# Dad-gum thieves!!!



## USMCSniper (Dec 21, 2006)

I hate thieves!!, Went to check the mink line today and put a few more fox sets in. Danged if someone didn't steal one of my sets. Keep in mind this is on a Military Base with very restricted access to the area! I had a pocket set along the creek bank under a stump, it was a beautiful looking set "Very minky" as Dave would have said to me. 

I got there a little late this morning about 830 instead of 7. I checked the culverts first and nothing, and the traps were undisturbed. Next I walked downstream to my coni's in bottom edges with a big ZERO, but I was pretty confident about the pocket at least. I got there and saw it was a little tore up and immediately pulled the drowner up and noticed there was no longer a trap on the slide, but my wire was still attached to the lock. The wire was snipped about 8 inches from the slide lock, and the slide lock was about 2 feet further down the line from where I had it set. I am wondering if a **** got in it because the damage to the set was pretty severe. 

The only other guy I know who is trapping on base is a good guy so I doubt he would have taken it. I don't know what to think though cause not everyone would know what to do with an animal in a trap, and it was 12g wire so they had to have snips to cut it? Who walks around with snips in their pocket? Talk about mad I was so ticked off this morning, I planned on putting out another dozen fox set this morning but only got 5 out. 
Anyway I reported it to the base game warden and they said they'd keep an eye out and patrol that area a little more...I hope they catch the guy so I can stone him.


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## Lovells (Dec 16, 2009)

Bummer to hear that. :yikes: PM sent.


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## SmithDerek16 (Jan 19, 2010)

I am in the Military also and we cannot trap on the camps up here in MI..But when you asked who carries around "snips" with them..

I don't know about marines - but it seems every Soldier i know has a gerber tool on his/her hip..They arn't the best @ cutting but perhaps that's why its so tore up..Just a thought


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## USMCSniper (Dec 21, 2006)

Funny that you say that Derek, Lovells just pm'd me the same thing haha...I didn't stop to think about gerbers and leatherman, Marines all carry one too. Oh well I moved the sets that were near there and reset quite a ways upstream.

Since when can't you trap the camps in Michigan, just go to the resources office and ask permission. Most of them do not publish that its allowed and most even say its not allowed at all, but when you go and meet with the resources people they are more than happy to allow it. They said the same thing down here too, but I went and talked to the resources director when I got down here from grayling and he just wanted to know what area of the base I was setting, and let him know when I first set and then pull out for the year. Its worth a shot to ask the worst they can say is no, and you've lost nothing with that.


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## FMann (May 12, 2007)

Sorry to hear about your trap and possible fur. It's pretty bad when you can't even trap on a U.S. military base with out getting your traps stolen, that must be one BAD ASS Marine as all you guys carry Big Guns lol. Good luck on the fox.


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## SmithDerek16 (Jan 19, 2010)

I'll give it a shot - I'm not hopeful.

My biggest fear is having a trap/catch stolen. I shot a big ole' doe with my bow this year (first year with stick & string) Let it set an hour before i couldn't stand it any longer..Tracked it down @ 200 yds - GREAT bubbly blood - Tracked it right to a gut pile.

I'm only 22 but my father and grandfather instilled Integrity in me just like it was breathing.

There's no room for thievery in my book. I hope this doesn't happen to you again bub!

You could set up a trail cam in a near-by tree @ 15 foot w/no flash..If you set it as well as you set traps it shouldn't stand out...Photo's dont lie.


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## USMCSniper (Dec 21, 2006)

Id have to buy trail cams first hahaha haven't progressed that far yet


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## SmithDerek16 (Jan 19, 2010)

USMCSniper said:


> Id have to buy trail cams first hahaha haven't progressed that far yet


Dont go crazy though. you can google a wild view II for probably $40 and it does very well.


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## magnumhntr (Aug 18, 2003)

You're a Marine Corp Sniper for pete's sake, set up at 20 yards with a paintball gun and use it as a test of your skill :evilsmile 

I couldn't imagine getting let up by a paintball gun by a well concealed sniper when I was in the act of committing a crime. The look on the jackass's face would be priceless....

Chris


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## love2fish93 (Jul 22, 2007)

magnumhntr said:


> You're a Marine Corp Sniper for pete's sake, set up at 20 yards with a paintball gun and use it as a test of your skill :evilsmile
> 
> I couldn't imagine getting let up by a paintball gun by a well concealed sniper when I was in the act of committing a crime. The look on the jackass's face would be priceless....
> 
> Chris


 
I would love to see this, although it may be frowned on. 20 yards is generous, i would get a little closer or above the guy


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## USMCSniper (Dec 21, 2006)

Oh how I would love to do that...If I didn't have a Gunny that expects me at work I'd find time to hunt that bast**d down and light him up. Id freeze the paintballs for this guy!!


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## magnumhntr (Aug 18, 2003)

love2fish93 said:


> I would love to see this, although it may be frowned on. 20 yards is generous, i would get a little closer or above the guy


There was once an individual that liked to play mailbox baseball with my mailbox. It never failed, that as soon as I had to replace the box, within a few nights my box would be smashed. I finally had enough and took a few nights off work and waited in the brush about 20ft behind the mailbox. The minute the bat hit my mailbox, I lit the poor SOB up. I dumped an entire hopper ( 200 balls ) on him. Looking back it wasn't the smartest thing to do, as there very well could have been permanent damage done. But, after the welting went down, he was just fine. And my mailbox was never touched again....

Chris


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## bigcountrysg (Oct 9, 2006)

When I was active duty Marines. I was issued a super leatherman tool as a diesel Mech. This was very useful.


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## David G Duncan (Mar 26, 2000)

Justin,

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience.

These things will happen and it is always discouraging. But don't let it get to you. Just know that there are a lot of good sportsmen out there and you will never know all the good guys that see your trap and/or catch and pass it by.

I had a practice of putting one of my copper trap tags on other trapper's traps with catches that I came across on my line, just so they would realize that I was there and did not steal.

I just had a pleasant surprise in a recent PM from a trapper, who recognized my name on this forum, because I had left one of my name tags on his trap that held a nice buck mink. It had to have been over 25 years ago, but my copper calling card apparently made a big impression on him.

One time I came upon a Red Fox in a trap when I was checking my traps nearby. I took a stick and lodged a tag in it and placed it just outside the circle. I did happen to run into this trapper later that season and he gave me some fresh fox urine that he collected from a caged fox he kept. Got to love trappers.

On more than several occasions I have come up to a fox in my sets and saw the tracks of hunters in snow that had walked up to the fox and then left with out tampering with it.

By focusing on this positive interactions with unknown others, it has helped me to get over the few disappointments in short order.


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## SmithDerek16 (Jan 19, 2010)

Dave - thats a great story - and sounds pretty swell, perhaps i will do the same..it doesn't hurt to carry a few extra tags with you. i have a young kid trapping the next 300yds of river next to me, he's got two 110's right on the line - i check my traps REALLY early and i don't think he even knows I'm there.


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## USMCSniper (Dec 21, 2006)

Thanks Dave, thats good to hear. Whats not so good is that a friend told me today that the last time they set on base two years ago they had traps stolen from the same area, and it turned out to be Military police! Can you believe that, they would drive by on their rounds at night and shine the fields and edges of the road and if they saw something in a trap they'd dispatch it and take the animal and trap. They got caught and reprimanded but that was it. So needless to say I won't be setting anymore traps within sight of a road or two track.


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

A good night time listening post and a saw should take care of the problems.....although you might have to go UA....:lol::evil:


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## USMCSniper (Dec 21, 2006)

HAHAHA, I haven't spent any time in an LP/OP in years...maybe its time


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