# Thieves Make A Man Re-Evaluate Things



## TS36 (Dec 14, 2011)

A few weeks ago thieves took me for roughly $500 in stolen hunting accessories. They took my stand, ladder sticks, camera and a few more items. They left the hunting area I had worked on all spring/summer in shambles. What took me countless hours to create was destroyed in, what I would say, was a matter of an hour. After stepping back and evaluating the situation, I decided it's just not worth it. I'm not a trophy hunter and just enjoyed being in the woods. So after returning home, my wife could tell I wasn't happy. When she asked me what happen, my only repsonse to her was that I was done. Done with what? Done with bowhunting I said.

I walked up stairs, turned on my computer, logged onto eBay and began a selling frenzie. I had sold off a large portion of items I used for bowhunting, which included several bows, optics, clothing and other odd and end items. When it was all said and done, I had a pretty good chunk of change on hand to do as I pleased with it. So what did I do? I begin building my predator hunting collection because to take the place of bow hunting, I've decided to get into the predator hunting more because there is no shortage of predators here in the Kentucky mountains, and I can hunt them year round.

So my first purchase made for my predator hunting collection was a Savage Model 10 Predator Hunter in .243 topped off with a Sightron 6x24x42 Big Sky optic. I've got another .243 in a Remington 700 Sporter barrel version that I hunt deer with, but when I seen the Model 10, I had to have it. It's a 22" medium heavy fluted barrel. I've got other bolt rifles, but they are too much horsepower for coyotes and the like. I will post picture of the rig when I charge my point & shoot camera up. I hope to visit this site much more often now and contribute when I can as well as learn as much about predator hunting as I can.


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## Hellbilly1373 (May 12, 2012)

I hope you get your hands on those thieves! Good to see you havnt given up hunting altogether. That story ends a lot better than it started. Good luck.


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## TS36 (Dec 14, 2011)

I'd love to get my hands on them. But my hopes of finding the stuff is slim to none. They will just go trade the items for a pill or some other form of drug I would imagine.


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## byrock (Sep 2, 2012)

That just not right glad you took up some other form of huntting. One day you may come across them.


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

Sorry for your loss, maybe they are so stupid they will try and steal your decoy when your out calling !

Welcome to the site !


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

Man TS36, sucks to hear about your equipment loss. Were you on private or public land? I hate to hear you've given up bowhunting, the guys here are right about the predator calling sport being very addicting. Hopefully you'll get back to bowhunting someday. For now, enjoy predator hunting and keep an eye out for your gear. Any pawn shops near you? I'd check them.


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## TS36 (Dec 14, 2011)

40grYotePill said:


> Man TS36, sucks to hear about your equipment loss. Were you on private or public land? I hate to hear you've given up bowhunting, the guys here are right about the predator calling sport being very addicting. Hopefully you'll get back to bowhunting someday. For now, enjoy predator hunting and keep an eye out for your gear. Any pawn shops near you? I'd check them.


I was on private. Hunted it all last season running a camera and used my climber, so I figured I was good to go this season by putting a lock on up on the property. I've already put the word out at the local pawn shops and I've been keeping an eye on craigslist as well.

Here is a picture of the rig I bought today. I think it's the newer Accu Stock Savage. As for the scope, it's a Sightron Sii but after reading, I don't know if it's a Big Sky or not. Anyone know how to determine whether or not it's a Big Sky or not?


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

TS, I know the feeling of being ripped off. Same thing happened to me a few years back. Had a nice stand with a shooting rail I set up so that I could handgun hunt with a rest. Gone!

Bummed out, I went to another stand without the shooting rail and took a shotgun and bagged a good 8 point. Felt somewhat redeemed but never found my stuff.

Good luck on future endeavors. Lots of great guys here.


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## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

I'm so sorry to hear that ! My neighbor just discovered his trailcam dissappeared Friday evening and someone tried to steal a couple of his stands. Enough to make a grown man cry for sure. I pulled my camera and have been policing my farm alot this year due to way too many people popping up that no one seems to know. Pretty sad when the slobs win. Hope you enjoy predator hunting as much as the rest of us do. It's pretty hard to get away from ! LOL


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## Bigdrowdy1 (Jan 29, 2010)

Sorry to hear about your lost it truly sucks!! I would hope they would fall out of the stand if they used it but I doubt they were even hunters but then again things have changed over the years for sure. You will love your rifle combo if it shoots as well as mine. I have the model 10 in 243 with the accu trigger and a Sightron SII 4.5-14x50. It is a little heavy for runnin and gunnin but plenty accurate. As far as a Big Sky scope it should indicate a B or maybe BS in the description on the box. I really like the Sigthron scopes I have, the glass is better than a lot of the higher dollar scopes out there. Give us a report on how well it shoots and hopefully you will feel a little better every time you drop you a critter!!


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

TS36 Welcome back to the forum, I too have been victim. I'm glad to hear that you have not let it get you down completely.


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## Antlerz22 (Apr 18, 2011)

Thieves and liars, dont know which I despise more. Glad you channeled your frustration back into the shooting sports, maybe one day you can return to an "old friend" when the time is right.


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## DeereGuy (Feb 1, 2012)

When we first built out home out here I had a tripod stand I set up in a ridge not 100 yards from the house....sometime in January it came up missing. In the first 4 years 5 trepassers were prosecuted and 2 of them went to jail...the word finally got out and I don't seem to have much trouble anymore....I hate thief's.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2


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## Rick Howard (Feb 25, 2012)

Getting stuff stolen leaves me with an knot in my stomach. Sorry for your experience. Good choice on turning the bad into the new. Glad to have you back on PT.


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## JLowe69 (Nov 30, 2011)

I'm really sorry to hear about your stolen stuff TS36, I hope you hear about it when the people who stole it get what they deserve, it will happen eventually. Glad you didn't just give up hunting entirely. Good luck with the predators.


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## TS36 (Dec 14, 2011)

Thanks guys. Still no luck on finding out if the person I suspect or not got my stuff. My wife's cousin, who is a good friend to this guys uncle is suppose to be looking into it for me. I guess time will tell. I'm going back in to the same spot during modern rifle season, and if I run across anyone in there hunting, I'll first quiz them about the items, and then I'll escort them to the road because I am the only person who has permission to be on this tract of land hunting.


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## Jonbnks (Jan 21, 2012)

Really stinks that you had your stuff stolen. Glad to see that you''ve found this great hobby. Any day spent in the woods is better than working. On a side note, does anybody else put their name on their gear? I have my name etched into my stands and at least permanent marker on my trail cameras. I use a Python lock by Masterlock to secure most of my gear.


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## Antlerz22 (Apr 18, 2011)

Jonbnks said:


> Really stinks that you had your stuff stolen. Glad to see that you''ve found this great hobby. Any day spent in the woods is better than working. On a side note, does anybody else put their name on their gear? I have my name etched into my stands and at least permanent marker on my trail cameras. I use a Python lock by Masterlock to secure most of my gear.


 I use a carry it back to my truck lock, its said to be cut proof, pickproof, weatherproof and invisible. LOL


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## TS36 (Dec 14, 2011)

A friend of mind said he always thought about getting some cheap antennas and putting them on his trail cams in hopes potential rouges would think it was some type of wireless model and is emailing him pictures. I told him the people around my parts would build a cabin around the camera thinking they were getting free cable or something.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

BAHAHAHAHA ! That's funny right there..I don't care who you are...


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)




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## Antlerz22 (Apr 18, 2011)

Thats funny, i can almost visualize it!!


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## Rick Howard (Feb 25, 2012)

I called my buddies and told them to get some hammers, nails, and lumber because he had a cabin to make..... then I finished reading the post. lol


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## TS36 (Dec 14, 2011)

You just have to know where this place is, and if you knew, than you would know what I'm talking about. It's a national treasure that has made headlines more than once in the past couple years. Hard to imagine how a small town in SE Kentucky could be on CNN during the 2008 election, and then make all the major news shows in 2009 or 2010.

Don't know if you guys remember it or not. But a few years ago there was a national story of a census worker found hanged in a tree with the word FED wrote on his chest. In the end, it was discovered the guy did his own self in, attempting to make it look like someone killed him.

This is the same town I grew up in. Although I don't reside there anymore, I still do all my hunting there as it has plenty of mature deer roaming the steep mountainsides. But although it has mature deer, at the same time it has some a large number of not so fine upstanding members of society, whose only purpose in life is to see what they can get for free, even if they have to work harder at stealing or getting free stuff than they would work if they was to get a real job.


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## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

Folks that sink so low as to steal another hunters stand and property are the lowest of the low, IMO. Sadly, these are the times when people, especially the younger generations morals are kaput. Most folks now days never go to church, or even bother to teach their children any morals or discipline. Our society is to blame. Back in the day, if you got caught stealing, your parents would have dished out a good ol' butt whoopin, and you would have had to return that property to the owner. Now days, those parents are too busy talking on that cell, and going to Zumba class to even acknowledge the fact. Sorry for your loss, but sadly, your chances of recovery are nil. I wouldn't let this incident cause a change in my passion for bow hunting though. Take a few years off and knock down some predators with those new rigs (very nice , by the way), at some point the bow hunter in you will begin to stir once more.


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## TS36 (Dec 14, 2011)

JTKillough said:


> Folks that sink so low as to steal another hunters stand and property are the lowest of the low, IMO. Sadly, these are the times when people, especially the younger generations morals are kaput. Most folks now days never go to church, or even bother to teach their children any morals or discipline. Our society is to blame. Back in the day, if you got caught stealing, your parents would have dished out a good ol' butt whoopin, and you would have had to return that property to the owner. Now days, those parents are too busy talking on that cell, and going to Zumba class to even acknowledge the fact. Sorry for your loss, but sadly, your chances of recovery are nil. I wouldn't let this incident cause a change in my passion for bow hunting though. Take a few years off and knock down some predators with those new rigs (very nice , by the way), at some point the bow hunter in you will begin to stir once more.


Yeah, I don't foresee myself never bow hunting again. But I'm just gonna to step back from it for a while as I've put a lot of time into it over the past several years, and neglected trying new things such as predator hunting. Anxious to see what new bows companies come out with this year and go from there. I'm a Mathews Monster series of bow shooter and there has been some speculation that a 36" Monster bow could be made this year. If that is the case, I'll pick one of those up to 3D tournament shoot with. I've owned Monsters along with Triumph Mathews bows and would love to see a set of Monster cams and limbs on a Triumph riser, but just a few inches shorter.


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## Paul-e (Sep 16, 2012)

You're already dreaming about your new Matthews bow! Your bow hunting addiction isn't goin' anywhere.lol Combine the two addictions, I look forward to seeing pictures of your first bow-killed coyote!


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## TS36 (Dec 14, 2011)

Paul-e said:


> You're already dreaming about your new Matthews bow! Your bow hunting addiction isn't goin' anywhere.lol Combine the two addictions, I look forward to seeing pictures of your first bow-killed coyote!


Never really had many coyotes on camera where I was hunting at. Believe it or not, I had more bobcats than coyotes. I'd like to get a bobcat with a bow, but not so much a coyote. And yes, I'm anxious to see what new bows are released this year. May even step down to a Mission by Mathews. I've shot several of those and they are great shooters as well at almost half the price of Mathews.


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## Paul-e (Sep 16, 2012)

Half Price? right up my alley! Bobcat with a bow would be sweeeet!


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## TS36 (Dec 14, 2011)

Paul-e said:


> Half Price? right up my alley! Bobcat with a bow would be sweeeet!


Well maybe not half, but close. Like the new 2013 Mission came out and it is nothing but a budget built Monster IMO. Local dealer had it for $475. It's based off the MR series of Monster bows which will cost you right at $900 in most places. Both of the bows will get the job done none the less, just one has a few more bells and whistles on it is all.


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## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

Pimp my ride, right?


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## TS36 (Dec 14, 2011)

knapper said:


> Pimp my ride, right?


Yeah, pretty much. I'm still waiting on Nov. 5 as that is when Mathews will release their new bows for 2013. If they do not offer what I'm hoping, which is a 36 or 38 inch McPherson Model with two cams, I'm more than likely going the PSE route. I've owned two PSE bows in the past, a Vendetta XS and XL and they were sweet shooters.


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## Gun runner (Nov 19, 2012)

I havent had any hunting gaer stolen I did however have a guy welcome us to the neighborhood Then a couple of days later rip off my tools, About a month later I went to a yard sale and some of my tools were there.I told him they were stolen He told me to get the [email protected]#$ out or get my head busted Long story He got a trip to the icu I got cuffed and released by the sheriff Seems like some of the stuff belonged to him The guy is still in jail All my tools and gear have Id # It was childish on my part I should have called the law ( I think ) I hope the guy who ripped you off gets ripped off (Paybacks can be hell )


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## OutdoorFreak97 (Oct 22, 2012)

TS36 said:


> Yeah, pretty much. I'm still waiting on Nov. 5 as that is when Mathews will release their new bows for 2013. If they do not offer what I'm hoping, which is a 36 or 38 inch McPherson Model with two cams, I'm more than likely going the PSE route. I've owned two PSE bows in the past, a Vendetta XS and XL and they were sweet shooters.


Have you seen then DNA yet? 
It looks like their best deal yet!


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