# What is with all the dirt bags?



## U.P. trappermark (Jul 4, 2010)

It seems like everyone is having proplems with thiefs and scum bags this year. 
I go to check my traps this morning and find 8 sets tore up and the traps were all fired off, im glad I put DuckBills on them or im sure the traps would be gone. This is the 4th time this winter they have been messed with. Im kinda of glad I didnt catch them red handed or I might have had to use my catch pole on them.:evil: 
I just put out a few hay sets with MB550's on drags and I found them thrown in the woods so im thinking this time it might be younger kids that dont know what they are. Time to put out some trail cameras.
Then on the way out to the gate that has a big ******* sign that says PRIVATE PROPERTY I can see two people running with a dog through the area where I have coyote sets out, I did keep my cool and explain to them that I have traps set and they did go past a gate with a sign that says private property, They say "Ohhhh we run our dogs through here all the time, thanks for telling us about the traps, we'll stay on the road then" What ******* part of "Private Property" do people not understand?:rant::rant: I would sure hope that a couple in their 40's would be able to read a Posted sign.

I had to vent, Im so ******* ticked im seeing red. Now im just waitng for the local C.O. to call back before I either pull the sets or reset them.


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## r.rase78 (Feb 4, 2009)

man ive been fortunate this year. no theft or tamperin so far. i feel for ya though. i think its time to invent a new set! you sound like you have a good location for the modified dirthole set i invented but renamed the ******* set. just dig a big hole throw some expensive traps in it hang no tresspassing sighn overhead for flaggin and bed a #15 duke bear trap about 16inches back. you can take a catcpole when checkin but i prefer a larger caliber firearm for dispatch


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## hunt4life (Dec 22, 2006)

I was at wits end last week with a peice off #$#$ takeing weasels out of my sons traps but things are looking up. Had a tip on who my problem was and went and talked to his father about it. Seems things must have gotten handled. My son had 3 out of five boxes full this morning. Another good thing about living in a small community. Feel your pain though hope you can get it handled.


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## 92tank (Dec 21, 2011)

that sounds alomst as bad as city people thinking a hay field as a piece of open land they can ride an ATV on when ever they want. worst part was is that it was september and the grass was only ankle high! must be they think grass dont grow tall in the country


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

I know how you feel. I stopped trapping two areas last year because tresspassing neighbors kept stealing my ***** in cooncuffs. I did get one back when I confronted the farmer, but he admitted giving the **** away to a farm hand. 

Kicker was he also illegally farms 4 acres of brother in laws property as well by going thru a large hole in the property line fence and using the other side up to hardwoods. When he mentioned it was private property that I was trapping, I told him what relation I was to his neighbor and that we could all get together legally in court if he wanted to discuss property boundaries and his profitting off the land. Long story short...got trap back with benevolent apology. Didn' t help though, the stolen ***** would have been my ten year old son's first but he got an early education on the behavior of others instead.

This year, after two more thefts, I have drawn the line. I have had enough being the nice guy.

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## U.P. trappermark (Jul 4, 2010)

I too have had enough being the nice guy, now I put my foot down. Im just glad in a way that I didnt catch them red handed, Im not exactly sure what would have happened. 
I had had problems in this area for at least 3 weeks now and this is the 4th time my traps have been messed with in 3 weeks, the last 3 times I know for a fact that it was a couple of adults due to the prints in the snow and the tire tracks that the foot prints led to where they park their truck while they are at work. I made the point clear and that problem ended in a hurry when I called them out on it. Now with the problem this morning I know it was a few kids, four of them to be exact finally pis**ed me off, I still havnt hear from the C.O. but I did make a few more "Posted" signs with a paragraph added to it just to make the point clear that enough was enough. 

I just hope it comes to an end because if I catch these little duech bags i'll go to the parents first or maybe just put them over my knee and tan their *ss's my self when I catch them. 

I had a problem 3 years ago with a guy checking my sets for me but nothing again till this year, the first 3 times this winter was the same "trapper" as 3 years ago. Its funny how in a small town over a cup of coffee when the word gets out it gets out in a hurry. I just followed the tracks in the snow to an area I dont have permission to trap but I know the person who does and thats the same tracks that were by my sets.:16suspect

I think i'll leave the signs for a few days and maybe reset after a week or so.

Good luck to everyone out there


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## dead short (Sep 15, 2009)

Any time fur prices are "good" there seems to be more of it. A few years ago it seems like trap theft was more prevalent than people stealing the critters. 


Posted from my iPhone.


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## U.P. trappermark (Jul 4, 2010)

A little Update.

I just got off the phone with the local C.O. a few minutes ago. He will be dropping off a couple IR trail cameras for me to place out for a few weeks, then we review the footage and go from there. He now is watching the area that they are using to get to the private property so time will tell. Like he told me, if they are going past Posted signs they are allready breaking the law but messing with a leagly set trap is a big No No along with the tresspassing. He said we will prosicute if we catch them on camera. 

Kinda made me feel just a little bit better. I'll keep everyone posted on what happens.


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## DIYsportsman (Dec 21, 2010)

There you go use your skills to bait em in hehe


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## crittergitter71 (Feb 9, 2010)

That CO is gunna be pissed when that dirtball steals his cameras!:yikes::rant::tdo12::idea:


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

Good luck. U.P. Happy hunting. Get them for all of us.

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## Beaverhunter2 (Jan 22, 2005)

crittergitter71 said:


> That CO is gunna be pissed when that dirtball steals his cameras!:yikes::rant::tdo12::idea:


Maybe- but the DNR Cams I saw were marked and if the losers get caught- stealing government property is a felony. Get convicted of a felony and your firearm possession rights are gone. Wouldn't that be fun to watch in Court!

I had two 'rat traps stolen either Saturday or Sunday. Non-trappers because they only took the two that were really obvious. A thief with trapping experience ("thief"- not "trapper") would have easily found the other 19. Nice folks- stealing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day! I thought Christmas was "a Time for Giving". I guess we were raised differently.

Don't let it ruin your day, Guys! Time in the woods is too precious to let it be wasted over the actions of sub-human scum. OTOH Wouldn't it be nice if there was a season on trap and fur thieves?

John


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## FAAMECH (Jul 14, 2009)

UP...as if having fur in your traps when you show up aint hard enough.....you got these uneducated, undisclipined respect lacking douche bags helping themselves.....Hoping the good man up above helps them help themselves again........Cheers Mark


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## 2 Kids And I Trap (Jan 5, 2010)

Had a guy yesturday pull up turned around, pulled in front of my truck go to the back and started rummaging through. I started for the truck as soon as he saw me coming for him. I have never seen anyone run so fast. He didn't have time to take anything. But he wanted to, It is a sign of the times we live in. 

Jon


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

Beaverhunter2 said:


> I had two 'rat traps stolen either Saturday or Sunday. Non-trappers because they only took the two that were really obvious. A thief with trapping experience ("thief"- not "trapper") would have easily found the other 19...
> 
> Don't let it ruin your day, Guys!
> 
> John


I hope you're not talking about 'big lake!'

If so, I will be forgoing the rat tipups and setting stealing rat sets instead. Lol




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## U.P. trappermark (Jul 4, 2010)

Well im still waiting on the camera but I havn't seen any new tracks yet, I did pull all the sets I had in and put out some new sets today after spending yesterday re-boiling and waxing everything again. Im still kinda leary about setting there without the camera in place yet but I know the fur is there. 
Im sure i'll catch this batch of losers, they came with four and after word gets out in a small town someone useually starts to talk to someone and so on and so on. Word will get back to them that I know. I just hope I catch them on camera so they get what they have coming, or at least they better hope that the DNR gets to them before I do if I catch them in the area again.


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## U.P. trappermark (Jul 4, 2010)

2 Kids And I Trap said:


> Had a guy yesturday pull up turned around, pulled in front of my truck go to the back and started rummaging through. I started for the truck as soon as he saw me coming for him. I have never seen anyone run so fast. He didn't have time to take anything. But he wanted to, It is a sign of the times we live in.
> 
> Jon


Thats ******* sick, it makes you wonder what makes these kind of people get off on digging through someone elses truck. I tell my wife all the time, when I lived in Port St. Lucie FL. I never locked my house or my truck, $1,000's of $$$ in consruction tools in the back of the truck at all times and I never had a problem or even worried about it. And that was only 5 years ago. Now im back home in a small town in the U.P. and I cant even go into the Post Office or gas station with out locking the truck. 

Jon, too bad you wern' close enough to kick him right in the bag as he was leaning over your tail gate.:yikes:


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## springdale (Dec 19, 2007)

I was checking a couple the other day, pulled down a 2 track thats cuts across to another. I have 3 traps on the cross over, as soon as I rounded the corner this guy in a small ranger sees me, gets in his truck and takes off throwing gravel. I couldnt get a license number, he was hauling the mail. He didnt get any traps either but when I got to my sets he had walked around all three but hadnt taken any yet. I had noticed that someone was checking them I thought, but once we got snow I saw where he was for sure. I pulled them that day. What a pain in the #$$, I wonder if he's the one thats already got 3 of my traps this year, but its in a different area.


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## ottertrapper (Jan 6, 2006)

I hope they get caught, but hope they don't run off with the camera and not get caught. OT


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## mimountianman (Dec 29, 2011)

I had a #2 stolen on November 12th the funny thing is the trap was missing but in its place was a treestand with the owners name attached and a very sizeable bait pile. After a call to MDNR I returned to the woods two days later with no bait or treestand insight. Sofar I've had that ridge all to my self. :lol:


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