Backcountry Burglars

jsb

FNG
Joined
Nov 23, 2015
Messages
85
I got flagged down on a forest road in Montana a couple weeks ago by a guy who had his whole camp lifted--tent, sleeping bag, stove etc. Even his firewood he said! But they didn't break into his truck where his hunting gear was. He was trying to peek into the back of my Tahoe to see if his shit was there. I told him to go ahead and look. Anyway he was visiting from Minnesota and was pretty bummed.

It was only after I left him that I recalled him saying he was supposed to have some buddies showing up to meet him. At that point I put 2 and 2 together and figured his buddies were probably messing with him. I mean who steals firewood in a forest full of it?! Anyway I never went back to find out.
 
Joined
Feb 8, 2018
Messages
504
Location
Arizona Wilderness
Unfortunately it happens in Az, all the time.Last year nemerous trailheads
and camp areas were hit.Rangers believe it's A- holes driving from area
to area pilfering anything they can grab.Mostly propane ,coolers,stoves etc.
Anything they can snatch and grab thats not tied down.I was camping at a
local lake and woke up to a scratching sound,it was my cooler being dragged away.
Grabbed my shotgun and unzipped the tent only to watch taillights driving away.
Most likely locals that cruise the shoreline on the weekends.They got the beer
and left the food. 🔥
 

Backyard

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2014
Messages
698
Location
Minnesnowta
Nothing yet but have had my truck’s gas tank siphoned. I was sitting in the tree and heard an ATV stutter...start...drive off. Thought nothing of it until I got back and was on E.

Now I always park with my gas tank door as close to a bush as possible.
This is why I bought & use a locking gas cap when I hunt where I'm setting up a camp.
 

squirrel

WKR
Joined
May 25, 2017
Messages
324
Location
colorado
Not a new problem, my entire camp but the dirty dishes was heisted back in the mid 80's. Hunted my way out to shower spent the night and hunted back in to find all gone, even the food, 7-800 worth of stuff but back then that was two weeks take home pay.
 
Joined
Aug 22, 2019
Messages
787
Location
Idaho
Unfortunately it happens in Az, all the time.Last year nemerous trailheads
and camp areas were hit.Rangers believe it's A- holes driving from area
to area pilfering anything they can grab.Mostly propane ,coolers,stoves etc.
Anything they can snatch and grab thats not tied down.I was camping at a
local lake and woke up to a scratching sound,it was my cooler being dragged away.
Grabbed my shotgun and unzipped the tent only to watch taillights driving away.
Most likely locals that cruise the shoreline on the weekends.They got the beer
and left the food.
The wall isn't high enough yet apparently...

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Sep 22, 2013
Messages
6,389
I know one guy who had a 308 round hit the tree a few feet from his head while attempting to steal an ATV stashed in the bushes. He could not tell where the round came from but was advised to run which he promptly did. Musta been tough with that load in his drawers.
 
Last edited:
Joined
May 13, 2014
Messages
354
I was on a fishing trip to LA Bay in Mexico a couple of years ago with a bunch of fellow wildlife biologists. Several of the group went out snake hunting one night and were out late. The wife and I went to bed and were awakened soon after by the sound of our cooler being opened and shut. We thought it was the other folks back in camp and we loudly said hey Linn is that you...... No answer, but the cooler opens and shuts again, the cooler is about 3 ft. from our tent. Of course in Mexico you can't have guns and they search for them in your vehicle when you cross the border. Anyway I jump out of bed, grab my flashlight and quickly unzip the tent to catch the bad guy...... As I round the corner of the tent, a large coyote scampers off with me in pursuit. He knew exactly how far I could throw a rock. He got away with a baggie of grated cheese and was back every night after that so we put the cooler in the back of the truck. Those coyotes had learned to open coolers and they were not to afraid of humans. Dang thief!

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
32
Location
California
7 years ago, while hunting in D5 zone of CA, me and my dad had set up camp with the intention of being there 9 days. On day 2 we left camp a little after 0500 to go out hunting. Got back to camp and realized that we had all of our coffee stolen. They didn't touch anything else. I wish they would have taken the beer! We had to drive 2 hours 1 way just for coffee.
 
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
32
Location
California
On another trip we took during the fall, we woke up about 0100 to loud noises. We thought a bear was tearing up the truck bed. Then I heard a muffled pop pop. The noise starts to sound like it was moving around the camp. I thought someone was firing a .22. I grab the .357 and scramble out of the tent in nothing but a pair of briefs. My wife is freaking out. She grabs the .40 and stands over the kids turning round and round, like they are surrounded by wolves. I can't see hardly anything, but can hear the racket. I go back in the tent to grab a flashlight. I finally am able to see what happened. I had left two 30 packs of beer in the bed of the truck to resupply the cooler with. There were 3 raccoons in camp. 1 was trying to get into the ice chest, 1 was stumbling around camp, and the 3rd was apparently drunk and trying to get out of the truck bed. They had punctured about 20 of the beers and a box of my kids Capri Suns. The pop pop was them dropping full cans out of the truck onto the ground. By the time I figured it out a few of the other campers were outside to see what the fuss was all about. I let the tailgate down and chased all the raccoons off. Then realized how goofy it must've looked to see Barney Fife in his underwear chasing drunk raccoons. Still funny to me.
 
Joined
Sep 22, 2013
Messages
6,389
I was on a fishing trip to LA Bay in Mexico a couple of years ago with a bunch of fellow wildlife biologists. Several of the group went out snake hunting one night and were out late. The wife and I went to bed and were awakened soon after by the sound of our cooler being opened and shut. We thought it was the other folks back in camp and we loudly said hey Linn is that you...... No answer, but the cooler opens and shuts again, the cooler is about 3 ft. from our tent. Of course in Mexico you can't have guns and they search for them in your vehicle when you cross the border. Anyway I jump out of bed, grab my flashlight and quickly unzip the tent to catch the bad guy...... As I round the corner of the tent, a large coyote scampers off with me in pursuit. He knew exactly how far I could throw a rock. He got away with a baggie of grated cheese and was back every night after that so we put the cooler in the back of the truck. Those coyotes had learned to open coolers and they were not to afraid of humans. Dang thief!

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

Had this happen many times but even more impressive is the labyotes (lab/yote mix) that would run out into the water and steal your fish before you could land it. Impressive.
 

Jimmy

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 18, 2016
Messages
266
Location
California
Heard of a guy this year who during archery season from another ridge saw his camp getting stolen through his binos.... took their sleeping bags and tent and sleeping pads i think

Too far to get over there and no gun...
 

WCB

WKR
Joined
Jun 12, 2019
Messages
3,250
While guiding elk hunts in MT...had my box of flies which were hand tied by my grandfather taken out of my center console. I take partial blame as I forgot to lock my truck. Good thing they left my flyrods.
 

CorbLand

WKR
Joined
Mar 16, 2016
Messages
6,563
Never hand anything taken back in the woods but left all my duck hunting stuff on my porch to dry. Went to work and came home to it all being gone. That was a kick in the sack.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OP
treillw

treillw

WKR
Joined
Mar 31, 2017
Messages
1,933
Location
MT
Does the Castle Doctrine apply to your camping area? haha

Maybe it has more to do with the stand-your-ground law.
 
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