I hate thieves

[avalancher]

:agree2::agree2:

Same goes for me. I cut it, it goes with me.
But, I feel your pain, nothing worse than someone running off with the product of your labor. I had a bit of wood going MIA myself this winter, I figured it had to have been one of the neighbors. While I was gone they backed up to my piles behind the shop and loaded up.
Now I got a chain across the driveway. They may still get some from me, but they are at least going to have to really work for it, or tear their truck up.
Preferably I would love to see them back into the chain in the middle of the night and tear something up!

 

[woodbooga]

wdchuck, as far as I know, township roads in WI are 33' from the centerline, and county highways are 50'. I'm not sure about State, Federal highways or rules inside a village/city.

I do know that "here" in my township anyway, and trees removed from the right of way are offered to the landowner first. Now if the township would just get here and drop the 2 dead ones I have leaning over the road before I get too tempted to see if I could drop one on a car ...

Ditto here. The utilities or the road agent contact landowners to determine whether the wood is wanted or not. A lot of times, "wanted wood" is left log length. Or else it is cut into 4' sections and tossed on the other side of a stone wall.

Otherwise, the unwanted wood is left along the right of way. Again in 4' pieces, free to the first taker.

I've learned that it's always best to ask permission. Not just because of incurring some bad hoo-doo by scoring ill-gotten gains. Instead, homeowners are almost always delighted for me to haul away the nuisance wood and invite me back to do some cleaning up elsewhere on their land.

 

[polexie]

With rising gas prices, more and more people in this crowded piece of land, are getting a woodstove or fireplace. When i am cutting for community service, about every minut, people come to me and ask whatever i will do with the logs, branches, everything.

Most of it is taken away by truck, where a truck cannot come, a chipper comes in.

If it lays overnight, 90% is gone, even willow. If i need some wood for myself, have to get it the same day and store it in my backyard or they will steal it.

Once there was a guy who lives some blocks away and he wanted to get free firewoods during the night with his wheelbarrow. Was the last time he ever tried, the cheap f#ck. Hate it when people wanna get things which do not belong to them.

Lex

 

[outdoorlivin247]

A couple of years ago a friend and I had cut up a large White Oak top...Spent most of the morning and early afternoon on the small limbs...Decided we would come back the next day to get the trunk...Got there the next morning and somebody cut the rest of it up and took the gravy wood...I was a little pissed to say the least...

 

[willsaw4beer]

It happened to me twice last year... Both times on my property, both times I wasn't home... Which is good for the thieves, cause I would have shot their balls off.

I don't leave anything firewood, dirt bike, etc in plain view. I think if I caught somebody trying to steal anything I'd be quite tempted to turn em into dog food.

 

[Caz]

I don't mind thieves myself. They are a little hard to get started, but toss a little stale pre-mix on em, and they burn nicely : )

 

[willsaw4beer]

i don't mind thieves myself. They are a little hard to get started, but toss a little stale pre-mix on em, and they burn nicely : )

:d

 

[husky455rancher]

that sucks man. i only cut what i can take just for that very reason. people will rob you blind if they get the chance.

 

[peterc38]

Sorry about you getting ripped off.

For this reason my woodpile is guarded by my 180 .lb security guy "Thor"

 

[johnha]

Folks and tree people in these parts typically leave logs for the taking on the edge of the road. Typically the last sevaral feet (12' in my locality) near the road belongs to the township and you are given an easement.

So if your ditch is right beside the road and you left it there that would be like saying 'free wood' around here.

 

[redprospector]

I have to deal with wood thieves pretty often. I thin private property for a living, and usually my customers want me to remove the wood.
Last fall I had a couple of decks of wood waiting for me to remove. One deck was logs under 14" (to fit through the processor), the other deck was some pretty nice saw logs.
When the thieves hit, did they get into the firewood deck? No, they had to start cutting up my saw log deck. It wasn't enough to just cut what they could haul, they cut up everything they could get to, and probably hauled off 2 pickup loads.
The funny part was that the trees to be cut on that job were marked with a unique color of paint. I happened to see some firewood in someone's yard with that color on it. Sooooooo, I stopped and we had a little chat. We came to an agreement, and I agreed not to mention his name (has a position in town), but if I came up missing anymore saw log's I was coming after him.
So far, so good.

Andy

 

[porta mill]

i would cut the rest of the stump down and set up a motion censored game camera catch the in the act then hopefully you can find out who they are then go lay a beating on there a%% . I guess I am lucky so far haven't had this problem . hope you find the sob's.

 

[Austin1]

I myself, Am a wood thieve! lol Or I felt that way as the hard work was done already. I was out fishing a few years ago and they were doing some selective logging seem's it was only big older Pines and Spruce. I asked what are you guy's going to do about the chunks left in the ditch by the road? The Skidder operator said take them, the truck driver said they were too short to load. The wood was about 20/24'' and 4'/5' long. So I started to cut it up into 16'' pieces, then a truck pulls up with a bunch of loggers and they through the wood in the back of my truck! I think they came as they were older men and herd my Sp 105 echo through the woods?
I think it was 15 min and and I had a load of wood!
I did offer to buy a round of beer at the closest town but they had work to do.

 

[qweesdraw]

I sell bundles in my front yard on the (honor system?),seemed a few folks were putting in a dollar and grabbing 2/3/4 bundles.
Put up a camera and a driveway alarm( $15 @ harbor freight), it just didn't seem to get a license # at night,but the minivan yes.
#2 got lazy one night and didn't go out time same guy.
Had the Husky 41 warmed up (with a totally spent chain) when it was about time for him to come again.
#3 I took out his 1 sidewall on a Michelinhttp://www.arboristsite.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
I told him to call the cops ,The camera don't lie! took my wood back and that $1 and walked away.
Mark
P.s haven't heard from the cops and this Quality customer has not returned!!!

 

[willsaw4beer]

I sell bundles in my front yard on the (honor system?),seemed a few folks were putting in a dollar and grabbing 2/3/4 bundles.
Put up a camera and a driveway alarm( $15 @ harbor freight), it just didn't seem to get a license # at night,but the minivan yes.
#2 got lazy one night and didn't go out time same guy.
Had the Husky 41 warmed up (with a totally spent chain) when it was about time for him to come again.
#3 I took out his 1 sidewall on a Michelinhttp://www.arboristsite.com/images/icons/icon12.gif
I told him to call the cops ,The camera don't lie! took my wood back and that $1 and walked away.
Mark
P.s haven't heard from the cops and this Quality customer has not returned!!!

 

[gtu160]

Correct me if I'm wrong, If the wood is sitting in a ditch in front of your house, I'm taking that there's a road there? If so around here 5 to 10 feet is state rd, so maybe the persons didn't steal it. I had wood stacked 4 feet from the road with signs and no problems for 3weeks. A lot of times a tree will drop and a DPW will cut and roll the tree off the road. Next time go to wallmart and pick up a few signs, they will say on them no removing from site.

 

[Dalmatian90]

I'm taking that there's a road there? If so around here 5 to 10 feet is state rd,

It really varies from state to state, and even within a state depending on practices in place when the road was established.

Some places public highways are genuine right-of-ways -- the public has a right to pass over them, but the land underneath the road is still owned by who owns the property over which it runs.

On the other extreme, some roads are owned fee simple -- even if they stop being used as a road, the municipality / state would continue to own the land underneath them.

 

[John D]

I have got 300 ft of road front,and a survailence camera watches when im not home,(even when im home too),if somethings amiss or missing, i just roll back thru the tape,and see who took it and when. That camera has caught some nice deer walking past,and a few big dogs,and fox,but since ive had it,no ones messed with my property.
I admit that around here big wood left in the ditch is free for the talking.Not to sound harsh,but you cut it up and left it there,its like leaving the front door open for the theives,and complaining when they steal something out of the house.I'd chalk it up to lesson learned,if you want it,dont leave it in the drop zone where utility crews regularly drop,and leave wood for the taking.

 

[stihl025]

A friend of mine posted a sign near the woodpile that read, "Smile, you're on candid camera." I guess the psychological factor that they may be caught on tape seems to keep them at bay. No problems since.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

If he split it with an axe you know he worked for it.

It could have been worse, he could have waited till you had dragged it out and split it before stealing it.

If it makes you feel better, take comfort that someone with greater needs has a warm house for his kids tonight or he could sell it for a few bucks to put food on the table.

Not saying it is right that he didn't come to your door to ask but I found I sleep better at night giving away wood I didn't need than to think they stole it from me.

Tools on the other hand is a different matter. They have to find a body before they investigate or prosecute.