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Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

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Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 07 08, 2020 •  [Post 1]

Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

It is sad we even have to discuss this, but it’s the world we live in. I'm talking your typical base camp here.... whether its just your rig and a tent, or, a more elaborate setup. What are some measure you personally take to avoid having items stolen from your campsite? Knock on wood, I have never had any issues but have heard of many. Figured this would be a timely thread as our season(s) are fast approaching.

Again, what are some measure you personally take to avoid having items stolen from your campsite?
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby Tigger » 07 08, 2020 •  [Post 2]

I have posted Swede's picture around camp. Keeps both 2 legged and 4 legged varmints away! In all honesty, it is even hard for me to look at for very long! :lol: :o :shock: Ahh, Swede, we love you!

This is a tough one. Nothing is very secure if someone really wants to take it. We try not to leave anything around that looks valuable. Probably should put some Mossberg, Realtree, Walmart, and Dodge stickers on things..... :shock:
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby Swede » 07 08, 2020 •  [Post 3]

I do some of what Tigger referred to. I have two tents and one is just for storage of items. I have the large plastic containers that I set out behind the sleeping tent. Often I can have my brother in or near camp and that helps a lot. If possible I leave a truck parked at camp.
I have never had things stolen from camp, but I have had the Tigger types come and mess around just to make a nuisance of themselves. They want me to guess who done it. Nothing really bad, just a Tigger stunt. They always stop around later to identify themselves, mooch a soda pop and hot dog. and see how I am doing. :D
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby Indian Summer » 07 08, 2020 •  [Post 4]

A string on the inside of the tent zipper that runs around the backside of the dinner table then around to the trigger of my Remington 1187. It’s a semi auto, you know... the gift that keeps on giving. Kidding of course but boy do I despise thieves!
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 07 08, 2020 •  [Post 5]

Indian Summer wrote:A string on the inside of the tent zipper that runs around the backside of the dinner table then around to the trigger of my Remington 1187. It’s a semi auto, you know... the gift that keeps on giving. Kidding of course but boy do I despise thieves!


Ha, ya you’d have some splaining to do :shock:. I hate thieves, liars, and fakes.....No sympathy for what they get for their transgressions.
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby Indian Summer » 07 09, 2020 •  [Post 6]

WapitiTalk1 wrote:
Indian Summer wrote:A string on the inside of the tent zipper that runs around the backside of the dinner table then around to the trigger of my Remington 1187. It’s a semi auto, you know... the gift that keeps on giving. Kidding of course but boy do I despise thieves!


Ha, ya you’d have some splaining to do :shock:. I hate thieves, liars, and fakes.....No sympathy for what they get for their transgressions.

Maybe. Maybe not. I wasn’t planning on dropping them off at the meat processor. I have a pack horse and a shovel ya know! :D
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby 7mmfan » 07 09, 2020 •  [Post 7]

I hate to say that I'm lucky that I've never had anything stolen, because I don't think it should be viewed that way. People's stuff should just be left alone. But I have been lucky that nothing has been ripped off from any of our camps. In general though we always make sure that obvious items of value, which for us is pretty much limited to chainsaws and firearms, are out of view. We keep a pretty tidy camp, not much laying around in plain sight. We do have a wall tent camp though, so there's only so much we can do to prevent someone from snooping around.

Like Swede, leaving a rig parked there I think is helpful. A little bit of smoke from a wet log put in the stove before leaving is helpful. A sign that says "A Navy Seal Sniper is somewhere within 1 mile of this sign" is helpful. Pit traps with spikes and thoughtfully placed bear traps are also helpful.
I hunt therefore I am. I fish therefore I lie.
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby Tigger » 07 09, 2020 •  [Post 8]

I have thought about posting a note that says, "Hank, Be back shortly, -Bob" or something like that to give the illusion someone could be rounding the corner any second.
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby Elkhunttoo » 07 09, 2020 •  [Post 9]

A few years back my cousin and I returned to our pickup from shed hunting all day. It was around midnight when we loaded the four wheelers and jumped in the pickup. My cousin drove for a minute and then stopped and said what’s in the window. He jumped out and there was a $20 bill under his wiper. We looked around the back of the pickup to see if anyone had taken anything and all seemed well. We had extra gas in the back but it all seemed to be there. My cousin had helped a guy a few days ago get unstuck and so he figured it was that guy saying thank you and we drove home. The next day my cousin sent me a picture of the side of his pickup, in the dust it said, “sorry we ran out of gas so we used some to get back to our pickup, thank you so much!” ... we had 2 5 gallon tanks in the back and they were both almost full. When we went up that morning there was a pickup parked about 15 miles from where we parked with a four wheeler trailer. They had used less then a gallon but just enough so they could get home. We thought it was super neat to see other honest people out enjoying what we love to do too. Left us $20 for less then a gallon of gas. There was one thing we couldn’t figure out though...who carries 20 bucks with them when they are way out hiking and four wheeling 75 miles from the nearest town ;)
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby 7mmfan » 07 09, 2020 •  [Post 10]

Elkhunttoo wrote: There was one thing we couldn’t figure out though...who carries 20 bucks with them when they are way out hiking and four wheeling 75 miles from the nearest town ;)


I do. Exactly for stuff like this. If I end up in a pinch and I need to compensate someone for their help, cash is easiest. I hate IOU's.
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby Indian Summer » 07 10, 2020 •  [Post 11]

I rode to the trailhead from camp and tied my horse to the trailer and saw a note under the windshield wiper. It said “Sorry my jackass mule kicked your truck. Jerry Stanley” and there was a phone number. I walked around the truck and sure enough some bodywork had been done. His insurance paid for the damage. We became friends and I bought my certified weed/seed free hay from him for years after that.
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 07 11, 2020 •  [Post 12]

7mmfan wrote:
Elkhunttoo wrote: There was one thing we couldn’t figure out though...who carries 20 bucks with them when they are way out hiking and four wheeling 75 miles from the nearest town ;)


I do. Exactly for stuff like this. If I end up in a pinch and I need to compensate someone for their help, cash is easiest. I hate IOU's.


When I hunted the Selway backcountry a few years ago, Joe and I ran into a couple of hunters on a trail who asked if we chewed. When we said unfortunately yes, he offered us $20 for a can of any variety we had. I gave him a tin a wished them luck with their hunt. ;)
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby Lefty » 07 12, 2020 •  [Post 13]

Tigger wrote:I have posted Swede's picture around camp. Keeps both 2 legged and 4 legged varmints away! In all honesty, it is even hard for me to look at for very long! :lol: :o :shock: Ahh, Swede, we love you!
This is a tough one. Nothing is very secure if someone really wants to take it. We try not to leave anything around that looks valuable. Probably should put some Mossberg, Realtree, Walmart, and Dodge stickers on things..... :shock:

When I hunted the desert the fellers from California were great guys and we stayed away from each other keeping an eye at each others camp
I tend to camp in rough stuff,.. most people with any sense wont drive there with 2x drive. I hunted the desert because there were few people. During season maybe 50 nights I might hve had 4 vehicles drive past my camp
But I have left fake notes,
"Dave,.. Wait. well be back shortly"
I put up extra tents,. put shoes and boots outside of the tents, set up extra chairs st back from the trail or two track the one water barrle is empty the cooler full of ice and the black tool boxes are ll meat handling

but then again we dont set at trail heads
If of much value , , my good boots, some food, extra clothing, I dont have much worth taking to thieves.
I did have a concern where our current camp is located. However Ive met and see the cow hand and his little brothers often . The rancher knows who we are. They come through daily ,
through out the whole September season 4 -5 other groups of hunters,
Andrew keep a lot of "stuff" at his camp,..he looks like 10 people when he moves in. My RV Camp looks clean, the ATV and generator locked together but looks used and 80 yards from the trail in

the second pic Im on a legal road. over three years period a ranch hand , and sage grouse hunter were the only others through out the whole year.
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby Lefty » 07 12, 2020 •  [Post 14]

Oh I have been known to strategically place (clean ) toilet paper.

another time I picked up a couple cases of beer cans on the way in,.. the wind blew them around camp , I stomped them in place to prevent more blowing around and picked them up when I headed home
Generally in the past when I'm away from camp, my sleeping bag and pad are the most valuable things out
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby >>>---WW----> » 07 13, 2020 •  [Post 15]

It's sort of (THE CODE OF THE WEST) Don't mess with anyone elses's stuff! Besides, if it's hunting season, they might be near by with a rifle!!!!!!!
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby Fridaythe13th » 07 14, 2020 •  [Post 16]

Elkhunttoo wrote:..who carries 20 bucks with them when they are way out hiking and four wheeling 75 miles from the nearest town ;)



I do you never know when a rich guy misses a bull or a buck and the rifle comes for sale pretty fast....... you know it's the rifles fault. Lol


Why dont 1 of you smart people out there develop a motion device that once its triggered a tape recording goes of followed buy the words "Get the hell out of here" and the action of a Remington 870 pump at the same time.

I would think that should do it.
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby Swede » 07 14, 2020 •  [Post 17]

Would the sound of a lever action Winchester or Marlin do the trick as well? :D
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby Magic » 07 15, 2020 •  [Post 18]

Thankfully we have never been tampered with but we do take precautions such as keeping valuables out of sight and everything cabled and locked that we can. We have witnessed our neighbors leaving everything out and seemingly unsecured and theirs doesn't seem to be bothered either.

That being said, my partner had his Elk antlers stolen on our first hunt which was a bummer.
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Re: Tips/Measures for Preventing Theft at Camp...

Postby Lefty » 07 16, 2020 •  [Post 19]

Magic wrote:my partner had his Elk antlers stolen on our first hunt which was a bummer.
My father in law had a mulie rack stolen from his back porch
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