I've had a digital trail camera up for about a year in one location and decided to move it to another lease that I've had where soybeans are planted. The lease is adjacent to a county road and is easily accessible. Twice in the last two weeks someone has taken the camera off a tree, tossed it about 10 ft. and kept the straps that were securing it. The only people that could've been in there is an oil drilling crew and the ranch hands in the local area. What am I going to do??

Buy an old grizzly bear leghold trap and start checking the local ER's.

MG

I've got some coyote traps and some conibears...hmm. When I found the camera it was laying face down in the dirt and the straps were gone. It had one picture of a doe on it which looks like it was taken as if the camera was sitting on the ground at an angle. If I knew how to post a picture on here I'd show it to you.

That is wierd??? Why wouldn't they steal the camera? Any pictures on the camera of the perp?

Any chance the straps are shinny and appeal to a coon?

Maybe you just need to hide it better!

After you relocate it (and hide it better) Put a second camera (well hidden) higher in a tree facing the "bait camera" see if you can get a picture of the perp. Or get an old camera that does not work, use it as bait with a second camera well hidden taking pictures of the "bait camera".

This was the only picture on the camera.

The date is off on the camera, I know. The straps were black cloth, so I don't think that it would be a coon.

How about "Skunk Scent" on the cloth?

I don't understand why someone would keep the straps but not the camera!!!!

That is exactly what I couldn't figure out! But, I put it back up with bailing wire and it has not been disturbed, so I get the feeling that it could have been a pack rat. Who knows?

Can you lock it to a tree?

A steel cable and pad lock will not be un-stopable but, it may keep them from messing. You are lucky they didn't steal it.

I agree w/ the others that you may should put it in a different spot and try and hide it w/ a brush top if you can.

Some people are just plain sorry. We've had problems in a few spots w/ deer stands and feeders being stolen.

Good Luck

Reloader

If you are in the Southwest near the border, some illegal immigrants may have confiscated your straps to replace a worn-out belt---

This is why I don't mess with those things, even on private ground.

Last year My uncle had a "friend" who was not the saviest of hunters and then one day he said he had found the dumbest hunter in the world.

We then found out that he had pulled down 12 trail cameras in this one area and he thought the guy forgot about them.

I informed him that they are left up year-round and he thought I was crazy.

Think that would tick you off?!?!?

If you have another trail cam, set it up (inconspicuously) to monitor the one these guys are messing with, maybe you'll catch them in the act and nail their asses.

A good friend of mine had a similar problem once. He had a camera set up and someone would come and take the film, but leave the camera. Pretty annoying.