What a weekend

What a crummy weekend….I get to my bait Saturday morning to find that someone has taken the card out of my camera. I am sitting on a property line of private and public. Both of which, I have permission to hunt. The fence isn’t exactly on the line. The private property actually owns about 40’ on the side that one would think is public. The private owner has is marked CLEARLY though as to where the property really is. So I’m sitting in my stand stewing over what kind of guy visited my stand. Has he been there before? Has he done anything else to my bait? Is this why the bears went mostly nocturnal 3 days before season?…
At about 11:00 I hear a four wheeler coming in my direction up a snowmobile trail (no ATV’s allowed). The two guys drive up the fence line, stop and one starts walking towards my bait. I can hear him say “S***, it’s been baited!” As he walks up to the camera, trying to figure out how to get the card back in the cam without getting his picture taken, I ask “Can I help you?” The guy pauses and starts to stumble over his words…..”Um ah ah, yea…. Can you tell me why you are hunting in the industrial park?” I say, “Yes I can, I went to the town board and asked for permission. Which I was granted with a written letter signed by the village president.” So now I ask the question, “What are you doing driving an ATV on a snowmobile trail posted to no ATV’s, driving on private property, and taking a card out of my camera?” He says “Well I’m bringing the card back! I’m an honest person!” This is where I flipped my lid. I guess it didn’t sit well with me that someone would think it’s honest to “borrow” a piece of my property that was on private property! He was tresspassing! Long story short, I said my piece and he got back on his wheeler and went home.
I guess the good part is that I have the entire thing on film. I turned the camera on as soon as I heard the wheeler coming. Now for the tough part…do I call the police and have them talk to him? Or would it be better for him to sit at home and think about how asinine his actions were to begin with? It’s folks like these that give sportsmen a bad name. I would rather us police each other rather than get law inforcement involved. Is this right, or should he hear it from someone besides me?

Sorry to hear about your unforunate encounter over the weekend. If it were me, I would take the extra effort and turn this one into local law enforcement or the DNR.

Unforutnately, some people just don’t learn until consequences are handed to them and if someone stole something of mine, id like them to pay for it to the fullest extent of the law.

Wow, what an unfortunate experience. The bad part is, this guy also knows where your equipment is. If he is willing to go this far, if he gets ticked off after a visit from the local PD, who knows what he might pull. But a huge part of me also says call the cops to see if they will at least put the fear a little deeper into this guy.

I would turn his in

MAn looks the dbags were outin full force this weekend from state to state!

I would contact the officials on this one. Not necessarily to try to stick it to this guy, but to have a record of the incident in case things escalate. You never know what people like this will fabricate. If there is a paper trail (and video), you protect your tail a bit.

That sucks !

I’m not sure what I would do you can turn him in but he knows where your stuff is also

I would contact the law and have them give this guy a talking to and let him know that your letting it slide but if it occurs again you’ll be turning him in and also letting them know you have it all on video. With the law involved you may be helping out a fellow IDO’er somewhere else. Best of luck in your decision.

I would turn him in with the evidence you have. And if something happens to your equipment you know where you can look 1st.