days. I know for a fact, I asked that question when we signed with them - because I always do. I understood we had $10k for guns. I've owned more than $3k in guns since I was 25. Lesson: Check with your insurance company and get the additional coverage. It requires a rider.

2) Keep a record of your guns with pics and serial numbers. I failed to do this over the last year or 2. I have this info for the past 20 years but did not update in the last 2 years. Guess how old my Montanas and Ruger are......... I have the serial numbers which will be sufficient but wish I had pics.

3) Make a detailed/itemized list of everything you're taking on your trip. I have this right down to the amount of toilet paper. I made an Excel spreadsheet of all my gear so all I need to do is assemble the gear on the list and I'm ready to go. Keep it updated.

Before anyone asks - we locked the truck, parked within sight of the front door, under a lamp in a well lit parking lot, in a common parking lot between a Holiday Inn Express and Comfort Suites. We've done this for 20 years without incident. For the record, on more than 1 occasion, I've had hotel staff tell me to lock the guns inside the vehicle and not bring them inside. I don't really need any lectures - unless you live close to Knoxville and we can discuss in person.

They did recover the truck yesterday, nothing inside. They also have the guy - a crack head. My buddy is off to retrieve his truck. The other 2 guys are campfire members and may chime in on other lessons we have to pass along.

The thing that pisses me off the most is not the missing stuff, after all its only stuff (BTW: replacement value on my list is currently at $12,690.48 using lowest prices I can find), but the fact that I can't go elk hunting this year. I look forward to elk hunting every year; it is the highlight of my year. We planned this hunt for 12 months. I have 100's hours of phone calls, map/Google review, planning. Plus I literally had 90+% of all my backpacking and hunting stuff in that truck. I literally don't have a pair of boots to hunt in. I have 2 viable guns in the safe - one with no scope, the other is a 257 Robts. I'm starting from scratch - years of gear, refinements, tweaks - gone because of 1 crackhead.

Take care, be smart, inventory your stuff, and check with your insurance company on your guns.

Man that sucks. I'm a couple of hours south of you. You're welcome to come down and pick out a rifle. Put it to use until you get your stuff lined out.

Dang, seriously sorry to hear this... It sounds like you did everything right to keep your stuff secure in my mind and nothing short of parking the truck in the motel room was going to stop the theft.

I feel your pain with missing the hunt.

If you need a Leupold scope to get ya by, I'd be glad ship one your way.

In the meantime, I'm gonna make sure I have serial numbers and updated pics of things around here and check with the insurance company.

This just sucks Bill... as you say, not because of the gear (replaceable) but because of missing this year's elk hunt (not replaceable).

I sure was looking forward to lunch with you guys... next year.

Dammit. I'm sorry. That's such a horror story. I don't know what else to say. I wish I could help. I'll take the lessons you paid dearly for, yet offer to us freely, to heart.

Sorry to hear this happened to you. I also go every year and look forward to the trip. Do you still have time to make the hunt or has that ship sailed? If there is time, I would go out and purchase what was needed and make that trip. It sounds like you're going to be reimbursed by your insurance carrier for most of those expenses. Glad your friend got his truck back.

These kinds of thefts are getting way too common in too many places. My guns and optics always come out of the rig.

Man that sucks.

We've done that a bunch of times in the past but have been told on several occasions the hotel wouldn't cover them and they had a no guns policy. I guarantee they didn't see the guns from peering inside - unless they had x-ray vision.

Guys - thanks for the offers and thoughts. I greatly appreciate it. In the big scheme of things, its only stuff. We are all home safe and insurance should cover most of it. Stuff can be replaced. Besides, this will be funny in about 38 years............. <G>

I have an extra Burris or two in the safe. Plus my Dad has 3-4 gun safes worth of guns. I'm good on the gun front. I also have some other clothes to wear. Boots not so much but for $300 I can get another pair of Meindl Perfekts on the way to the house. That will likely happen today along with my list of missing essential gear. Regardless of what the insurance company says, a guy needs boots, compass, GPS, etc.

The elk hunt ship has sailed unless a miracle happens in the next day or so. I'd jump in my truck in an hour if I knew all/most of my stuff was in KC. I considered simply driving to the KC Cabelas, re-stocking, and getting a rental vehicle. Even went as far as developing an essential list. The task was a bit daunting and it wasn't cheap. Plus if my other stuff showed up, I'd likely be out $4-5000 in extra stuff. I've always wanted to do a western spot/stalk spring bear hunt - maybe this is that opportunity!

The sobering thing is the actual amount of gear a guys accumulates, and quite frankly needs, to be able to do a self-guided backpack hunt. This really isn't any place to cut corners and buy cheap.

I'm sorry man, that sucks big time.

Sorry to hear this. F'ing crackheads.

PM incoming.

What a freaking mess! I can almost feel your frustration man. Take a deep breath and hope that they will nail that (those simbitches) to the cross. I have heard similar stories to this before including trucks with 4wheelers getting stolen on the way to an out of state hunt. I wonder if someone working in the hotel was some how involved? I wish there was someway I can help you out.

This pisses me off too Bill!!!! I'm very sorry for your loss. Hopefully those guys get whats coming to them...

Sorry to hear this ! I get so tired of crap like this ! A guy cant even go hunting without dirtbags stealing your stuff . Iv been there it sucks ! If I was a wealthy man we would drive to cabelas replace your gear and go elk hunting ! Best of luck !

Chris

I am sorry to hear about your situation. I really hate to hear that it may end your hunt. I would be glad to lend you gear if you are passing through. Unfortunately, I don't have backpacking equipment, so that may not be much help.

I gotta say - I love the guys on the Campfire. Seriously. I've had alot of offers over the past couple hours and I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of you. Thank you much!

Any of you come close to Knoxville, please let me know - I'd like to meet you and tell some lies. <G>

That really does suck. I almost exclusively use a travel trailer these days, with both pros and cons. If they steal the rig, they get everything (as they did to you). On the flip side, it's much harder to steal the rig when you are sleeping in it. I have always worried about my stuff in hotel/motel parking lots. Hopefully insurance comes through and you can rebuild your kit.

Man, bwinters, I am sorry to hear about that. That absolutely sucks.

First of all I'm sure sorry to hear about this - this is every hunters worst nightmare when doing an out of state hunt like yours. I sincerely hope there is some sort of happy ending to this story and they find some of your stuff intact. I know whenever I drive to Wyoming I always wonder & worry about this happening to me - never seem to sleep well in the motel for that reason.

Wish I lived closer and could help out- unfortunately I'm stock in Oregun so not hardly close by If you still do try to make your hunt, shoot me a PM with anything you might need, if its something I have I'd be more then happy to UPS it to you for your hunt if that would help.

Hey Bill

Really sorry to read about this. I learned a lot hunting out of the same camp as you last year and had a lot of fun. Good luck on your spring bear hunt if you go.

Very sorry to hear this.
I know most of us look forward to our elk hunt all year long.
You have always seemed to be a good guy who has paid your dues to acquire your elk hunting knowledge and skill.
I really hope that you can salvage a few days hunting on your tags, even though it probably won't be anything near as good as what you had planned.

I live in western Washington, where you don't leave a pencil in your car if you ever want to see it again.

But taking the whole damned truck? That's a new one.

I hope you guys recover your gear and get to hunt this year.


Okie John

I know why you waited to post this tragic theft in route to your elk hunt...you were likely a ranging lunatic with anger. I would have been.

Since the crack head was caught any chance of finding your guns and stuff?

I hate to hear this. I hope everything works out the best it can.

I think we all can imagine your pain. They stole an event from you that is truly important and irreplaceable. We spend a lot of nights in motels and this is a nightmare that could happen to anyone. Your gear is replaceable but I would bet that every item was chosen and tested to match your personal preference and is covered w/ fond memories.

I will usually pick a lesser motel at which I can park right in front of my door, not as nice or a complete solution but I can bring my guns inside. Good luck w/ your insurance co. Another victimless drug related crime. Now get you a big bear.


mike r

Since all the newer vehicles are supposed to be fairly theft proof I'm sure you have wondered and/or found out what exactly made the truck vulnerable. Any insight you can give on how the thieves managed to get in and drive off? Or was a wrecker or hauler involved?

Hey Brad! I haven't heard from you guys and wondering how you and Bob were making out. Drop me a PM to catch up.

shoot - I have no idea, except to say Ford F250 diesels seem to be a target in/around Kansas City for some reason.

Truly sorry about your experience, take comfort in knowing they are only things that can be replaced and that no one was hurt during all this.

Bill I'm so sorry to hear about this. One of my great fears when I head west, people are waiting and looking for rigs that have "the look". I had friends that stopped at a Wendy's on the way to Wyoming (in Kansas) one was a former LEO and he sat in a booth watching the van the were taking. Someone slipped in on the blind side and took all of their guns and most of the optics. There is no way you can be careful enough but on the last few runs I sleep in my truck even if others are with me and they stay in a motel. It's unhandy and uncomfortable but has worked so far.

Anyway, if you need a scope I have a Leupold 4.5-14x42 with a B&C reticle you can borrow until you get straightened out. I'll even ship it to you for free, just let me know. Sorry you lost your gear and your hunt, no comfort but it could have been so much worse. Glad you're ok, more hunts to come.

PM me for details if you need them. David

Thanks David. We canceled the hunt so don't have an immediate need. I'm chewing on options now. If I need a scope, I'll give you a ring. Thank you.

sorry to hear that - I live in Kansas City and there are some bad spots like in most big cities.

Hope things go smoother soon

Sad deal. I have a question for you about this. Was there anything about the truck that revealed you were hunters? Specifically, stickers like I see on the back windows, etc. My wife is a nut about not putting any kind of stickers on the rig that would indicate we're gun owners, hunters etc. She says it makes us a target. I agree, although I have no idea how a thief thinks so who knows?

There is a huge bunch of this stuff going on here now and in talking to folks that know the new stuff is probably easier to sell. One guy had his truck stolen and they had it on video... in and driving away in under 150 seconds. Centerpunch in the door lock, one hammer swing... Drill in the key slot, drop the guts, wiggle, and gone...

Oh man I know I'd be sick for weeks!

I try to stay at a hotel where the doors open to the outside and discretely take my guns inside. If it's a hotel with a central hallway, i'll bring them in through a side or door at the end of the hall. Outside entry isn't quite as safe but I block the door and always have a sidearm at hand.

When I pack I try to make sure nothing that is hunter orange is visible. When I'm through packing the vehicle I cover everything with a couple of dark blankets.

They don't even need to touch the truck, when you leave your vehicle and you activate the remote to lock it , there is a device the crooks have that traps the code, they turn around and unlock your vehicle 1 2 3. They have to be pretty close to the vehicle in order to do this .

I went to alabama a few years ago and the front desk told me no guns were allowed. I told him that I would not be checking in and wondered how they could do that in a hunter friendly state like Alabama . I found another hotel nearby that allowed guns. I take everything in the room with me everything.

That sucks like no story I have read since my buddy from Missoula had the same thing happen in BC while traveling to AK last month.

If you had planned on hunting near Bozeman, I have spares, duplicates, even triplicates, of anything an elk hunt would require. I would gladly arrange for them to be available for your use, even if I was on the road, in the event you intend to salvage your cherished elk hunt that a crackhead now ruined. I have rifles dialed in, ammo, packs, Sitka Gear, coolers, knives, game bags, etc.

PM if that is a possibility for you.

Wow. Hate to hear this.

Lesson(s) learned. Also, this isn't entirely preventable.Especially if travelling alone. You have to stop to use the toilet eventually. Could happen to anyone.

-Jake

bwinters-

That really sucks.

On one hand it is "just stuff". On the other is it a lost hunt with all the memories you would have had.

Sorry man. That sucks and is my worst nightmare. Truly sorry.

I think i will change my plan of busting up my ride up to Alabama and staying overnight in a hotel to a straight through trip to camp. I was going to leave late one afternoon and drive and get into camp late morning the next day but heck with that. I will be pulling my atv on an open trailer behind my pickup so I think I will be looking like a great target.

Sorry you were treated like this in our state. KC is a sheithole. I usually try and stay in small town hotels when traveling to hunt but it can happen there as well. No good answer on how to prevent this other than taking everything in your room which is a major pain if it is just one person let alone several.

That is what my buds and I have done for many years in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

We do not rent a motel in a large city but drive to an outlying town where we can rent rooms on the ground floor and where we can back our pickups with shell tops, almost into the front door of the room. We could not care less about "amenities," other than a clean room, a clean bed, and a clean bathroom. We have always brought our guns into the rooms. I'd not stay in a motel where I could not bring my guns into the room.

I have an aftermarket "kill" switch on my Ford F250 that prevents starting the engine, plus an accompanying lock that prevents the hood from being raised. My buddies have the same for their pickups.

Not perfect of course, but we have never had any problems at motels. With the rear of our pickups being about four feet from the room's door, someone trying to break in would bring an unpleasant response from me and my buddies.

Bwinters, mighty sorry to hear of your and your partners' losses. It is a shame your hunt was spoiled.

I hate thieves, by the way.

L.W.

Bwinters,

Tuesday is still doable.

What do you need? If you are headed to MT, and are coming from KC, I am sure we can hook you guys up. My elk hunt does not start until December, and I have a fair bit of extra gear. Nothing super fancy, just your basic Cabelas/Goretex type stuff. No worries on rifles either. They are sighted in and have more than a few elk to their credit. Really all a guy would need to do is buy some boots.

None. Tinted windows make it hard to even look inside.

Thanks Randy. We canned the hunt. Next year............

Sorry to hear about your loss, hope they catch the thieves. We stayed at a hotel coming back from Wyoming a couple weeks ago and something like this happening was very much on my mind.

That is the pits.. Sorry to hear this.. Unbelievable !!

Mackay - thank you for the offer. We decided to leave and can the hunt for the year.

You guys are fantastic. I'm humbled by all your graciousness. I hope to repay the favor some day. Give me a shout if you all ever come by this way. Beer on me,

Great advise right here! That's how we do it too.

Very sorry to hear about the loss of your gear and the ruined hunt. I know how difficult it would be to replace firearms and gear that have been accumulated over years and perhaps decades. Especially firearms that might have sentimental value.

This type of thing is becoming all too common. Unfortunately, the rotten scumbags are everywhere.

I agree with the precautions many mentioned above, especially the "kill switch" and hood locks mentioned by Leanwolf. Additionally, a steering wheel "Club" or other such device can also be a deterrent - I know they can be defeated relatively easily, but combined with the hood lock and kill switch they might be enough to persuade any would-be thief to move on.

There's a great bunch of fellas on this forum and the generosity offered by them is something we should all strive to emulate.

This is great to see all the graciousness of all you guys towards Bill. I am one of the other guys that was with Bill and also had all of my gear stolen. I can promise this is the last time it will happen to us....well at least not without a fight. I have thought a lot over the last couple days about the whole situation. I will be sleeping in the truck next year in the back seat. I am still plenty young enough to get by on not as much comfortable sleep. The Truck is plenty big enough and I can catch up on sleep while others are driving if need be. Probably will never happen to us again but if it does they will bust the window out or open the door to find themselves staring at the end of a glock. I do agree about the best scenario outside of sleeping in the truck is to stay at a hotel where you can back right up to the door and stay in smaller towns. Thanks again for all the kind words. Means so much to see how great people really are on the campfire.

I hope you guys have some better days ! Maybe some of you gear will show up somewhere . Best of luck to all of you !

wow. thats a shame.

I cant imagine. all the prep, planning, and anticipation that goes into an elk hunt.

just a shame. very sorry.

Sadly, this same similar scenario has taken place many times on Hwy 84 in Oregon.

Hunters coming out of the Portland area to hunt in NE Oregon would take a break at rest stops,
go into the restroom and come out to either find their vehicle gone or broken into and all their equipment stolen.
Multnomah Falls being one of the more popular stops for a rip off.

Predators are just waiting for hunters to show up during hunting season.
Hunters stand out with loaded trucks and wearing camo.


I never ask the hotel/motel if I can bring my guns in, I just bring them in from a back or side door.
When I go into a restaurant, I make sure to park my truck where
I can see it and ask for a seat to be able to.
Even in the smallest town you have to be careful.

bwinters

sorry to hear about this. If you choose Idaho for your spring bear hunt, let me know. I can get you headed in the right direction.

As others have stated, very sorry to hear that this happened to you. Have to wonder whether the captured thief was working alone, since they found the truck but none of the contents. A couple of thoughts: Don't forget that your NRA membership came with insurance which should supplement the portion of your loss beyond what your home insurance covered. As I recall, it's $2500 and covers gear as well as the guns themselves.

Also, a quick check of the Gun Show Calendar website shows that there is a gun show in KC this weekend. Might be worthwhile to provide a list of serial numbers of the stolen guns to the promoter in case someone tries to turn some quick cash as a walk-in seller. https://rkshows.com/event/kansas-city-mo-gun-show-102117/ I'm betting that local cops (either on- or off-duty) will have a table near the entrance where they zip-tie incoming guns. Or you may want to consider posting the descriptions and serial numbers so that your fellow campfire buddies can keep one eye skinned for the stolen guns.

Bill,

So sorry to hear about this, and that you had to cancel the hunt. I am back in CONUS, and anything I can do to help with gear, rifles, optics etc. don't hesitate to ask.

Different circumstances, but I know of two different families who were moving across the country and both had their moving vans and everything they owned stolen outside motels in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Neither recovered a thing. Fuggn tweekers!

Ts - good call! I'll give them a ring.

That just plain sucks azz. Sorry it happened to you.

Ford trucks, especially the older ones up through mid 2000's, seem very popular for theft out here.

Interesting. My buddy's truck was a 2002 diesel with the 7.3 and a few of extras. Really low miles and in excellent condition. He got it back but said it smells like pigs were in it, had blunts in the arm rest, smashed ignition in the column, and smashed dome light. He drove it back but it will need some work to make whole again.

That's exactly how I've done it when traveling across the country on numerous occasions. Takes nothing to pull a battery terminal too. I also had a motion detection alarm in the bed of the truck.

That really does suck. I've been ripped off a few times, never to the extent you were but it really pisses me off.
It sure is nice to see all of the folks here offering help. Kind of like all of the folks that showed up in Houston to help with their bass boats. I'm sure they weren't members of Black lives Matter wearing their camo.
You might start monitoring Craigslist in KC to see if any of your stuff shows up there. I know that's a long shot but dopers are not known for their intelligence.
Good luck in your dealings with the insurance.

I had a car stolen roughly 30 times in the same night, while in college. That is based on how far it would go once it was started. The car had an electric fuel pump, and a switch under the driver's seat interrupted the hot line for "run" position. It had gas while in "start" , but none in run if that switch was open. It was found only a couple of miles from my doorstep, doors open, and radio running. The thief gave up trying to drive it anywhere.
Cops called, said it would need a tow truck since it wouldn't run, and were floored when I drove it home. (Some tricks you learn)

I got anger against the crackhead. I'm thinking he should lose a hand.





P

Doggone it.

Truly hate a thief. Lowlife no good rotten thieves ruin so much when they take our things.

Hope you can get some kind of hunting in this year. I always worry about stuff like this when traveling.

Guy

That sucks guys. We drive straight thru doing shifts, but that sucks too.

I like the fuel pump switch idea, but my truck is so beat nobody wants it.

Bill-

If anythning else comes up with a chance to go west on a hunting trip, I have a MR 6500, Montana 300 WSM you could borrow here in Knoxville. We met when you were looking to get a Kuiu pack I believe.

Good advice. That's what we do as well. Suitcases, packs, electronics and guns go into the motel. The truck gets parked in a well-lit area, ideally next to the room or front desk. I padlock the game cart to the trailer hitch and have a locking toolbox where other valuables like pack frames, tire chains and tools go. Thieves could break into it but they'd make a lot of noise doing so. I guess if they steal the coolers I wouldn't be out much.

Hadn't heard of the kill switches others have talked about but they are a good idea, too.

This ^^^. Tipping crooks to a good load of gear could pay big dividends to a hotel employee. When staying overnight at a hotel, my guns are by the bed when Im in the room and in the truck if i leave to eat out.

Mebbe because it's like mine. No alarm.....

That means no guns get left in it.

I was thinking about wheel locks for the truck. Never used one and don't know how hard to put on and off but may save the truck. Stuff left inside???

Anyone have experience with them?

I don't use them because I always drive beater vehicles but of the friends that do it has been 100% no theft. I think they can be defeated but just the sight of one is a deterrent.

When I am on the road guns stay with me regardless of rules. I also try to find a motel where I can pull up to the room. If I can hardly open the door with out hitting the vehicle then I am happy. If there is a light outside I leave it on. So far all I have lost on the rd. was a 10X hat.

I remember. You met me and let me try yours on. Thanks for the offer!

Sorry to hear about this. I hope they hang the sumbitch that robbed you all.

Maybe a little harsh, I prefer they Water Board that sorry ass until he confesses and then lock him up for a few years

What's harsh about it?

Wow that sucks! I agree it sounds like an inside job to me as well.

I'm thinking they should hang the mongrel from the closest flagpole.

Bwinters: I am so very sorry for your ruined trip, your loss and the hard feelings you have.
I wish there were something I could do to alleviate your troubles.
There's not though.
Don't take this as a "lecture" but take it as advice that has worked perfectly for me for a very long time - I have transported firearms all across this nation from Alaska to Florida, to gunshows, to big game Hunts, to Varmint Hunts to competitions etc etc etc!
The guns go with me into the hotel rooms, the motel rooms, the camper what ever - I could care less what any personnel of any business might suggest to me/you!
If you are to lazy or to trusting to take your guns into the room with you at the end of the day then you are risking the chance of loosing them!
PERIOD!
NEVER leave a firearm in a car, truck, boat, airplane, car's trunk or what ever!
The sleaze balls make a living off of folks who disregard this policy.
Again I wish there was something I could do to alleviate your loss - sadly theres probably not much I can do other than reiterate what has served me well for more than a half century now.
I hope you can revive the trip and good luck if you do.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I looked up my specs for my 2017, F250, diesel and the specs say the truck will not start without the assigned key fob in the ignition. So I called the local Ford dealership this morning and they told me that was true. They said they are advising people that are still concerned, to place stickers on the windows that say the truck was protected by a GPS tracking device and that should help keep thieves from breaking in. The service manager said that even if the thieves do break in and remove the key hole and have direct access to the wiring, the truck will not start without that Fob. He said that most crooks know this and that was why almost all of the trucks stolen where pre-2009. Then he said that if they have a trailer with winch that there is nothing we could do to protect it. He told me not to worry about it.

I then asked about wheel chock locks. He said all it took to get around those was a screw driver and large hammer. He said one hit and the lock would pop open.

Was this just Ford talking or have others found this to be true? Would think if someone got to the wiring the truck would start.

No, the ecm is locked. You can play with the wires and get all of the accessories to work but the engine will not fire. It's like a password protect on a computer. The key is the password.

Thanks. That's what the service manager said. Just didn't know if it was true or not. Appreciate you putting my mind at ease.

VG - didn't take your post as a lecture. It is good advise. My only but is that I too have been traveling west for alot of years. Took my first trip in 1982. Missed a bunch of years in the 1980's and early 1990s due to college, marriage, and a few kids but have been going pretty regular since mid-late 1990's. I've never had an issue until now using the same technique - hide guns, park under a lamp, as close to the front door as possible, within sight of the door, etc. Learned a few things from this thread and a couple folks I've talked to outside the 'Fire about engine blocks devices.

A relatively dumb question - my current truck has an 'alarm system'. Is there any way to disarm the system before it goes off?

Doesn't matter the year model either. When I am in the same type situation I remove the Starter Relay and carry it inside with me. It's a bit of a hassle but it works.

I am sorry to hear of this. What can I do for you? Send you a gun or two? I have a spare set of Swarovski 10x42's you can borrow indefinitely.



For theft prevention I use a remote operated starter relay that works great. No remote, no start.

This is what I use & trust: http://www.emergingent.com/retail/cyclops/index.html

Re28 - thank you for the offer! I'm kind of treading water till I see what insurance will cover but will have the bare essentials by the time I go to West Tennessee to hunt.

I'll look into the remote starter relay idea.

Thank you again!

Sorry for the long delay in posting much related to this. I'm been fairly consumed trying to get my truck back after being recovered by KCPD, then getting multiple insurance claims started for the losses. Anyway the truck is not heavily damaged, relative to many stolen recoveries as I understand, and certainly not to bad when compared to many of the vehicles I seen in the impound lot.

Here's some pics of the truck, and the first one hit the three of us and our hearts sank after hearing the truck was recovered but the bed was empty.


Busted rear glass, with my temp window replacement made from cardboard, that I "rescued" from a dumpster at the mall and some gorilla tape from walmart to get us home, thankful it didn't rain on us while traveling back or the truck while it was in impound.


Steering column, it appears the thief had a lot of effort in the getting the steering column unlocked #1 for the steering wheel to turn and #2 for the shifter to come out of park.


The total damage on the truck came to a little over $2k on the estimate. Hopefully I'll get it back from the shop before the muzzy opener for whitetails here in TN.

So elk hunting was shelved for this year and that sucks enough, because ... well you know why. But at 58 backpack hunts like we had planned this year with my son are limited just don't know how many of those I have left and that really stinks. As bwinters said this is something we plan for and get one "at bat" per year, so it's 12 months before we try again.

Going forward, I'm already thinking of ways to easily disable the truck discretely. Because if it isn't easy, the less chance of it being used. Thinking along the lines of a switch (or switches) to disable HP fuel pump, starter, fuel solenoid, etc. Maybe steering wheel lock.

I actually did looking into getting a baby monitor, putting the transmitter in the truck and taking the receiver to the room. But it seems the range is limited on those, and if your stuck on the other side the building from the vehicle it likely wouldn't work very well. It also depends on someone who is very tired being able to wake up at the disturbance.

Be Safe,

Guys--sorry for your loss and missed hunting opportunity, I really hate thieves! Any idea what they are going to do to the crackhead? One time in Colorado we met a guy at the coffee shop that had his Suburban, horse trailer (no horses) and everything in them stolen from a little no name hotel in Craig, Colorado. The guy was in a daze, said the thieves got $100K worth of stuff and he didn't know how he was getting home. Hopefully, everything will work out.

[i][/i]Absolute nightmare. I can't imagine having a trip I plan for all year destroyed like that. As one who travels out of state to hunt, a lot, I suppose it is only a matter of time before I get hit.

I was on my way to Montana the week before last and carried my long guns into a hotel lobby in a small town in rural IA. One guy ran up to me and it alarmed me but he just wanted to talk hunting. He and some buddies were going to SD for a pheasant hunt. He then finished the conversation joking that bringing guns into a motel has changed since the shooting in LV and walked away saying "Thank God for flyover country."

Probably not enough.

That sucks!

Sorry for your loss, bad experience for sure. Had my house broken into years ago. Lost about 20 guns. I was lucky to have pics and receipts. They took other things too, but I didn’t care about those things.

Thanks, we were kind of in that state (of mind) for a little while after the initial efforts and police contact, do we hang around hoping they might find it in a little while?, how long do we wait? (really just some wishful thinking that the truck might be recovered with the contents intact after a short joy ride). But we came back to reality after just a few minutes and started hunting a one way rental car and started back. But I did get a the call the next that they did recover the truck, so wife and I turned around a headed back with the same rental car and returned it back to the same place.

I travel and trap shoot during the summer, most of the time we are our 5'er and camp on the grounds of the shoot. But we have used rooms before and yes those guns always go in the room. Don't get me wrong I loved my Montana and had no plans to part with it, as it was a great fit for what I got it for. I've never been questioned has to what was in there, they are not as obvious as cased guns would be, the guns are broken down, so the cases are much shorter than they would be otherwise.

Thanks, I agree BIG TIME!

Thanks, very good planning/record keeping on your part. I have photos of all of mine, one of each side and a close up of the serial number. You're also lucky that you had enough ins coverage to take care of 20 guns.

Wow. Having just returned from a trip where I parked in hotels just as you did, this is sobering. I'm angry and it wasn't even my stuff. I can only imagine how you must have felt, and still do. I will reconsider how I travel and come up with some deterrents. Thanks for sharing though. Any news on recovering your stuff?

Yeah - this:








Crickets.

I've been asked a bunch about the crackhead and have nothing to share. Claybreaker - you hear anything lately?

That's absolute horrible, I don't know what else to say.

Mind if I ask which hotel it was? I usually stay around KC and was through there twice in the last few weeks. Probably have stayed at the same hotel.

That. Blows. Years ago there was a lot better coverage and overlap. Unfortunately with BS cuts to funding on so many levels there is over lap,no officers and no coverage. Unfortunately you are a victim of politics as much as you are a victim of a criminal/crime. My only advice to you and others is keep anything and everything of value within reach. Automobiles are not secure. Criminals don't care and going to jail/prison is likely an improvement over their current living conditions. Incarceration isn't punishment anymore. OnStar or something similar can help tracking and shutting down the truck but how long was it gone when you realized it was gone. And your gear was likely the first thing pawned. No excuses it's a [bleep] situation and world we currently live in and I hate thieves. Only thing you can do is be paranoid and prepare like everyone is a criminal unless proven otherwise. Don't doubt that someone at the hotel was involved and made a phone call when you rolled in.

This sucks. My buddy from up here just had all his hunting stuff stolen out of his truck down in Port Angeles on his way to MT to elk hunt. Over 4k worth of gear.

One last thing for the future that may help. Ask the hotel manager where the outside cameras are so you can park there and flat out tell them that. And....make a call to local law enforcement and tell them that you are in town to hunt and have gear in your truck ask if they could make a check on it if they have time. As a LEO I know that there are a lot of fellow LEOs that hunt and trust me when I say this kind of senseless crime truly pisses us off and nothing that is done to that chitbird will make things right or get yes that hunt back. Sorry for the loss. Its completely inexcusable from every angle.

Comfort Suites in Independence, MO. Sits right off I-80 just before KC, MO.

I wish I was only out $4k........

Fixed that.

E Valley View Pkwy

No news on recovering the contents... I'm going to the call the detective tomorrow and give him some info and ask for information. I don't expect any of the contents returned.

As many of us know, it's so much more than just the value the "stuff", stuff is just stuff, and stuff can be replaced. But what can't be replaced is the countless hours we have invested in the stuff, many people will never understand or appreciate that. The time that many of us put into selecting just which stuff we want, the testing of what stuff we want going down the tube when its time to "send it". Getting the stuff broke in so it fits right. That stuff is unrecoverable and in some cases like the stuff that you give to your son and that he used on his first elk kill. ... Maybe I ...?

It's just stuff,

Each of us exceeded this, with MARGIN.

Brad,

I was really looking forward to this also, you and I had chatted (via PM) a little before when I was working on some loads for my MT 8400.
Hopefully we can get it done in the future.

Good Luck,

Thanks, guys.

I've stayed there at least once or twice, and never really got a sketchy feel about the place, either. Last year I stayed in the Comfort Inn out in Grain Valley just before KC and liked it, FWIW.

My truck is almost identical to yours, same color and all, except it's a '97 model. Thank you all for posting your story, it's an eye opener for sure. I wish you all luck in recovering your rifles and gear.

CFVA,
No, nothing about the area gives you the "sketchy" sense. It a upscale business / commercial area, clean, well lit,....

But thieves have no boundaries. Neither do drug heads as it is a problem that invades every aspect of society, rich,poor, professional, nonprofessional, white collar, blue collar, redneck, hillbilly, elite,...

To quote POTUS "Sad".

Be safe.

Caveat I didn't read it all... just the first page..

When hunting traveling or to Camp Perry national rifle matches, we sleep in the truck. I can't move all my stuff in and out of a motel room that easily. I won't even listen to motel staff about locking it in the truck.. hell they may be getting paid to make the set ups...

So we just tough it out and sleep in the truck.

RE insurance. You always have to understand what you are buying... one company said we had to list everthing... even mixers, dishes etc... it was cheap insurance though... but went to another that has blanket firearm insurance in an amount I can handle the loss of, I can't afford to insure all my guns, but they are kept in a safe inside a vault.... so I'm just trying to take out lesss than 10K at a time...

Regardless its a good thing to at least video everything you own.. and update once a year...

Last thing I think we should have is the legal ability to have a small remote charge under the car... when you need to locate if stolen, push button, look for smoke.....

I like the system used in RoboCop 1 where the guy jumps into the drivers seat and the metal straps around him and he gets fried. Instant justice.

Shuueee... I don't know if I could afford the needed air freshers after that.

I NEVER leave my rifles in the truck overnight. EVER. If we go eat or stop at store we sit where we can see them or someone stays in the truck.

Sorry this happened to you and your friends.

I pack my SUV so that if staying in a motel I can carry in everything of value every night. Is a pain. Takes 20 minutes to unload. 20 minutes to load. I use the plastic tubs with the lids that fold. They stack out of the way so can put against a wall so I do not trip over them at night. I usually have a bin with the optics, rangefinder, gps. A bin with the daypack, knife, tag, etc. The gun case with the ammo. The spotting scope tripod that does not fit in a bin. If I am energetic, I carry in the two bins with my clothing and boots. I always ask for a ground level room or near the elevator which helps as move the gear. I do not trust the attention an out of state plate with camo backpacks up against the glass or NRA stickers or other obvious hints that hunting gear and guns might be inside.

I hope the thieves suffer a calamity worse than a thousand fleas inside a sleeping bag.

Man, I just read this and I'm am so sorry for you're loss. To lose those things and miss a hunt like that.

My "hunting" trucks are restored 96 and 97 Chevy K1500's. In the process of rebuilding them I installed a fuel pump shut off switch located in a discrete place.

I had my Colt Trooper .22 stolen from my truck 13-14 years ago. On the rare occasion I see them up for sale and the price they are selling for I'm pizzed off all over again.......

The police have the serial number but the revolver has never surfaced.

I travel via truck for work all over the western US. I'm usually hauling over $35k in equipment with me. Used to be over $50k.

I usually try to stay in a true motel with outside entrances to rooms and haul the major stuff in with me as I don't have inland marine insurance on my gear anymore.

I will admit that I've gotten lackadaisical on hauling gear in of late. But thievery is on the rise around here locally and I assume all over the country so I will be back to hauling gear in at night. I usually haul my firearms in with me, but I have become lazy and left an AR in the truck fairly regularly. That too will change.

I like the idea of a shutoff switch also. Where can I get more info on that?