Just lost a camera to some a-holes on public land around Texoma Lake! I never will understand what kind of sportsman steals from another. Guess my answer is no real sportsman steals from another fellow hunter. Would feel sweet to catch them in the act and teach them what being a true outdoorsman is all about via a woodshead if you catch my drift.

Had a climbing stand stolen from me in '89. I wish I could find that guy and give him a hug, haven't been in one since.

I've lost a few hang-ons, a climbing stick and climbing pegs. (when I still used them)
Our hunting fraternity stands for many great things. Unfortunately, for some, it stands for jealousy and lack of respect.

Had a Millineum ladder stand disappear from my GA lease. That stand was a dream, still pissed about it. Bastards used bolt cutters on the lock.

Had a Millineum ladder stand disappear from my GA lease. That stand was a dream, still pissed about it. Bastards used bolt cutters on the lock.

Probably had 30+ traps stolen throughout my lifetime but no hunting stuff yet. I have been playing around with some trail cameras so it is probably just a matter of time before I donate one.

I feel your pain. It just goes to show that if someone wants your stuff they can usually get it depending on how hard they want to work at it. Locks only keep honest men honest.

I haven't, but my brother lost several feedersand stands one yesr. All were on private land too.

Pretty common to lose stands and ladders/steps around here, I at least make them bring their own ladder to steal my stands now. I had one jackhole cut down the whole tree my stand was in. All on private land, too much traffic on public land to get away with it.

I had a bunch of traps, two tree stands, and a buck stolen when I was a kid. I know two other guys who've had deer stolen from them as well.

I took 8 screw in steps one time that weren't mine, but they were in my tree.

Turnabout is fair play.

My grandpa and uncle had a good buck stolen once too. It ran off the mountain tword a logging road. They heard two atv's fire up and takeoff before I could get there. Found a blood pool and some drag marks. Where is the honor in bragging about a deer you stole?

Had a trapping pardner of mine FINALLY catch a trap / coyote thief. He was a big old boy and beat the guy with a coyote he had stolen from one of our traps 5 minutes earlier.

Best justice I ever heard of.

4 years ago had a Marlin 45-70 and all our camping gear stole out of my camper and some other stuff when we went fishing. camper was old and the lock didn't work but I dout it would have stopped them any way.

Never have, never had a stand stolen either. In fact I had a stand up on public land once and the timber company that owned came in and logged it. When I went back my stand and the ladder to get into the tree were sitting on top of the stump.

Been pretty lucky thru the years. Lost a camera last year, but i knew that would happen at some point. There was a BIG buck using the area too so if whoever stole it looked at the pictures, they were probably impressed

One time a friend of a friend shot a decent buck. As he's starting to gut it several guys gather around him, make some veiled and not so veiled threats, and take the deer. Dejected and angry, he heads out of the woods. As he walks along, his mind starts working again. He knew these guys and their truck because they'd been hunting the area all week. Coming out to the parking area, he finds the door to their truck unlocked. The guy climbs in, takes a dump on the driver's seat, and leaves a note "Nice buck!", then leaves, never to hunt that spot again.

Farther than I'd take things, but man I don't care for theives either.

good thinking. but i'd have made sure that truck didn't get them out of the woods, so they have some expense and inconvenience.

i made off with a nice ladder stand last year

people should really think about not hanging stands on private land with no locks on them

I left a pair of binoculars on a shooting bench my Dad and I sat up to watch a field. I called Dad and he said he would go get them. As he was walking to the bench he saw someone sitting there (private land, nobody else had permission). The guy saw Dad, stood up just as Dad said drop the binos and fired a shot into the ground. The guy dropped them and ran off. Dad got a kick out of watching him run.

Treestand stolen from public land, one from private. Someone dismantled my duck blind (private land) to steal the blind material that made up the base layer. Week later I saw them (I assume) hunting another of my blinds chased and never caught them. Thankfully I didn't leave the decoys out because it was supposed to freeze.
My best ever archery buck shot at night, couldn't find blood, knew the hit was good and heard the buck crash. Came back the next day after morning class (I was in college) horns cut off, my arrow laying nearby. (Private land)
Brother lost his first turkey same way, shot, followed blood trail to a guy tagging the bird, claimed he had just shot it DRT. (Public land)

almost lost a camo tent i set up fairly deep into private land before bow.

they cut the ties all down, but decided it was too far of a haul for their delicate nature, i guess.

-ken

I have a collection of stands cameras etc. I have taken but only because it was on my property.Guess folks should learn to read the signs and comprehend what a fence line is.

Had a popup blind disappear a couple of years ago, but it happened on a stormy night. I found it late the next morning, the soft ground had let the pegs go, and the wind blew it over the hill about a quarter mile. It ended up behind my uncle's garage......

I found a Swiss Army knife along a steelhead stream in SE Alaska some years ago. The guy had his name scratched on it. Next time in town (25 minute float plane trip) I looked him up in the phone book, called and delivered it the next day.

I know what is mine, and everything else isn't.

Hmmm ...

I took a trap one time. The SOB was not marked and I stepped in it. I had a hell of a time getting that thing off my boot. Call it a "finders fee." I put out the word that anyone who wanted to claim it could come get it ... and be reported to the game warden for illegal trapping.

One time I had a grouse stolen. I shot it, tossed it on the floor of my jeep, and went for a short walk to shoot at a squirrel. I left the windows rolled up and the doors closed but not locked. The grouse was gone when I came back. There were several guns on the front passenger seat where were not taken. I suspected someone, maybe someone I know, was up in the bushes laughing their ass off as I dug around under the seats and through my gear trying to find the missing bird.

Second-hand story, hopefully I get it right: a friend's little brother has had at least one elk taken from him at gunpoint. 5 of them, 1 of him, and they had the drop on him. That [bleep] will piss ya off but in the real world, even an elk isn't worth eating a bullet for.

One time my dad had a whole jet boat stolen. It was parked at a private boat landing with no public road access. The SOBs floated it downstream, then stripped it ... outboard motor, oars, life jackets, tackle, everything ... and pushed it off into the current. It hung in an eddy and we found it. A few months later I found the missing tackle box hidden behind a bush a short distance from our house. I figure they had a spotter making sure we didn't catch them in the act and the spotter forgot the tackle. Probably upwards of $1000 worth of lures in that box.

Tom

My wife's grandfather had the one and only nice buck he ever got stolen. They stopped for dinner a bar on the way home and came out to the car to find the buck missing. Cocky bastids didn't even cut the ropes-they untied them!

We had a whole run of trap stolen from a big pond we had exclusive permission to trap. Never did find the culprit.

TOM - What do you mean that the trap wasn't "marked"? Don't know how you could have a hard time getting a trap off your foot unless you have tiny feet and no idea how a trap works. I've had several traps stolen and a chainsaw, lantern, and all of our gas stolen out of a camp one time.

In Oregon, fur trappers must be licensed and there are requirements for marking trap sites so that people and pets don't stray into them. This was entirely unmarked thus entirely illegal.

The trap was a double-spring with 4+ inch wide jaws. It clamped around the heel of my hip wader. I was standing in a couple inches of water moving through grass. I could compress either one spring from a standing position but not both and I didn't want to sit down in standing water to release myself.

I wound up detaching it from the tree it was hooked to, then hobbling trap-still-on-foot to a log 50 yards away on higher ground where I could sit down to release myself. At that point ... I was pissed.

I have had my private stand, on private land, occupied many times. I have also seen the reminants of others. Some folks are just slobs with no stinkin respect. Nothing really stolen, ever. But I have seen it with my friends stands and such. I don't get it!

We just got a new, 650 acre lease. It's a chunk of land between a fork in two county highways backing up to the Savannah River. We have all the land in the "V" except for a couple 20-30 acre out parcels along the road. One of the out parcels is noted "bad neighbors/shooters" on the map the owner gave us. When we asked what that meant he said they trespass on the land, and have been known to shoot over the heads of folks that get too close.

Well, there is a beautiful food plot a couple hundred yards from the "bad neighbors"...2 weeks ago put up a nice new 5MP Moultrie trail cam, went back the next weekend to check it and it was gone....

I lost a trail cam last year just after season on public land. I've got it narrowed down to 2 people. I confronted one, and my brother confronted the other and they both deny it. I'm 99.9% sure I'm right, but what can you do? Just gonna keep my eyes and ears open and baybe it will turn up.

Had a real nice tripod stand destroyed a couple of years back. Stand was on my property next to a state park. About 75 yards on my side of the fence. Somebody took exception to it being there I guess.

If you lose a trail cam and think they will be back and not a one time deal buy the cheapest one they make and stick it in an obvious place like next to a food plot. Get a good one and stick it up in a tree about 8 feet aimed at the cheap one and well camo'd - then take the pics to the police.

Good idea. My luck they would find both. I thought about setting one up with pepper spray in it connected to the on button with a camera in the tree on video to see. Lol

Uh ... get one of those lock boxes for a trail cam, then instead of a trail cam, load it with a claymore mine? It may not deter anyone else but I betcha it deters that one sumbitch ... forever.

If that's too violent for you, I wonder 'bout setting one up with a substantial capacitor inside? Could you run enough insulated wire to it so that the click-click-click of an electric fence charger wouldn't be audible to the thief?

Give this man a cigar, brilliant idea.



MS

I used to do intensive population surveys on large tracts using a camera for every 10 acres or so, sometimes we had 300 cameras out at once. The number of trespassers and poachers I have caught on film would fill a whole mug shot book. My favorite are the idiots who walk up the camera with a rifle in hand and then don't even take the camera. I've never found locks to be all that effective. A well hidden quiet camera works best in my opinion. Putting them out on feeders and food plots seem to attract the most people.

You might even try putting a camera up high enough in the tree if you have spikes, climber etc...so that the average person walking by can't reach it.

I have lost enough stuff over the years that I simply don't leave anything that I don't want to lose out in the field.

I had a hang on stand stolen last year. Pisses you off. It's usually dumb kids that do it just for kicks or some non hunter who pawns it. That's the easiest way to find it, go to the closest pawn shop.

The best locks for tree stands are trigger locks, they're a PITA to cut even with bolt cutters. Not impossible but they have a better chance of falling out of the tree trying. Or leave your stand up and take your sticks with you.

If this counts, I lost a 25hp Evinrude once. I had it backed up to my bedroom window. It was a cold rainy night, I came in late, bout midnight, and I didn�t put it behind the back fence. I vaguely remember hearing a motor idling but I didn�t come fully awake and the dogs were hiding somewhere out of the rain. Anyhow, I didn�t wake fully up. If I had I would have taken a 357 to em. There is a part of me that is sorta glad I didn�t wake up. It was a good motor, and I miss it.

I have had a feeder stolen before, and last year some stands of my cousin's were stolen where we hunt at. I think what he told me today beats it all though. Some one came on to the property and cut the power poles at the barn and where his father in-laws trailer used to be to steal the power lines. I am sure it was some meth head, as I witnessed a truck cruising the area for such last year. When I got home, the same truck was across the road from the house, and two guys were hauling metal out of the owners barn.

We once found a Porsche 914 way back in the woods off the very end of a logging road. No idea how they got it that far back in there. I wouldn't even have taken my jeep back there. We called the cops and told them where to find it and it was gone the next time we were back in there.

I once found a guy deer hunting from a tree house we built on my property for my neices. I drove up and parked next to the tree, shut off my truck and just sat there not saying a word. The guy looked like a nervous rat trapped up there with the only way out being down the ladder right next to my door. The best thing he could think of to say was, "well, um, I-I-I didn't build this thing!" No sh*t Sherlock!

Pete

Had a feeder, trail cam, and a turkey decoy stolen this past year. I now know who it was, and if the SOB tresspasses again, like on opening day of duck season, he will leave with more holes in his truck than what he came with.

I've never had a deer taken off me and I hope I never do. It would be very hard for me to not end up getting in some kind of trouble over the outcome of such and occurrence.

I have a system that seems foolproof so far.

I leave my pit bull in my Jeep when i'm hunting.

Haha! Yeah, theres a limit to how many holes a guy really wants in his truck...

About 30yrs ago I lost about 5 dozen duck decoys. Back then I duck hunted every morning & evening and we could leave our decoys out. Somebody stole them between about 11am & 2pm...ballsy considering the guys I used to hunt with.

About 10 years ago on public land my son, who was about 14 at the time, had a ladder stand taken down, chains cut and ladder beaten with something enough to warp it. They didnt steal it, just jacked it up enough to make it hard to fix.

Not exactly the same thing, but when I was 14 I was coming home from deer hunting on the mountain and found someone had (a) managed trespass their way through our front yard and (b) left their little Datsun station wagon blocking the road and (c) was standing out in the river (illegally) fishing with a net.

My peripheral vision went a real interesting shade of red.

I didn't think, I just acted. I laid my rifle down, stepped up to their car, stuck both hands inside the front wheel well, and lifted. Next thing I knew, the car was laying beside the road upside down on its roof.

Its [bleep] amazing what a little adrenaline will do.

Two ladder stands. SOB's tried to get one of my deer feeders too. Walked in one evening to fine one of my tripod feeders laying in a very neat pile once kinda had a weird feeling like I was being watched the whole time I was there . My wifes stand was stolen once she was so pissed it was kinda funny. I would have felt sorry for the po feller had she caught him !

I've had three hang-on stands stolen along with as many trail cameras and even a Mathews bow was stolen out of the back of My truck at a quick-stop convenience store once.....Many rogues among us.................Hb

The only thing I've ever had stolen while hunting was a tank full of gas from my truck. Some lowlife siphoned most of the gas, and I barely made it to the nearest gas station.

Got a locking gas cap after that.

2 climbers and 2 ladder stands over the years..........really sucks to find out about it at 5am too.

Tree stands out of the back of my truck while looking for bear baiting sites.

It was 8 years ago, I'd shot a nice fat juicy cow elk for the freezer. I tagged her and walked back to my truck where my wife was sleeping to get to hel me gut and quarter my animal. On the was back we saw two A--holes on ATVs hauling ass with the two halves of my elk on the back. When we got to the spot all I had left was my torn up tag. The only good thing about it was I'd left my rifle in the truck. Not telling what might have gone down if it had been with me. Try as we might, we could find no game warden or sheriff or any form of LEO to report the incident. It's been 8 years and my jaws still get tight.
Paul B.

The only deer feeder I ever bought, a loc-on stand, climbing sticks, and a ladder. This was over a period of 20 or so years.

Too bad you didn't find the warden. Mine is pretty cool, and more than likely he'd give me another tag.

Thats just crazy why in hell would you steal an elk or deer that someone else killed ? Goofy basturds !

This thread reminds me why I never bring a backup rifle and leave it in the truck or camp.

No kidding. I have a Jeep with a soft top. I never lock it, because they'd just cut the top. Leaving my dog in the Jeep is all I can do. The truth is, he'd lick you to death, but you wouldn't know that just looking at him.

You could get a cheap camera and after its up in an obvious location, spray it down good with pepper spray. After it dries, the the SOB will take it down and haul it away. Theres a good chance the Bastage will pick his nose or rub his eyes or better yet take a leak on your property in defiance. About 5 mins later he will pay the price.

tree stands

I have stolen three different climbing tree stands out in the woods ON MY PROPERTY.

One must have been a bow hunter, because it was about 100 yards from the back door. I had found a dead deer close by which is why I found the stand. I had gone out early opening morning of bow season to test some loads and the hunter probably thought they had been spotted and was being fired on. Stand and my range are toward the back of a bowl and so sound bounces around. I bet a 44 Mag makes a lot of noise when one sneaks into someones backyard to poach.

The other two were on my property and NO ONE ever mention that they had "lost" their stand or came to claim them. I gave them all to folks needing a stand.

This probably does NOT count as my deer hunting has been within twenty miles of the Rio Grande in S. Texas since the early '70's and yes, if you leave it you lose it! Houses/trailers/jeeps/vehicles broken into no matter the security taken (window, door bars, etc). The "wets" have total control of the Rio Grande and just decimate whatever they touch and the more we spend (border patrol, etc) the more we lose. However, if you do in fact want to just get rid of stuff we can leave it at the property and it will be gone!

My brother and i had a 6pt buck stolen from us. Hit it to far back and it ran about 250yds into the woods. We waited 20min tracked it down and found 4guys trespassing and field dressing it. We never heard any other shots. After word started flying we had gun pointed at us. We back out of there and watched from about 300yds At the truck. After finding out where they where going we drove over and got to there truck before them. They had parked in a driveway to a field with a cable but the cable was down so we dragged the cable behind there trucks and locked it. We then drove back to the owner,s house he called the SO. Who got there just in time to see them pull the cable down with there truck. Next came the CO and we showed where my brother had shot and how we tracked the deer and he found that the guy that said he shoot the deer gun was still oily in the bore. All got tickets for trespassing,one for vandalism, and one for no licensee! The Co gave the deer to the owner of the land as he said he know that they stole it but was not able to prove it and because it was shot by someone who was trespassing on his land he could have it! We where hunting to get him a deer for his freezer anyway. Clint

Couple weeks ago, I went to my barn, on private property, ...same property, same barn where I have kept feeders, riding lawn mower, tractor, disc, bushhog, and Polaris for the pasty ten years...mower, tractor, disc, bushhog, feeders, boots, all there as expected....Polaris gone....bastards didnt have the key so they worked to load it. Try telling your wife you need another $10,000 for another Polaris. Now have ads for "will trade rifle for any running 4 wheeler" in the paper.

I knew I would never fit in working down there in that part of the world when I noticed the ranchers leaving water and food on the porch labeled in spanish so the places wouldn't get broken into.

I had a turning plow I wanted to get rid of once and set it by the road with a sign that said "FREE" on it. It sat there for 3 months and my dad put a sign that said "For Sale $500" and it was gone within the first week.

I've had the good fortune to be lucky, but I've often worried about leaving things in the tent on public land in Colorado.

Some other worries are having things inside these outfitter lodges when I'm still hunting and other hunters have scored and are just hanging out in the lodge all day.

The closest I've come to a loss was at a gun range. When I was talking to a guy a few benches away from my stuff, I noticed to guys eyeing my bench then they approached and I immediately went over there. They explained they were pistol shooters and were just looking at the long brass on my rifle cartridges, right!

I never leave anything in the woods but here in New Jersey if you do,it usually gets stolen. No shortage of a$$holes around here.

Nothing stolen but a side story. I has gotten permission and paid to lease 440 acres of private land from the owner. Well the owners [bleep] son gave his buddies permission also. I was running a chainsaw cleaning up a road when my old blue heeler bolts away with a purpose, turns out that one of the sons buddies was running at me screaming and I couldnt hear over the saw. Ole "cowboy" didnt take to kindly to people screaming at his dad I reckon. They stopped.

I once put a milking stool under the tree where I was going
stand the day before buck season. Bright and early the next
morning when I got there...it was gone.

One of my dad's friends had a deer stolen from him several
years ago. It was hanging in a tree in his front yard and
was gone in the morning. He was also the type of guy to give
a deer to someone if they wanted it.

I lost an axe and my brother's Weatherby Vanguard out of a wall tent in Wyoming once. It was a long time ago in remote country and we just didn't worry about theft in those days.

I drew a bead in the oakbrush of Colorado on a 6 point bull once back n the 1980s. I guy behind me shot it right before I pulled the trigger. I was in legal orange, but he never saw me. That one felt like it was stolen too.

Guess I'm lucky, have never had anything stolen haven't had anything stolen yet.

I'm surprised at how many of you folks have been robbed. Sad commentary on the state of our nation....

My farm has a county road along the east border. People like to shoot deer on my alfalfa field, drive out and do a gut and run. Other than that I have been lucky to have no tree stands taken, no traps stolen, or anyone get the stuff in my barn when I am gone. From reading this thread there are sure a lot of Azzholes out there.

A friend an I were still hunting, trying to get our last party tag filled. We hunt private ground.

He shot a decent buck. I gutted, tagged it with his tag and we went up the hill to tell everyone we were done.

Apparently the inbred neighbors needed it. They climbed the fence, pulled the deer over and the ATV tracks in the snow went across the field right to the house/garage.

Fuggers got evicted and one of our party's nephew now lives in the house. We hunt all of that now too....

Had 2 treestands stolen off my private property a few years ago on opening day left the woods that morning after killing a Doe went back that afternoon cause I had forgot my knife when I gutted it and both stands we're gone it's a shame come to find out my nieghbors did it and weren't even smart enough to hide them they hun them on the side of there garage needless to say when it got dark I got my stands back

Yeah....a deer.

Shot a deer on public land one time and as I was trailing it, ran into someone who had found blood and was going to get the deer. He would have tagged and stolen it if I had not found him and waved him off of it.

My grandfathers friend hunts with us, who happens to be a native american fellow (this comes up later) who is in his mid 80's now, was telling a story in camp last year of having a azz shot small forked horn struggle up over a hill in front of him. As in both rear hams absolutely destroyed . The deer was having a really bad time so he walked up and put it down with a shot to the head. Next thing he knows a young teenage kid is coming towards him yelling back down the hill "DAD! Some guy is trying to take my deer." He said "Wasn't going to tag it, its yours" and walked away.
When he was done telling the story I said "you know that kid is probably telling that same story right now. About how he was tracking his wounded deer and some Indian fellow shot his deer in the azz and ruined both hams."

This thread is discouraging. But I would like to tell a story told to me by my great aunt long deceased. Helen used to go deer hunting with my Uncle Ralph and a few of his friends in eastern Washington. She would get up and cook breakfast, send the boys hunting and go back to sleep. One morning about 0830 she hears a flathead Ford pull up and some guys are mumbling about the camping equipment in front of the wall tent. She opens the flap of the tent with the barrel of a an old Savage 99, and announces "Can I help you boys?" They couldn't get out of there fast enough. That was in about 1948. Some things haven't changed that much.

If I catch someone trying to take my stuff or any of my friends stuff they are in for a world of pain and suffering. Put your trail cameras up high and aim them towards the ground. Low they are an easy target for Jack Wagons.

We used to always leave our tent up with some gear in it, at least a month or more before rifle season. We would leaved canned foot, home made bunk beds, wood stove etc. The thought was... someone might be lost or hungry and need a place to sleep. It was unlikely to be stolen because people here in Wyoming carry guns all the time. We have never had anything stolen or vandelized. We have found vehicles with their lights left on, and made sure to not go turn them off, for the same reason. It is a good way to get shot.

Shot a pheasant and a kid in our group shot a full second later. He really thought he hit it and was really excited. I let him have the bird. No sense fighting over it.

Another time, three guys shot at the same time at a bird. I know it was hit three times. One of the guys was adamant it was his bird. I agreed. It's yours.

That's funny. I duck hunted with a guy that was the same way. After the shooting was over he always seemed to have shot every bird? We just let him think so and laugh about it til this day.

Lots of lead in a bird hit 3 times. I'd let him have it too.

My partner had a few cameras taken and I have had several stands taken off of private land.

Several years ago on a private lease, I had the good fortune of getting to watch a nice buck mature for 3 seasons. I had decided I was going to take him the next year. That February after season closed I was at the property and found a steaming gut pile with bloody drag marks leading up to the neighbor's junk pile house. The bucks antlers where hanging on the front porch. I called the game warden for that unit and he lteraly said, " unfortunately son you are experiencing the reallities of leasing land and no judge will give me a search warrant for that". I left with the rack...

I had an old (20 years) Amacker hang on tree stand and 16ft of ladder sticks stolen. Pissed me off because I know it was stupid kids just being jerks. It was on private land and didn't lock it so I could move it if needed quickly. My fault and it was moved quickly and easy. Now I double lock everything with gun locks. If you ever tried to cut one you will notice that they can be pretty hard to cut depending on tools used. I also double lock them because I'm hoping that the longer they take to cut the locks the more likely they will fall out of the tree

I have been lucky thus far and had nothing stolen in the field. I do know of several hunters that had ALL their stuff stolen of of their vehicle in Tennessee, on the way to duck hunt Arkansas from N.C. Our policy is to not let the truck out of our sight until we get to where we are going. Can you imagine having to replace all your duck gear and guns with a trip booked to hunt the next day? What A-holes!!!!!

Like the old joke. "Sure its your elk lady, just let me first get the saddle off it."

Two years ago I had a brand new gun stolen and miraculously returned. My wife insisted that I report the firearm stolen and lucky I did. When the cops showed up at my house to get some information they told me that the three teenage kids living in the rental house down over the hill probably took it. And to make things even more interesting it turned out my next door neighbor's family owned the rental. Somehow I had forgot to take the gun out of my truck one afternoon after initially sighting it in. This is something I had never done before or since! That night the kids broke into my truck and took it. Lucky for me it was a bolt action slug rifle; I doubt they ever knew what it was as I had a really hard time even getting the police to understand what a Savage 220 was. About two months went by without a word and then one day out of the clear blue sky I got a call from the police saying they had it. Unbelievably, one day, one of the three kids estranged Dads showed up for a visit and found the gun in a bedroom. Fearing he might get in trouble himself he called the police and told them the kids had stole the gun. Looking back I wish the police had not told me who they suspected had the gun because my family walked by thier house on a bike trail almost daily. Every time we got close to their house they saw me and fled like rats when they were outside. I can't tell you how badly I wanted to go beat the crap out of all of them. Here is the kicker to whole deal though. I asked the DA if they were going to charge the kids with possession of a stolen firearm and the DA said no. I asked why not? Afterall, they had the gun, thier fingerprints and guilty confessions from all three kids. The DA said, and I quote, "They could not PROVE the kids actually took it since they didn't SEE them actually do it".

Now that is just awesome! Kudos to you!

I have never "had" anything stolen from me, but some things have been stolen from me. Treestands are an easy target is left in the woods. Luckliy, only a couple stolen from me. I do not hate any person in this world except for the fact I HATE a THIEF!!

There sure seems to be plenty of them.

not stolen but destroyed, I had a ladder stand chained to a tree and some a**hole shot the he** out of it with a shotgun .

Fortunately, I have been lucky and haven't had (or noticed anyways) something missing.

I have, however had illegal aliens help them selves to water and sodas, as well as candy/power bars.

Not a big deal to me as I consider it 'cost of doing business' hunting coues deer near the border.

Like my Dad always said" Locks only keep honest people out"

does the spare tire under my truck bed count? left the truck on the side of a logging road for a day after a good snow, came back for the truck and the spare was gone.