Trap thieves, I hate em

I know this comes up from time to time but I just need to air this. Had a trap set in the middle strip of a 2 track on a drag. It was a MB 650. Someone stepped on it and then took it. I have to believe they were not far ahead of me because it was raining all morning bup to abot 15 minutes before I found this. This is the biggest reason I set off trails and I hate drags. If I had it anchored I am sure they would have been working on getting it loose when I got there. The were no dog tracks so I didn't snag fido or anything. I wish people.could respect others rights and property.thanks for letting me rant.

Greg. I have had traps walk off from public and private land many times over the years. Fact is, most times the theiver is a fellow sportsman, often fellow trappers, especially when the traps are water sets that are harder to recognize at a glance. People suck.

Im with you. I believe many trap thieves are so called trappers or once were.

X2 There were so many "Pandemic Woods Walkers" last year I refused to set on State lands, this year we'll see later. They were showing up in places most people seldom to ever come except during deer season.

This past May I was back in on State land 3/4 off a mile near a no longer used logging trail testing lures under cameras. One test site was on a clear cut ridge maybe 150yds from this trail and it was difficult to get to the ridge because of the tops and lots of water. I couldn't believe what I videoed! Here's this big dude dressed in silk short shorts, tank top, hiking boots, and backpack with a service belt with canteen and bayonet. He acted like he was lost and must have had the living crap scratched out of him! I know that country intimately and I never found where he accessed that ridge and I never saw him again.

I also agree “sportsmen” and trappers are thieves. I had a trap and a catch stolen over a mile back in on state land once. It was anchored with a cable stake. The set was disturbed but the thief covered the set with sifted dirt to make it look like it was still a functioning set. Only a trapper does that.

Once set up a chunk of private for coyotes. I ended up checking on of the sets for a week or so before pulling.....only to find an empty dirthole set that had the trap removed by someone that re-sifted the dirt over the set. I'm thinking it was someone who had a sifter along with them.......who does that? I'm the only guy that the landowner let on.

Must be a Michigan thing!

One day a guy in northern MN was out checking his line. He had been having issues with a trap thief taking his traps. So he rigged up a few traps with 1/8 cable and put the big disposable ends on them and replaced all of his sets in the affected area with the heavy ones.

A few days later he was walking through the woods checking his traps when he heard something out of place. He quietly advanced and saw some dude trying to pull one of his traps out. They guy snuck up as quietly as he could and when he was about 6 feet behind him, he yelled out "What in the heck (yeah right) do you think you are doing? The thief spun around and had a deer in the headlights look on his face. The guy let loose with a string of profanities and told the thief that he was going to have him charged with theft. The thief, not wanting to get caught decided that the best remedy to this situation would be to attack the guy. He fulled a large knife out of his belt and tried to slash the guy. The guy, having cat like reflexes, dodged the swing and broke the handle of his 1980's vintage Yo-Ho trowel up side the thief's head. The thief was knocked out cold and the guy left everything as it was except that he wired the thief's hand behind his back and went for help. He went to the nearest farm and called the game warden. Soon there was a pile of Law Enforcement there along with an ambulance.

The sheriff replaced the wire with his cuffs and informed the thief who was about 1/2 with it by now that he was under arrest for a grocery list of offenses. It took the paramedics a 1/2 hour to haul him out of the woods. One of the deputies found the thief's truck and the game warden found a number of traps with the tags still on them in the box. All had been reported stolen by various trappers in the area. The deputy also found a handgun which was reported stolen in the cab.

In the end the thief went to prison for the assault with the weapon and the handgun. He also had many thousands in fines and lost his truck and his DNR rights.
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OK, I made this up, but didn't it feel good for a minute.

Well trained anti's can and do!

I feel your pain. It really sucks.

Yup these guys are out there...difficult to understand but it does happen more often than we think. Two trappers I know got into one year...not good...

I have never found someone elses traps on my line ever.