vehicle safety while on the hunt?

[Armed&Hammered]

Hey fellas, new guy here trying to plan a DIY hunt in SW CO. I've been studying & researching like a fool, trying to gain as much information as I can. While reading thru some other sites, I came across that some folks have experienced vehicle break-in's while on the hunt. The units mentioned were 751, 77 or 78, places I've been looking at. Please be honest..is this a scare tactic or truth?

I'd hate to worry about my vehicle during the hunt and not be able to truly enjoy the experience due to fear of my truck being jacked or stripped while out on the on the hunt. To be honest, it has me second guessing a hunt that I've dreamed of since I was a young buck.

What do you experienced elk hunting hands do to ensure this does not happen?

Any help or information will be greatly appreciated.

 

[MuleyFever]

It happens at any trailhead, hunting or not. Don't leave anything valuable in your truck. It is also an argument for taking your antlers and weapon out last.

 

[Oregon]

Only one time have I ever had my truck broke into out hunting. They stole my shoes, a map and spare change.
I leave my doors unlocked and nothing valuable inside.
I lost a window so a douche could steal my shoes.

 

[oldgoat]

Never had an issue, but that can change at any time though! Don't leave anything of value in the open

 

[gabenzeke]

Agree with the above. I've only been a few times now, but I try not to park at trailheads so there aren't as many people around my vehicle. But definitely don't leave valuables. Better safe than sorry.

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[rayporter]

never had a problem in 77

 

[fnf01]

So with not leaving any valuable in the open what a people doing with their coolers? I got a couple orion's I'd hate to come back and find them missing. Was going to chain them to the truck bed and thinking about locking a canvas tarp over them so you couldn't see them in the bed. Don't have a topper or bed cover and with them being $500 to $2k and I don't use one otherwise not to keen on getting one.

 

[swamphunter]

I would recommend leaving the expensive coolers at home. We have never had any trouble, but we use less expensive Igloo and Coleman coolers. Fill them with Ice or Frozen Jugs, wrap an old sleeping bag or two over them, cover with a cheap tarp, and you will keep your ice as long or longer than you will in an expensive cooler. Plus if they get stolen you won't have near the heartburn.

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[rayporter]

cheap coolers and dry ice will keep ya going.

they have cheap coolers stacked to the ceiling in wally world that time of year, too. so don't be afraid to go get and extra if you are short. a 20 dollar cooler compared to a 1500 dollar trip?

 

[SWOHTR]

I have a crew cab truck with a roll-up tonneau on it. Tailgate locks. I lock things in the bed, it's covered so you can't see in it. At the same time it's not hard to cut into with a knife, but the thief doesn't know what is, or isn't, there. If I have my ATV, I lock the ramp in the bed.

I also don't have any stickers identifying what I do plastered all over my windows. Two big reasons, one I hate advertising what I do, second I hate advertising for someone else. Yeah, the license plate has a bugling elk, but the plate isn't custom at all. I also don't have a camo wrap on the truck or camo seat covers. I wear camo, my truck does not. For all anyone knows, I'm just a wilderness enthusiast out for a hike.

 

[Huntinmechanic]

Hunting GMU 54 in 2016, there was a guy that hauled his dad around on a quad to hunt because he was disabled. We encountered them on our way into the wilderness one morning. When we got back to our truck that afternoon, they were still on the mountain. We started talking and come to find out, someone stole their atv ramps from their truck and they had no way to load up the quad. Fortunately, I had my quad trailer and we were able unload mine, put his on the trailer and use the fold down trailer ramp to get his atv into his bed. Very few things worse than a thief! This is the only instance of theft while hunting, I've encountered in 20 years. I believe the majority of outdoorsmen are stand up people. Always a dirt bag in the crowd though.

Jim

 

[SWOHTR]

I'll also add that I was siphoned once; recommendation there is to either get a locking gas cap or park so your gas cap is next to a tree/rock/obstruction.

 

[SlimWhitman]

Also interested in this. I’m driving from Texas to Idaho specifically so I can bring some more things in the truck. I’ve worried about break ins from some stories on here. Out of state tags also worried me a bit.


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[AdamW]

Tag for later. A new coworker and I were talking western hunting and I said "to be honest, one of my biggest fears is a vehicle break" and she turned kind of red...then proceeds to tell me about their truck getting broken in to, a cheap ring, spotter and some change stolen. They either attempted to steal their battert or just disconnected it to slow them down. On the other hand that's why I prefer to camp away from the truck/road is there are also people who have had their whole camp stolen all the way down to the tent stakes.

 

[loggerchas]

Never an issue anywhere I've hunted in central/SW/SE CO. That being said, when leaving the truck I run a $10 WalMart bike cable through any ramps or coolers in the truck bed and any spare gear in the cab sits in black totes with the lids closed. If leaving the truck for a few days I usually throw a crowbar master fuse (not really hidden, but not readily apparent either) just for my peace of mind to not have a dead battery from various electronics my daughter may or may not leave in the truck attached to a power port inverter for a few days (trust me....it happens...).

I did have about 4 gallons of gas "stolen" from where my camp trailer was parked once. When I opened the trailer door I found a $10 bill and a note that had been slipped in explaining they ran out of fuel and needed to get off the mountain. They even left a phone number. I felt bad that they grabbed the sawgas can and not the regular fuel can next to it! Guessing they also cleaned a set of plugs pretty soon thereafter....

Living in Pueblo, a locking gas cap is just standard equipment....

 

[Armed&Hammered]

Of course I don't plan on leaving anything of value in the truck, but it would Suck to come back to no gas, battery gone, or truck on blocks in the middle of nowhere. Especially being a long way from home.

Please take in mind I know nothing about the area, so where would one find safer parking than a trailhead or remote parking spot where I could hike in to camp a few days?

 

[Oregon]

I learned a very long time ago that worrying about things you have zero control over ruins a perfectly good day.
You can walk into the grocery store in the middle of town and come out to your truck broke into.
Lifes too short. Just follow the advice above, go forth, hunt, kill. Come back and deal with whatever happens. 99.999% of the time you’ll come out to your truck and drive home.

 

[Middleofnowhere]

I’m sharing this story.
I returned back to my truck in a blizzard, exhausted, cold, wet low on food, etc.
My truck had been broken into, they stole my dry clothes, seat covers and my battery.
I had to walk anothe couple miles to get to a highway and flag a family down. It sucked.
If I ever get the chance to deal with one of those types of theives...

 

[id450]

Has anyone installed a back flip bed cover on your pickup? I had seen a video where a guy slipped a hanger under it and pulled the lever ( on the F1i think.) he was in in seconds . any thoughts on that brand or other brands?my thought is , if it’s a pain to break in and they can’t see anything worth going after they may move on?

I really would like to get my 17 HMR a d other expensive items locked in the bed so can hunt Small game when I’m done with my hunt out if state if I get it done ahead of schedule .

The Official Bakflip Store - Bakflip.com


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[AdamW]

Of course I don't plan on leaving anything of value in the truck, but it would Suck to come back to no gas, battery gone, or truck on blocks in the middle of nowhere. Especially being a long way from home.

Please take in mind I know nothing about the area, so where would one find safer parking than a trailhead or remote parking spot where I could hike in to camp a few days?

Trailheads see more traffic, more remote places have fewer witnesses. The best thing you can do is make no valuables visible from the outside. This is true in the mountains or in town. As I mentioned above, it's a concern of mine as well, but there's just not anything you can do about it and the likelihood is pretty low so spend that worry energy on something else to worry about. I know I always do.

I learned a very long time ago that worrying about things you have zero control over ruins a perfectly good day.
You can walk into the grocery store in the middle of town and come out to your truck broke into.
Lifes too short. Just follow the advice above, go forth, hunt, kill. Come back and deal with whatever happens. 99.999% of the time you’ll come out to your truck and drive home.

Quoted for truth.

Has anyone installed a back flip bed cover on your pickup?

The Official Bakflip Store - Bakflip.com


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I have a soft Truxedo roll up on my truck. A coworker went on forever about how much more secure his hard flip was, etc. which I don't totally disagree with. The next morning, the truck in front of me at the stop light had a locking tailgate latch and a hard flip cover. I'd guess a guy did somewhere around $2k worth of damage breaking in to the truck. Pried the tailgate latch off, bent the tailgate and broke the cover prying it to get it open.

There are a ton of parallels between vehicle and home break ins. Keep valuables out of site and try to make your truck look less inviting than the other trucks/homes on the block and not worth the hassle. An opportunist is much more likely to spot a something exposed in the bed and grab that than roll up or cut a bed cover to see what's inside and so on.