Missing trap

Had a #3 duke on a rebar drowner or beaver. It was a castor mound set. Anyway, when I checked today the rod was there but the trap gone. It was in water so I don't know how someone could've stolen. It was secured with a mighty s hook. Never seen anything like it.

Two possibilities: you forgot to place the trap or someone stole it

It had held one previously. So someone would've stolen. It's was on private land. Also missing a 330 connibear. Well that solves mystery. Owner putting cameras out

For me this is one of the most gut wrenching feelings. First the thought of the animal running around with the trap which is bad enough and then when you figure out it is a thief. May be hard to say but at least it was a #3 duke and not a mb-750 or something. Possibly doesn't make it any easier but it is a consolation maybe?

Well ya. I run ts 85s. Nabbed the one I like the least on my beaver line. They also got a 330 connibear. Left the stand though. Talked to some ppl at they think it's some ppl living near (who I k ow where watching me) by who have a polically biased opinion against trapping. We got cameras put out and a sherriffes report as well.

Its odd to me they would steal the trap and leave the stand. How well was the 330 staked?

I had it attached to a dog chain. The dog chain was looped and fastened around a tree

Maybe you had a beaver and someone took it and the trap. They might not have seen the stand that way. If someone was stealing an empty trap I think they would have noticed the stand and taken it too.

Was there anything left of the trap on the rod? Swivel , s hook I wonder if perhaps a beaver manage to slip it off the end. Just speculation. Hope you catch your thief.

My speculation comes from how you make it. That your drowning rod was left in the water.

No the s hook was gone as well. It was definitely fastened cause prior too it missing I had a previous catch

My first move would have been to knock on neighboring doorsteps, taking extra care to not sound confrontational. I have had many instances in which someone's kid took my trap, a distant relative of the landowner, a tenant on a lease, etc. It's natural to default to feeling targeted, but often the truth is far less sinister.

To be totally honest, I sort of cringed at the dog chain to a tree thing. There are just much better, and more efficient, ways to anchor. The weak point in that is how the chain was then attached to itself when wrapped....just like an s-hook to a drowner lock is the point that allows for human error. Also a lot of variables in sapling vs. mature tree, dead vs. alive, etc. It does seem odd that a non-trapper would jump in the water to undo an s-hook instead of taking the whole rod. In my experience, if someone is going to steal then they will take everything. Stake, stand, float, rod, whatever.

The best thing this site taught me years ago was to get a system and stick with it, so every set is the same.

I have also directed a CO to the party I suspected. If not an innocent mistake, the officer then explained the trap tampering law to them.

I agree everything you’re describing does sound odd. Take some pics of the crime scene. I’m assuming there was no tracks, any pieces of chain laying around? We’re your s hooks welded? How do you fasten your drowning rods and chain?

It's a think chain. One of those to hold big dogs. We checked cameras and got a plate number. It's been turned over for trespassing