At least that's all they stole...this time

The memory cards are gone from two of my game cams. I guess they think they are 'honest' poachers, by not taking the whole camera.

The cameras near the gate and the cabin were not touched, so I'm assuming it was Hog Doggers again. What is it with these arragant, disrespectful a..h0les that think they can run thier dogs anywhere they want?

...well, I guess it's time to check the property lines to see what fences they cut.

That's sad nak. Might be time to put a gamecam up higher and hidden to catch 'em.

Damn man that sucks. Hate to hear it.

Bunch of people getting hit right now. Sucks and hopefully they will get what they deserve soon.

What will the cops do? I really like to think most on here would not retaliate. ...

Really the only answer is to have a camera that emails pics to you. That way even if they steal the camera the evidence of them being there should be in your email or text and they cant access that.

If I was having this issue with trespassers, I would definitely put up the extra $$ to get one that emails/texts photos to you.

Camera watching the camera might work as well.

Is it a lease? I'd have a lease agreement that you will shoot all dogs on sight if they are on your place.

Shoot mans best friend on SITE, Put the blame where its due, dog is doing as instructed, celebrity ?

i'd be scared my dogs might step in a trap
or eat some poison someone had out for varmints
if i were somewhere that i didn't know the land owner

Are you saying shoot the owner?

I'm not shooting any dogs unless they are immediately threatening. This is a people issue!
We have had four thefts and three break- ins to the cabin in three years. They got the kids go kart and an outboard motor last time. Both secured with 1/2" security cables.

I've looked into cell based game cameras, but most of my property has very marginal service, especially down near the river. I'm looking into camera systems where several cameras use wifi to communicate with a central hub that I could mount way up in a tree, with a big yagi antenna and a solar panel, but that is big bucks. I'm not sure if it's worth the money. Ive already provided good pictures of trespassers to the SO, including a license plate that you could read, but nothing ever comes out of it.

East Tx has such a bad reputation for poaching in general. At times I consider just throwing in the towel and selling the place. I have watched a pair of young 8 points last fall on the gam cams. Neither would make 13" but both disappeared before rifle season ever started. The generally acceptable hunting ethic in this area seems to be "if it moves, shoot it". Fences and locked gates are just a minor annoyance..bolt cutters seem to be hunting equipment around here. I find shotgun hulls and beer cans around the little oxbow lake every year.

This is the reason I stopped leasing in East Texas years ago.

It's sad there are so many in this part of our state that have zero respect for what you own.

Is that a rhetorical question ? pitchfork ? nak has it about right, in east texas the locals consider most of the land and all of the wildlife as there own you are simply the most recent tax payer. the Dogs get a bad rap because of bad owners.

Of course it was....but if it was my land and I had the opportunity to shoot the dog I would SSS and that would be the last time that dog hunted on my land. Not being the dogs fault would not change my mind. That's the risk it's owner takes letting the dog hunt my land. I care about my dog enough that I would not put it's life in danger, if they don't feel that way about theirs

I did this.
After about 6 months my camera card finally got stolen again, and the battery was dead on my spy cam.

x2

exactly

I would hide the cameras real well in an inconspicuous location to try and catch them. Also let the game warden know what's going on! I have a friend who has land in east Texas with similar issues as you. The game warden has gone out of his way to help catch the culprits. Turned out to be an adjacent landowner.

I had a camera way up in a tree, very well hidden, facing the gate, with another decoy camera that was easy to spot. That is how I got the last set of pictures that included their truck plates. I turned those over to the Sheriff's office and told them I wanted to press charges. I never heard back from them.

A few months later, there was another robbery and they used a pipe or something to bash the hidden camera up and knock it out if the tree. It's almost like they knew where to look for it...like maybe they had seen pictures taken from that angle.

'fair enough'

Dang. If what you're implying is true, it's a rigged game. I would be very tempted to sell and leave the in-bred lowlifes to their sad little lives. The best revenge is living well.

A member here was good enough to get me the info on the license plate. Pictures and tax records do not lie... I found an old LinkedIn page with that name, and the picture matched the person on my game cam photo, caught climbing through the gate (right next to the No Trespass sign). The LinkedIn page showed an association with law enforcement in another state, that ended right before property tax record in this county show they bought a home here. (The worst house on a bad street.) Things get scary in a hurry when you have reason to suspect a link like that. I decided it was best not to pursue the info I had any further.

Texas Penal Code 42.092. Shooting a dog that isn't threatening human life or livestock is against the law. That is as low as stealing other people's property. Take whatever actions necessary to protect yourself, family, and property within bounds of the law by all means. But breaking the law in an act of vengeance puts you on the same moral ground as the filthy low lives (probably tweakers) that are ripping you off.

On the flip side, one has more legal right to use force against a human intruder than animal: SUBCHAPTER D. PROTECTION OF PROPERTY


Sec. 9.41. PROTECTION OF ONE'S OWN PROPERTY. (a) A person in lawful possession of land or tangible, movable property is justified in using force against another when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to prevent or terminate the other's trespass on the land or unlawful interference with the property.

Take a week off. Go to your property, hide, & wait.

Pictures and tax records may not lie, but they don't tell the truth, either. They just provide information.

With that said, you should be dealing with the game warden.

I put a Wagi antenna on my Covert camera in OK to get a signal that otherwise wasn't there. Used some really think plastic electrical conduit for my mast. That would certainly be seen though...

With the most basic of NV monocular/video camera etc, you can easily see the flashes from the game camera or light if you have it set to take videos.

If you got license plate pictures, pretty surprised that didn't get you something.

Charlie

I am going to be hunting on a piece of property that I got hunting rights on for some work that I did for the owner. She lives out of state and there are probably 5 illegal stands and feeders on her property. We have performed a boundary survey and identified the property lines. Here in the next couple of weeks we are meeting the game warden to show him the stands and identify myself as the one that should be hunting. That being said, I bet every little corner in Texas not watched is being poached. You have to take a stand, catch these thieves and protect your property and the wildlife.

I think you need to be dealing with the game warden as well. The sheriffs department has too much other things going on. This is exactly what the game warden is for!

I'm pretty sure with that type of information I know how I would handle it. And it wouldn't be something I would be posting on an open forum.

Sheriffs are elected. GW's are state employees and have no loyalty to the local voters.

This might be something to consider. I manage lots of land and we started having problems with trespassing dog hunters. We put up signs on our fence stating we have snares and siyanide set up for coyotes. Even set a few "triggered" snares on the fence near the signs. They absolutly quit coming except for one guy who I think might have been illiterate. We caught him red handed. His dogs were so mistreated they took all of them away so I doubt he will be back for a while and now we have hogs to hunt again. You problem is a bit different cause you have thieves. Trailcam pointed down from 16feet up works well. It's a cheap easy solution.

It is a people problem, not a dog problem. Dog is just doing what owners allow them to do. If it is a wild dog, I agree, but most of the time it is not a dog problem, but an owner problem.

Like Predator above stated...I no longer hunt ET. I'm sure that's good for the natives but I promise it's damn sure ok w me. Hunt out west and have been very pleased. May change tomorrow but today all is well. Really good people there and also Avant area. Hate that loss and drama.

This is your problem. I personally know A sheriff that is drinking drug using train wreck. He breaks more law than he enforces.

we had one of those in Bastrop county

I'd pony up for some wireless cameras long before I go shooting dogs. In fact I would never do that.

punji trap

I would take that info to the county DA's office, and threaten to take copies to the local newspapers and TV stations.

I wouldn't hunt in east Texas if my life depended on it. Way to many low lifes and drugies out there.......

We had an issue like that some years back. The thieves turned out to be children of the local officer. None of our reports were ever on file so we had a hard time with it but once more than 4 of us went in at one time things started getting done.

Unfortunately liability for that will cost way more than it is worth.

I have locks on my game cams to prevent the thieves. If they want them at least they will have to bring bolt cutters. I have the wireless game cams...$10/month through ATT.

http://www.gsmoutdoors.com/shopping/stealth-cam/accessories/stc-bbgx.aspx

http://www.gsmoutdoors.com/shopping/stealth-cam/accessories/python-lock-cable.aspx

In Texas they are called Rednecks.