Decided to enjoy the cooler weather this evening so I headed to Cooper WMA with my Bow. 2075 entrance is still closed so I headed around the corner to the 2082 entrance. I was in the tree in my climbing stand by 2 p.m. About 4-4:30 p.m. I started hearing gun shots out in the flood plan area talking and yelling. It was not dove or duck hunters. I probably should have called the sherrif or warden. I came out of the woods just about dark and headed to the road in the flood plane using my GPS where I left my game cart with the wheels locked together. It was no where to be found. Searched 20-30yrds in both directions with no luck. Note this is likely over a mile from the nearest gate, wheels locked, so whoever took it had to drag it out....Bright spot I guess was when I got to my truck they didn't break into it. But on the way out I seen the soft drink bottle and beer can they left on the trail. I like to believe most people given a chance would do the right thing. I guess I just ran across a few who chose to pollute the air for the rest of us.....o.k my rant is now over.

Anything is free if you aren't holding it these days. Probably someone that frequents the WMA I would guess.

Sad to say, but stuff like that is probably only going to get worse over time unfortunately

So did you see any drag marks? Seems like it would be obvious.

I would go back out setup a camera on some another cart or something else about the same time next week somewhere off the same trail not the same exact place. Let the warden you have set a trap and see if you can catch them. Don't give up the only reason this stuff gets worse is because people get away with it.

Who is the warden in that area Or is there a new one?

Did you pick up the trash?

Yea, then he would be out 2 carts, and would not have vengance from the first cart theft. I doubt there's one guy walking around the woods looking for carts. Somebody stumbled on it, and it was a crime of opportunity.

Should have chained it to a tree, not just locked the wheels...or just drug it to where you were hunting and covered with a camo tarp.

Honestly,

I don't agree with that statement, a thief is a thief! I have walked right past a deer cart laying in the woods on public land, and never paid it no mind, its not mine, it belongs to some guy that loves to do the same things i do, and more than likely works hard for his money....hence hunting public land!

Sorry about your cart bud, HATE a damn thief!!

Doesn't make it any less despicable. But its pretty unlikely some guy was walking through the woods looking for something to steal. There are alot better places to find something to steal. But somebody who was already a piece of [censored] person was walking through the woods and stumbled upon it.

Fixed it for ya . . .

Yeah, lots of ideas and thoughts. There wasn't a tree close by that I could get to easily with the cart or I would have locked it there. There is quite a big ditch where the water ran from all the rain this past spring. As for dragging it with-in bow range, have you every tried to "sneak" into the woods rolling one of these carts? It just isn't possible. There is grass on the trail and I didn't see any marks on the trail. There was more than one person so I guess they could have carried it. As for the trash, no I didn't pick it up. Thinking about it I should have. My hands were pretty full but I guess I could have stopped, put everything down, and put it in my backpack.