No Profanity *** No Flaming *** No Advertising *** No Anti Trappers ***NO POLITICS
No Non-Target Catches *** No Links to Anti-trapping Sites *** No Avoiding Profanity Filter


Home~Trap Talk~ADC Forum~Trap Shed~Wilderness Trapping~International Trappers~Fur Handling

Auction Forum~Trapper Tips~Links~Gallery~Basic Sets~Convention Calendar~Chat~ Trap Collecting Forum

Trapper's Humor~Strictly Trapping~Fur Buyers Directory~Mugshots~Fur Sale Directory~Wildcrafting~The Pen and Quill

Trapper's Tales~Words From The Past~Legends~Archives~Kids Forum~Lure Formulators Forum~ Fermenter's Forum


~~~ Dobbins' Products Catalog ~~~


Minnesota Trapline Products
Please support our sponsor for the Trappers Talk Page - Minnesota Trapline Products


Print Thread
Hop To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Trap Thieves #7381214
10/17/21 06:33 PM
10/17/21 06:33 PM
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 607
UP Michigan
Yooper1978 Offline OP
trapper
Yooper1978  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 607
UP Michigan
So, two checks and 5 traps gone. Every trap that is gone was on a drag. I put them on a drag so the animals would be hidden. At every set that was taken were human tracks. This is my first time dealing with trap thieves. What do you do to reduce stolen traps? I want to put the traps where the animals walk!! This is all on public land over a 40 mile line.

Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381221
10/17/21 06:48 PM
10/17/21 06:48 PM
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,446
Houghton Lake, MI
strike2x Offline
trapper
strike2x  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,446
Houghton Lake, MI
Report every time it happens. Might do no good for getting your traps back but will get authorities watching maybe. Unfortunately there is no way to stop trap thieves. Trail cameras on trails might help you figure out who is doing it.


Wish I had more time to trap....
Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381225
10/17/21 06:51 PM
10/17/21 06:51 PM
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 4,023
ND
grumley701 Offline
trapper
grumley701  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 4,023
ND
Bird hunters, bow huntrers or bear hunters... who else is in the woods this time of the year?


Pure Blood
Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381226
10/17/21 06:51 PM
10/17/21 06:51 PM
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 3,519
Kentucky
ky_coyote_hunter Offline
trapper
ky_coyote_hunter  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 3,519
Kentucky
Slide them on a 1/8 cable into cover, ditches, etc.


Member - FTA
Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381242
10/17/21 07:12 PM
10/17/21 07:12 PM
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,673
Illinois
foxkidd44 Offline
trapper
foxkidd44  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,673
Illinois
As stated earlier,,,report those thefts,,, they may not find the thieves.. but there’s always the potential that your trap may wind up in an illegal situation with your name on it. Report thefts to cover your butt


Stand by your principles, Stand by your guns, and victory complete and permanent is sure at last.
Abraham Lincoln
Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381248
10/17/21 07:18 PM
10/17/21 07:18 PM
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 4,739
Beatrice, NE
L
loosegoose Offline
trapper
loosegoose  Offline
trapper
L

Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 4,739
Beatrice, NE
Make some obvious sets, show up early, hide yourself, and take care of business when the thief shows up.

Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381318
10/17/21 08:23 PM
10/17/21 08:23 PM
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 4,238
Illinois
R
ratbrain Offline
trapper
ratbrain  Offline
trapper
R

Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 4,238
Illinois
Had to deal with this myself last season on a farm where I have trapped 45+ years and NEVER lost a trap. My plan is to place a trail cam along the 2 track that leads to where my sets are located. Trouble is I do not know anything about trail cams!!!!!

Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381539
10/18/21 05:48 AM
10/18/21 05:48 AM
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 13,964
Michigan
T
Trapper Dahlgren Offline
trapper
Trapper Dahlgren  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 13,964
Michigan
set them up [thieves] put a set back close to where one was stolen ,and put up lots of trail camera's , and let the DNR know what your doing , catch them

Re: Trap Thieves [Re: grumley701] #7381625
10/18/21 08:00 AM
10/18/21 08:00 AM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 2,042
SE Kansas
K
K52 Offline
trapper
K52  Offline
trapper
K

Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 2,042
SE Kansas
"
Originally Posted by grumley701
Bird hunters, bow huntrers or bear hunters... who else is in the woods this time of the year?

Trappers. Hate to say it but some of your fellow trappers are thieves, and they know what to look for.

Re: Trap Thieves [Re: K52] #7381663
10/18/21 08:56 AM
10/18/21 08:56 AM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 17,456
Wheaton Ks
L
lee steinmeyer Offline
trapper
lee steinmeyer  Offline
trapper
L

Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 17,456
Wheaton Ks
Originally Posted by K52
"
Originally Posted by grumley701
Bird hunters, bow huntrers or bear hunters... who else is in the woods this time of the year?

Trappers. Hate to say it but some of your fellow trappers are thieves, and they know what to look for.

Unfortunately, this is many times the case! Camoflage your trail cams well!


YOU CAN IGNORE REALITY, BUT YOU CANNOT IGNORE THE CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORING REALITY.

http://www.lptraplinesupply.com
Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381679
10/18/21 09:10 AM
10/18/21 09:10 AM
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 8,859
Indiana
P
Providence Farm Offline
trapper
Providence Farm  Offline
trapper
P

Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 8,859
Indiana
I lost a few .A catch circle and blood no catch or trap and once they left the trap but took the coon I guess dukes were not worth stealing to that thief.

I just traped a new area. Now I only trap on my farm and a neighbor and not had a problem yet.

Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381681
10/18/21 09:12 AM
10/18/21 09:12 AM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686
Alaska
D
drasselt Offline
trapper
drasselt  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686
Alaska
Try to set trail cams for license plates too and don[t blab all over what you are doing or that there is a problem in order to not alert the thief.


you can vote your way into socialism, but you will have to shoot your way out.
Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381684
10/18/21 09:18 AM
10/18/21 09:18 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,465
Philippines, s.e. asia,ohio
west river rogue Online content
trapper
west river rogue  Online Content
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,465
Philippines, s.e. asia,ohio
I lost 4 grand in traps a

nd stakes from my garage. Painful.

Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381710
10/18/21 09:40 AM
10/18/21 09:40 AM
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 153
Metropolis Il.
S
story Offline
trapper
story  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 153
Metropolis Il.
If possible take small ladder and place trail cams up high. Very few people look up for them. Caught my neighbor who burned my deer blind down this way.

Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381715
10/18/21 09:47 AM
10/18/21 09:47 AM
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,312
Firth, Nebraska
jabNE Offline
trapper
jabNE  Offline
trapper

Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,312
Firth, Nebraska
Man, when I was young my mentors always taught me good woodsmanship and reapect for others. Code was you never messed with someone else's trot lines, bank lines, or their traps.
Some never got the lesson of course.
I keep an old smashed to crap #2 long nails to wall of my first area. A constant reminder of what others can do. For awhile I was having traps stolen. Then I switched to cross staking and earth anchors, whatever I could afford. They started just stealing the catch and if they couldn't steal the trap too they destroyed it. Catch circle, blood, shell casings,, wasn't hard to figure out the animal losses. But a catch circle full of boot prints was easy to see the crime scene.


Money cannot buy you happiness, but it can buy you a trapping license and that's pretty close.
Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381724
10/18/21 09:53 AM
10/18/21 09:53 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 25,692
nm
A
adam m Offline
trapper
adam m  Offline
trapper
A

Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 25,692
nm
As others stated first move report it to the wardens. Tell them you'll set up cams. The warden's might set up cams for you.
2nd make those sets again add cameras.
If you have noticeable flagging get rid of it.

Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7381883
10/18/21 01:34 PM
10/18/21 01:34 PM
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 1,645
Wisconsin
Scott__aR Offline
trapper
Scott__aR  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 1,645
Wisconsin
I always stamp my trap frames with identifying numbers and symbols in the event of stolen traps. Makes for easy identification (when you know where to look) and prosecution.


Megapredator ... top of the food chain!
Member of WTA
Member of MTPCA
Member of NTA
Re: Trap Thieves [Re: story] #7382003
10/18/21 04:46 PM
10/18/21 04:46 PM
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,820
Frazee, MN
B
backroadsarcher Offline
trapper
backroadsarcher  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,820
Frazee, MN
Originally Posted by story
If possible take small ladder and place trail cams up high. Very few people look up for them. Caught my neighbor who burned my deer blind down this way.

This right here you get pictures and that increases the chance to catch the jerks.

Re: Trap Thieves [Re: loosegoose] #7382062
10/18/21 06:19 PM
10/18/21 06:19 PM
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 3,083
Ks
Flint Hill fur Offline
trapper
Flint Hill fur  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 3,083
Ks
Originally Posted by loosegoose
Make some obvious sets, show up early, hide yourself, and take care of business when the thief shows up.

X2

Re: Trap Thieves [Re: Yooper1978] #7382064
10/18/21 06:23 PM
10/18/21 06:23 PM
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 16,170
ny
U
upstateNY Offline
trapper
upstateNY  Offline
trapper
U

Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 16,170
ny
Don't make sets they can see.Late 70s early 80s (good fur money and everyone and their brother was in the woods trapping or thieving) I learned to make sets ONLY the critter would find.


the wheels of the gods turn very slowly
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread