Public land bullies and thieves

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Putt400
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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby Putt400 » Mon Aug 01, 2022 3:14 pm

Ryan549 wrote:
Boogieman1 wrote:Not really relevant but I have had way more camera thievery on private than I have ever had on public. I rationalize that on private if some jackwagon trespassing feels he got his pic taken and sees the camera. Well he’s gonna remove the evidence. I’ve caught/tracked down afew of them. Sad part is the ones I caught didn’t even hunt. Usually just taking a short cut through the woods to go fishing. I would have cared less till they turned into thieves.

From that point I get ticked, no ticked ain’t the word…. Down right mad! I completely understand 2 wrongs don’t make a right and suggest everyone follow that mantra. But not me. If one good dead deserves another then so does one bad one. I have the ole baseball pitcher mentality. If you hit one of ours, Jack someone is about to catch a fastball in the ear hole. Is it right? No. I just sleep better.


This comment made my evening

X2


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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby Waddams » Tue Aug 02, 2022 3:16 am

JMHO - the stealing the cards is doing two things:

[list=]He's stealing. period. he's a thief.
He's also interfering with Dan's usage of public lands. everyone has equal right to be there, to run cameras, etc. nobody has standing to interfere with that right. i don't know if you call this harassment, interference, or what - but it's wrong.
[/list]

Find a name to go with the face and having the guy prosecuted and fined or incarcerated however the law says is warranted based the value of the cards, plus the value of the effort involved to put the cards there, as well as having his hunting license revoked and right to access public land stripped for a few years, to me is the ideal outcome here.

Dan made a statement in his YT vid that the more we tolerate this stuff, the more it happens and even escalates to worse stuff. It isn't easy to pursue this stuff but not doing so just invites it to get worse in the future.
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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby Andr3wxmma » Tue Aug 02, 2022 4:14 pm

Country wrote:
Andr3wxmma wrote:Any other guys from SE Wi, can you explain to me why this is such an epidemic here?

I just got here last year and my only experience with something similar before WI in my 3 years prior of running cell cams was a brush hog eating one on Fort Drum land.

Last year mid season i got an angry text from another beast(i keep my name and number on all my cams to try and work with other hunters in the area) thinking i stole his SD card. In his defense my camera was right next to his ( i never saw his 15ft up in the tree) and i think i actually ran into the culprit opening day because when i was leaving the dude saw me coming down the trail by our cameras and flat out ran out of the woods. At the time i thought the other beast was just was an angry dude without common sense, like who leaves their phone number right by the seen of the crime? but now i know he was probably feeling the way i am now.

Fast forward to yesterday and i decided to go check A camera that have been unresponsive in that area and two that had died. I found that the unresponsive one someone had broke the latch and had taken my SD card and put a new SD in but the new one they put in was larger than the 32mb limit and slower than what the company recommends and it wasn't sending the pics to the app with it. I then decide to go check two other cameras that had died back in Mar but i didn't want to refresh the lithiums until around this time so they'll last until the season; both of these the python locks had been cut and the cameras were gone.

Now i'm 99% sure i have pictures of the SD card incident because the day the new card was put in i had photos of 2 younger guys in the remote area on another elevated camera. Do i setup a camera on the access to that spot and confront the culprits or do i just accept my losses and let this kind of behavior continue? I'm also not a big fan of plastering then on social media because they may have had a good reason that i dont know of yet. I also doubt they're the same person because why would they leave 1 cam but steal the others?


I think there's several factors as to why this is so prevalent. In no particular order...
1. People get jealous and angry when they think they found the perfect spot that nobody else knows about only to find a camera nearby.
2. The people stealing the cards or cameras have had it done to them enough times where they start justifying it in their head.
3. Many people are losers and are extremely unethical and immoral when they think nobody's looking.
4. Many people are losers and are extremely unethical and immoral when they think nobody's looking.

3 and 4 are similar.

Not sure why SE Wisconsin is worse than other areas you've hunted. I think the bow hunting craze is pretty strong around here and people get stupidly protective of "their" spots sometimes. Wish that was different. In all actuality, I hardly ever run into hunters. It's the deer I have a hard time running into around here.
I rarely hang trail cameras. I just don't want to deal with thieves. Their scumbags. If you're a grown man, you don't steal people's stuff.


I wish i hadn't got addicted to the Cell Cameras, as much as i tell myself they don't see everything i still find myself biasing where i go based on the intel i get from them. If they keep getting stolen i may just stop running them all together and rely on just my scouting.
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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby dan » Tue Aug 02, 2022 9:57 pm

Drich wrote:Public land bully; someone that acts as if their use of public land is more important than others use of the same land.

.....

I am starting to think that all public land cameras should be blaze orange with a flag attached. That way those that want to enjoy a walk in the woods without having to have their picture taken can avoid the cameras.

You get filmed your whole drive to and from the public land, if your just walking thru the woods what does it matter if you get a pic taken. There are cameras in 10% or more of cars now. I have one filming at all times from my truck. Even when its parked. A HIGH NUMBER OF HOUSES HAVE SECURITY CAMERAS THAT ALSO FILM THE ROAD, SATALITES , are filming us non stop and our phones tell the cops where we are at all times. I think a camera in the woods is pretty little in the grand scheme of things.
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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby dan » Tue Aug 02, 2022 10:01 pm

Boogieman1 wrote:Not really relevant but I have had way more camera thievery on private than I have ever had on public. I rationalize that on private if some jackwagon trespassing feels he got his pic taken and sees the camera. Well he’s gonna remove the evidence. I’ve caught/tracked down afew of them. Sad part is the ones I caught didn’t even hunt. Usually just taking a short cut through the woods to go fishing. I would have cared less till they turned into thieves.

From that point I get ticked, no ticked ain’t the word…. Down right mad! I completely understand 2 wrongs don’t make a right and suggest everyone follow that mantra. But not me. If one good dead deserves another then so does one bad one. I have the ole baseball pitcher mentality. If you hit one of ours, Jack someone is about to catch a fastball in the ear hole. Is it right? No. I just sleep better.

Interesting comment... The cell camera I had out was aiming at a creek crossing where deer came into and out of bedding into private land on the other side of the creek. If your walking past that camera your entering private land.
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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby Rich M » Tue Aug 02, 2022 10:40 pm

I’m surprised that some folks seem to be in favor of stealing stuff and arguing it that way. Kinda like saying a young lady got raped cause she wore a short skirt.

Crazy.

Leave other people’s stuff alone. It really is that easy. If someone messed w your stuff, you’d not like it. So why mess w someone else’s stuff.

Too many folks in the same swimming pool these days.
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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby Ryan549 » Tue Aug 02, 2022 11:27 pm

Rich M wrote:I’m surprised that some folks seem to be in favor of stealing stuff and arguing it that way. Kinda like saying a young lady got raped cause she wore a short skirt.

Crazy.

Leave other people’s stuff alone. It really is that easy. If someone messed w your stuff, you’d not like it. So why mess w someone else’s stuff.

Too many folks in the same swimming pool these days.


I agree with you that there seems to be some justification for their behavior here. It’s not the item(s) that were vandalized or stolen, it is the feeling of betrayal that it gives us. Whether it be “just” and SD card, your lunch out of the fridge at work, a tree stand, or a car…. It is the feeling of “how could someone do this?” that eats away at us. It is a terrible feeling.

Yes, I realize public land is for public use, but that shouldn’t mean that a camera, a stand, or whatever is free for the taking. How come none of you take the free tv’s, mattresses, and furniture that are left at the public parking lots?
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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby Rich M » Wed Aug 03, 2022 5:13 am

Ryan549 wrote:
Rich M wrote:I’m surprised that some folks seem to be in favor of stealing stuff and arguing it that way. Kinda like saying a young lady got raped cause she wore a short skirt.

Crazy.

Leave other people’s stuff alone. It really is that easy. If someone messed w your stuff, you’d not like it. So why mess w someone else’s stuff.

Too many folks in the same swimming pool these days.


I agree with you that there seems to be some justification for their behavior here. It’s not the item(s) that were vandalized or stolen, it is the feeling of betrayal that it gives us. Whether it be “just” and SD card, your lunch out of the fridge at work, a tree stand, or a car…. It is the feeling of “how could someone do this?” that eats away at us. It is a terrible feeling.

Yes, I realize public land is for public use, but that shouldn’t mean that a camera, a stand, or whatever is free for the taking. How come none of you take the free tv’s, mattresses, and furniture that are left at the public parking lots?


I do find it ironic that folks are saying that you can steal stuff as long as it is "cheap". A camera card is $10-$20. What would they do if you took that outta their wallet? LOL!

Shows you where the heart is.
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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby Bio1 » Wed Aug 03, 2022 6:05 am

Hard to wrap my head around that it’s ok to steal stuff from some of the comments I’ve read! My take on tree stands - I managed a large public property for years and impounded 100s of illegal stands. People reported them to me all the time and gave me the coordinates (most important), told me what type of stand, if it was locked and what I needed to pull it as far as sticks go. I then impounded them and auctioned them off after I had plenty. At NO time did I encourage hunters to pull them themselves! What do you think will happen if someone comes across you “pulling” their stand? Best to leave that to the site manager or officer that gets paid to deal with that type of stuff. You are technically stealing at that point and I would suspect that the Hunter whose stand you are pulling will think the same thing if they catch you! When I’m off duty you will not catch me pulling a stand - too easy to be labeled a thief. Provide the info I referenced above and hope you have a motivated site manager or officer that works the public site.

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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Aug 03, 2022 7:14 am

Bio1 wrote:Hard to wrap my head around that it’s ok to steal stuff from some of the comments I’ve read! My take on tree stands - I managed a large public property for years and impounded 100s of illegal stands. People reported them to me all the time and gave me the coordinates (most important), told me what type of stand, if it was locked and what I needed to pull it as far as sticks go. I then impounded them and auctioned them off after I had plenty. At NO time did I encourage hunters to pull them themselves! What do you think will happen if someone comes across you “pulling” their stand? Best to leave that to the site manager or officer that gets paid to deal with that type of stuff. You are technically stealing at that point and I would suspect that the Hunter whose stand you are pulling will think the same thing if they catch you! When I’m off duty you will not catch me pulling a stand - too easy to be labeled a thief. Provide the info I referenced above and hope you have a motivated site manager or officer that works the public site.

Bio 1

I am guilty of pulling illegal stands AFTER taking pics and sending the coordinates to a warden. My intent is not to steal them but only to help the warden out a bit so he can remove them quickly after I leave them at the base of the tree. I get what your saying about the stand owner showing up and catching me taking them down. That could turn into a sticky situation. In the future I’ll be leaving them as is.
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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby UntouchableNess » Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:21 am

dan wrote:Not sure if you missed it in the video, but his name, phone, address, and DNR number are all on the camera I think is his.


So did you call him?

I was using trail cams as security cams on a private property and caught images of a couple rummaging around buildings and stealing things. He took one camera (I have a picture from another camera of him holding it). He stole the SD card out of another camera, not realizing that it has internal memory for 30 pics. He didn't bother to turn it off, just stole the card. I brought it home, got out the USB cable that came with it and I was able to download pics of him and his wife smiling at the camera as they made trips with loot. Then, there were two cameras that they did not see that took pictures as well, even got pics of their truck with partial plate.

They broke a window and tried to remove some of the glass, only to leave a finger print. Sheriff took the glass and ran the print. It came back as the wife's, as she had been printed in Utah for theft. They were busted stealing from a store in Arizona about a month after my pics, but the charges in Iowa weren't severe enough to have them extradited back. They do have outstanding arrest warrants in Iowa now, but LEO has to have a reason to run their plate/ID's.

One of the pics of the guy, you see something in his waistband behind his back, shirt over top of it. Sure looks like he was carrying a pistol. Sheriff said if it had been visible in the pics, the charges would have been escalated. Kind of glad I didn't happen upon them that day, as I probably would have blocked the lane with my vehicle to confront them. Probably wouldn't have turned out too well since I don't carry.
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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby dan » Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:06 am

UntouchableNess wrote:
dan wrote:Not sure if you missed it in the video, but his name, phone, address, and DNR number are all on the camera I think is his.


So did you call him?

I was using trail cams as security cams on a private property and caught images of a couple rummaging around buildings and stealing things. He took one camera (I have a picture from another camera of him holding it). He stole the SD card out of another camera, not realizing that it has internal memory for 30 pics. He didn't bother to turn it off, just stole the card. I brought it home, got out the USB cable that came with it and I was able to download pics of him and his wife smiling at the camera as they made trips with loot. Then, there were two cameras that they did not see that took pictures as well, even got pics of their truck with partial plate.

They broke a window and tried to remove some of the glass, only to leave a finger print. Sheriff took the glass and ran the print. It came back as the wife's, as she had been printed in Utah for theft. They were busted stealing from a store in Arizona about a month after my pics, but the charges in Iowa weren't severe enough to have them extradited back. They do have outstanding arrest warrants in Iowa now, but LEO has to have a reason to run their plate/ID's.

One of the pics of the guy, you see something in his waistband behind his back, shirt over top of it. Sure looks like he was carrying a pistol. Sheriff said if it had been visible in the pics, the charges would have been escalated. Kind of glad I didn't happen upon them that day, as I probably would have blocked the lane with my vehicle to confront them. Probably wouldn't have turned out too well since I don't carry.

i DIDN'T HAVE TO CALL HIM... HE CALLED ME AFTER SEEING THE VIDEO. After investigation I don't think the person who owned that cam was the thief. But the warden is investigating a couple other leads and when he wraps up his end of things I will give a recap. I was reading your story and it reminded me of a guy down the street who got a notification someone was at his out building and he went down and blocked him in, but he cal;led police 1st... He is like you. No carry. I personally would suggest not investigation criminals if your not armed... But anywho, Police found my neighbor unconscious and left for dead with brain damage and his skull crushed with a tire iron. He barely made it thru, and probably wont ever be the same... Get a gun, or hide in your house and prey the police get there quick. Those are the options.
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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby CBM » Wed Aug 10, 2022 12:20 pm

Nothing worse than a thief. Good luck tracking the dirt bag down.
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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby dan » Wed Aug 10, 2022 9:37 pm

Some very interesting things have happened in this investigation the last few days... I will do a recap as soon as I get a chance.
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Re: Public land bullies and thieves

Unread postby MOBIGBUCKS » Thu Aug 11, 2022 6:03 am

Sorry it's come to this. Hope you get some leads on this guy Dan.

I think I'm pretty much done with cameras. I can only use them on my one private spot as they are illegal on public here in Missouri. Had one stolen last year on the private that just didn't sit well with me. This year I have zero motivation to go put any out. In all honesty, I can't say they have really helped much over the years in general anyway. Wordsmanship and scouting typically gets the job done for me.


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