I guess it was bound to happen...

[OkieKubota]

I have done some work on our place this spring between jobs so I think the noise I have made has drawn unwanted attention...the photos of caged holes were originally planted fruit trees. The stand photos are of the destroyed burlap covering and 2 trail cameras stolen. I found the 3 fruit trees next to one of our gates next to the county road...I suspect the neighbor kids who are unattended throughout the day and when we moved here were probably 5-10 years old and now are 14-18 yrs old. I was over there 2 days before I found this and I really believe by the shape of the trees that they hit my property the same day I found all this...I hope Tactacams are good because 4 will be here Friday and I patrol our place several times a day now and the sheriff has been out. The most painful part was losing my Moultrie M80 black I bought in 2011 that has been out taking photos the entire time I have had it...

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[DJN]

Sorry to see that Okie. I’ve had odds and ends disappear or get messed with, but nothing to that extent. Hopefully it gets sorted out and hope the Tactacams work out for you. Best of luck

 

[KSQ2]

Doesn’t make sense…

 

[Kurt]

Why people do this crap is beyond me. Total reflection on their parents. Sorry you're having to deal with this.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Rural theft, vandalism, and property damage crimes have been decreasing steadily with the advent of security cameras as a deterrent, hopefully you get this under control.
Yanking out the caged trees doesn't seem to quite fit the picture of the rest of the damage... I'd suggest using an older non-working trail camera in an obvious location as bait, and having a hidden tactacam focused on that camera. Using an extension ladder and placing the tactacam fairly high, hidden in the fork of a thick tree can be a good location, usually if it's discovered you already have their picture before they can get a ladder, whereas anywhere on the ground if it's spotted there's a chance for a trespasser to approach it from behind and turn it off.

 

[Native Hunter]

Wow, sorry to see this Johnny. I hope you can get to the bottom of it.

 

[lakngolf]

Hate to see that. Hope the tactacams either give you the next story, or another one does not happen.

 

[MarkDarvin]

Apple trees seem like a strange thing to vandalize.

 

[OkieKubota]

Thanks guys but for those of you thinking too weird you have to understand I am literally surrounded by very small properties in a very rural part of Oklahoma. I don’t have large landowners that help buffer around me so those small properties have lots of different folks that are always wondering what is going on over there. The worst are the curious neighbor kids to our west. Lots of unsupervised teens with nothing to do all day. I have been seeing them walking up and down the road lately and that has never happened since we have been here. As far as the fruit tree deal I really think they were stealing them just like they did my cameras but when they got to the road they figured it would look suspicious for them to walk down the road the short distance to their driveway carrying the trees so they stashed them next to a gate I never use anymore to come get after dark but oddly I went over there the same day and by trial and error just happened to find them first. I know they do have fruit trees at their grandmothers house and with the price tags and types still hanging on them figured the trees had value. I have my suspicion on the burlap cover around the stand as well. The stand was very near the fruit orchard and I think they decided to rip off a piece of burlap to wrap around the root balls but when they actually did it it didn’t work as they had planned so they abandoned the burlap midway between where the stand was and where I eventually found the trees and it had the same soil my trees were planted in on it...

 

[BenAllgood]

Really sorry to hear this. Society is experiencing a downward spiral of morality.

 

[Drycreek]

Sorry to see this Okie. That would really piss me off as I’m sure it does the same for you. Hope you catch whoever is doing that, because if they get away with it once, they’ll probably do it again. The two camera thing is a good idea.

 

[bearcat]

Hate to hear it. People don’t realize how much pride and work goes into our places.


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[dogghr]

Hate that for you. People do weird things. I once had my garage broke in to to steal a generator but left thousands of dollars of work tools with empty boxes sitting there they could’ve piled them in to.
And they stole a pair of beat up steel toed work boots while leaving nearly new hunting boots
What really pissed me is the took my outdated half case of Bud light! Now that ain’t fair.
And no doubt in my mind I have enough evidence that it was my best friends son. Drugs


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[George]

Bad buzz, your fence doesn't seem to be hoodlum proof.

When I was looking for a property in ky properties surrounded by small properties or compounds were automatic discards.

G

 

[OkieKubota]

Bad buzz, your fence doesn't seem to be hoodlum proof.

When I was looking for a property in ky properties surrounded by small properties or compounds were automatic discards.

G

No, but at least it keeps the 4 wheelers and wheeled stuff out...4 new Tactacam came in today and I set them up and will deploy in the morning...probably won’t catch anything but critters on them due to the volleys of shots they hear from various points on my place daily and nightly...most I have shot my CMMG in a while...

 

[Elkaddict]

Meth heads do crazy stuff….impossible to understand. Camera traps will help. When you catch them, things will get even more interesting. If they are meth crazed, their response will be unpredictable. Ultimately, I personally would err on the side of prosecuting….which reflects my perspective as a former prosecutor. I’ve had multiple threats of violence….but decided long ago I can’t worry about what I can’t control. Good luck!

 

[OkieKubota]

Meth heads do crazy stuff….impossible to understand. Camera traps will help. When you catch them, things will get even more interesting. If they are meth crazed, their response will be unpredictable. Ultimately, I personally would err on the side of prosecuting….which reflects my perspective as a former prosecutor. I’ve had multiple threats of violence….but decided long ago I can’t worry about what I can’t control. Good luck!

I think it is just older kids...they might drink some. Things in Oklahoma have changed over the past couple of years with what they call the McGirt ruling. Basically what came of that is all of the areas that were considered tribal land were put back into reservation status. Several tribes control most of Oklahoma now including large cities like Tulsa as far as criminal jurisdiction. I live in the heart of all of it and I myself am a tribal member but I am all for the rule of law. A tribal member who gets a DUI here gets a $100 fine and is free to reoffend as often as they wish as long as they pay those tiny fines. The crime has gone up exponentially because rarely is anything done to a tribal member for theft. Saying all this my west neighbors are tribal members and since I am tribal and they are tribal I am getting very little help from LEO on this. The Cherokee Marshal service isn’t even at all concerned about it...

 

[Buckly]

We’re you able to save the trees or are they toast

 

[OkieKubota]

We’re you able to save the trees or are they toast

I put them back in the ground and they still have leaves and I am hopeful...

 

[OkieKubota]

I am nothing but impressed with these Tactacam Reveal XB cameras. I put 4 brand new ones out today high in trees over watching dummy cameras and known areas used by my trespassers. I also hid a regular trail cam on the ground near a point of travel.

This is a couple interesting photos...here is a camera I stood on a 6 foot ladder in the back of my truck and put up near the fruit trees and 10 minutes later the turkeys were there...

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