stand hanging and trail cam problems

[Hunting3m]

We checked 4 trail cams today. 3 had pictures and one was stolen ( private land). On the 3 we got pics, there were no big deer. Since 7/9 they were out with constant food on them and yet no shooter bucks. They were spread thru-out a few private lots that all connected somehow. Together about 70 acres i estimate. there were lots of does and small bucks, a small 8 we wouldnt shoot, a bear (huge!) and fawns. Cameras have been out since 7/9 with food always. Majorityof the young bucks were very very small 4,5, or 6s. But were very small and would be shooters in 2 years.. The past years weve seen atleast 3 shooters, why? Nothing has changed and if anything, the condition of the properties increased. Also we cant hunt the property during early bow so we are going to hunt a piece of land that is not posted yet not public. It borders a big field that they cut before season and the deer eat at it for a month. But there are idiots driving around hunting off there 4 wheelers and we dont trust anyone after what happened on the private property! We need advice about how to secure a stand, that we will take the bottom part of the ladder when were not hunting so nobody can get in. How can we lock it because someone can easily snip a hunting lock cable.. Any help appreciated.

[Doewhacker]

Is this in NY? What do you mean by having food out?

Any way 70 acres is small for a deer so I wouldn't worry about not seeing any bucks just yet. I know lots of guys use a cable locks to secure stands. And personally I would still try to get permission on the unposted land but that's me.

[Hunting3m]

Yea, food out for a camera isnt illegal because its not in season and i am not hunting the animal with bait out..

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8305.html scroll about halfway down. Yes i know but by now every year since our friend owned this property we have seen deer this early, just awkward to us.

[Doewhacker]

Oh boy. No baiting deer is illegal any time of year.

[Doewhacker]

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7197.html

[Hunting3m]

Are you sure its considered baiting? Can you find it on the dec website, i had looked and didnt find anything about that, just about what i linked you too.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Wow, here we go again.

[Doewhacker]

Any way, perhaps there is some food source that is more appealing to them right now? Where there are Doe there will be bucks at some point.

[Hunting3m]

I thought i mentioned it wasnt artificial food...i Should have been more clear with it im pretty sure having a few plum trees and hydrangeas is considered a wildlife food plot. Ive found a spot on each lot of woods and had plum trees planting this is where the cameras are every year but in the winter they do terrible we cant even hunt by them because they dont grow plums anymore. Thats considered a food plot if there is an exceptional sunny spot i have plants growing for off season. I dont eat the plums personally either.

There are five exceptions to the rule:

1. Agricultural crops including wildlife food plots.
   

[Doewhacker]

Oh well ok then, you had me going there. Lol

[Hunting3m]

There is a corn field across the road but still we have always seen the deer in the property unless they are liking another piece of land closer to the corn?

[Doewhacker]

Usually corn isn't real popular until later in the year with deer but could be something else more like alfalfa.

That's kinda why I don't bother with cams, once season starts you never know what will show up.

[Hunting3m]

Yeah true, unless because recently the owners of the property our good friend found some markers on trees that are from the county surrounding "wetland" and making lines and such, he is going to call soon, but maybe the deer were spooked out of this property for a little , the markers were all over plus hes building a house on the corner of the property they only excavated so far. That might be it, the increase in human activity is affecting it. And maybe the trail camera was stolen by the "goverment" who were marking his land...

[Doewhacker]

Well that could be it, some times it doesn't take much to mess them up.

I know there are cam lock set ups too, I wouldn't take any chances if I were you. That would piss me off to no end losing some thing I paid for like that.

[Hunting3m]

IT WAS LOCKED!!!!!! no joke this is what it was locked with!.

http://www.bestgamecamera.com/products/Theft-Box-for-NX80.html

That makes it 10 times more annoying

[Doewhacker]

Sums of bitches!

[Hunting3m]

Yeah now were gonna have to set one hidden very good and locked up with chains and a homemade aircraft grade steel box to catch them lol. And extra lock our stands too! there not getting anything else!

[wdswtr]

Yeah true, unless because recently the owners of the property our good friend found some markers on trees that are from the county surrounding "wetland" and making lines and such, he is going to call soon, but maybe the deer were spooked out of this property for a little , the markers were all over plus hes building a house on the corner of the property they only excavated so far. That might be it, the increase in human activity is affecting it. And maybe the trail camera was stolen by the "goverment" who were marking his land...

Not sure if this is the case for you but DEC has been marking out wetlands on private and public land past few years. The swamp that borders my land that is private land also was marked in just the same way you described a few years back.

[fasteddie]

If you have an old trail cam that doesn't even have to work , hang it low where is is quite visible . Then take an IR trail cam and hang it up about 10' facing the other camra . You might catch the thieves. Don't leave the ladder out there .

As for the stands , if you are using a ladder stand check out my stand theft usage deterrant in the DIY forum . If you are using a hang on , the strap on steps might be the answer . Some guys use screw in steps and remove the lower ones when they get down from a hang-on but that seems like a pita .

No matter what you do , if someone wants a stand or camera bad enough , they will find a way to get it .

[meatmuzzy]

I've been struggling a bit with this situation myself. We just recently had a ladderstand stolen and last season our neighbor told us guys were hunting on the property but he couldnt get a license plate #. We also found evidence of someone shooting a deer on our property from the road! What did we do? We put a huge chain across the road so no one can get down to our house. If they wanted to the would have to park on the road and these guys arent ballsy enough to do that (too visible). We are also looking into a spypoint cam that will text me a pic the second it is taken so i can get on the phone with my local DEC officer and tell him to head down to my place. We've also put barbed wired running along the length of our neighbors fields in case any of these numbskulls try to jump onto our land and hunt. The real issue is the locals on the road. They still think they are entitled to go on the land because they've lived there for years. They got another thing coming...beyond sick of this!

[fasteddie]

I've been struggling a bit with this situation myself. We just recently had a ladderstand stolen and last season our neighbor told us guys were hunting on the property but he couldnt get a license plate #. We also found evidence of someone shooting a deer on our property from the road! What did we do? We put a huge chain across the road so no one can get down to our house. If they wanted to the would have to park on the road and these guys arent ballsy enough to do that (too visible). We are also looking into a spypoint cam that will text me a pic the second it is taken so i can get on the phone with my local DEC officer and tell him to head down to my place. We've also put barbed wired running along the length of our neighbors fields in case any of these numbskulls try to jump onto our land and hunt. The real issue is the locals on the road. They still think they are entitled to go on the land because they've lived there for years. They got another thing coming...beyond sick of this!

Sounds like the folks in Growalot's area .......

[GreeneHunter]

Its a shame so much Bullshit goes on in the woods on private land .... Pity theres no season on Assholes !