Who the Heck Steals Firewood

[Sayheymj]

Can't say I've had my wood stolen, but....

Had my shoes stolen, my crushed alum. cans stolen, my car speakers stolen...but never my wood....A few ladies borrowed it a few times...but that's another story...:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Uncle John]

Take your farmer friend, knock on the thiefs door, say "I'm taking my wood back" He probably won't resist cause he knows he's wrong.
If he does resist, just leave.

Then decide if it's worth pursuing in small claims court.

 

[doug4k]

send him a bill. he will know you know he took it. you might never get paid but you dont have to confront him and take a chance that things go south. protect your family first. some wood is not worth the hassle.karma will take care of him.you definately need to haul you wood away and secure it on your own property.

 

[zogger]

Lemme get this straight. the owner of the land saw the guy trespassing, you go to the guys house and clearly see your marked wood.

Call in the bulls man, state police or not, at least the game warden, they got badges, too. Thats their job, your taxes pay for it. Your neck of the woods dry firewood and heat is pret near a life and death issue. At a minimum it keeps your pipes from freezing. No different from like rustling cattle. If you confront him before the cops get there he ll just hide the marked wood or burn that first.

We had bad poachers here, eventually it got so bad they brought in trailcams and used helicopters and so on to nail them at night. They didnt catch all of them, but enough it scared em off for awhile.

ATVs and trails that are remote and all the kids use them also facilitate the poachers and sneak thieves and the guys who grow plantations on remote areas of other peoples land.

Another thing I have against ATVs.

Up when I lived in white dirt territory I got robbed one day, sled tracks right up to my door. heck with it, right before the next storm I used my big crosscut and felled the biggest dang tree I could find right across the nearest trail. Dang, long time ago, might still the the largest tree I ever did. That slowed em down that winter, no more incursions, and even if they had cut the tree up, I would have heard the chainsaws and got there with my equalizer and told them to F off, private property, or we coulda danced right then if they wanted to argue the point..

There used to be trails all over the property here,, you can still see remnants, and I am not going to open them back up, just for that reason, just makes easier access for the poachers, metals scrappers and sneak thieves. And the off road joy riding loons and kids love to get into the pastures and just tear them up with dirt bikes, atvs, 4wd vehicles whatever and leave ruts...screw em, no access. Fences, and let the trails close up down to you have to WALK. That eliminates 99% of the problems, if they cant drive to someplace, they arent going there, people are mostly lazy now, if they cant ride, they dont go there. The only driveable access in is right down the road I live on. Well, they can cut fences, thats when the bulls get called in again.

 

[Pa Pa Jack]

OUr property in PA is for hunting only. No one lives there and there are no buildings on the property. Several years ago the snow got so bad we had huge downed trees everywhere. We told several of the locals that they could come in and cut any of the wood they wanted for firewood. We got no takers. The next deer season we camped out on the property and hunted. We cut some firewood for campfires in the evening. After the first couple nights, we had a pretty good stack of wood. When we went to town to get a good hot meal and a shower, someone helped themselves to the wood that was left. We cut more wood, and buried several shotgun shells in the wood. That wood also got stolen. But we've never been bothered again. We have a stack of firewood that has been there for two years now, unmolested.

 

[Ayatollah]

OUr property in PA is for hunting only. No one lives there and there are no buildings on the property. Several years ago the snow got so bad we had huge downed trees everywhere. We told several of the locals that they could come in and cut any of the wood they wanted for firewood. We got no takers. The next deer season we camped out on the property and hunted. We cut some firewood for campfires in the evening. After the first couple nights, we had a pretty good stack of wood. When we went to town to get a good hot meal and a shower, someone helped themselves to the wood that was left. We cut more wood, and buried several shotgun shells in the wood. That wood also got stolen. But we've never been bothered again. We have a stack of firewood that has been there for two years now, unmolested.

This is a bad, bad idea. Maybe the initial thief deserves it, but what if he/she takes it home and their unsuspecting kids are the unintended recipient? Or if they sell the wood or give it away to same? Booby traps are mindless killing/maiming devices, and can easily change a simple act revenge into an act of merciless mayhem directed only by chance.

 

[Typhke]

You should always report it stolen. Let the officials know what the farmer noticed (guys with a pickup loaded on his private property) and tell them you know who that person was. If they won't go with you, I would still go there and make it clear you know he took your wood.

Close to my gf, they stole a circular saw on a building site. It's just a small house with on both sides other houses (with families living in it) but they still went on the site and took it. The best part, 2 guys were working on the 1st floor of the building. Heard a car stop, 1 guy got out, took the saw, jumped back in and they drove away. Long gone before they were down from the 1st floor.

Some people just think they can do anything. Don't get it how they sleep at night.

 

[gulity1]

There are a couple of thing you can do that no one has brought up yet soak the wood in motor oil it will stink like hell may be pull of the top layer soak it and then recover. Burn the entire stack where it stands hey its new years eve no one thinks its a big deal every one has a bond fire right? The only reason I suggest these is that johnny law most likley wil not be able to help you, even if the cop is your friend this is a very slipperly slope. May as well get something out of it taking it back is gonna take time and unless he lives alone and you know his schudle that anit gonna work, going to talk to the guy aint gonna work he probly gonna hear you pull up peak out his window see you walking around your wood pile and A) not answer the door or B) come out with a piece and either way you still dont get what you want.

You start loading he calls the cops and now your going to the clink cause your stealing his wood and he can prove it. As far as putting an explosive device in your wood pile in his yard I would not do this, think maybe is neice/nephew is over and then it goes off? I could not live with that could you? To the hell with slashing the guys tires whats the point he puts new tires on it and countiues to steal wood yours, mine, whos ever maybe wait before a snow and litter his driveway with a keg of bent roofing nails then let it snow and hes out side for hours trying to find them all and you and I both know that aint gonna happen. Gotta think ahead plan and think very carfully. Or let it all go find him in the store parking lot and throw him a beating and a reminder not steal anything else? The one thing I can tell you is if your going to throw him a beating make sure that you dont have anything that can be constrewed as a weapon tire bar, bat, axe handle, pocket knife,rope, nothing else wise they can put you up for attempeted murder think

 

[G_P]

Couple pieces with coast guard smoke signal flares would be safe and get him some unwanted attention when thick orange smoke is pouring out his chimney!

Sent from my C5120 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Guswhit]

I feel your pain! It has happened to me 2 times. The first I deserved for being an idiot. The second not so much, I had spent several weekends at my father in laws helping him get his and drug up several cord of dry oak and went back with my splitter but it wouldn't start. I spent 3 days just making rounds while awaiting a part for the motor on the splitter. Now here's the interesting part, inlaws go on vacation in January for 3 weeks, so I head back up with the splitter a couple weeks after processing the rounds, thinking no hurry wood is laying behind the barn, arrive on the scene and actually catch the last truck and trailer load leaving! My own brother in laws! 2 years ago and I still can't hardly speak to them! I just waited for Father in law to come home and let him lay down the law, wasn't pretty from what I heard. They haven't taken any wood from the farm of any kind since. I'm sure your farmer friend will change his thoughts about who is on his land also.

 

[stihly dan]

Can't get much lower than a loser, scumbag, that steals from family.

 

[REJ2]

Your wood, no question about it, but suppose he says " i bought it". He could have bought it from another thief, consider all the possibilities. Short of someone actually seeing him backed up to the pile and loading it makes it a tough one for sure.

 

[Truck4]

What a POS!!! I would still confront him with your buddy present, tell him you know thats your wood, he was seen driveing in out of area with it in his pick up, give him a chance to come clean if not tell him that stuff is free the next time he tries takeing something not his will be met with the same outcome as the coyotes

 

[Tazfreak]

Thieves suck. On the other hand, you should have had this years wood stacked and stored ready to burn. Not randomly piled in the field. Just sayin.

If the wood has your marks, and he was seen taking wood? I say ask where he got it from. He may not see any harm.

All our firewood has a amark where the push plate,a brand if you like ,pushs it through the wedges'It makes the wood identifiable anywhere.Weld ur own special marks or brand on ur pushplate,it,l help with local theives anyway.Think you,ll have to make more secure arangements for your firewood.Too muck work in it by you to have it just stolen by scumbags.Happens everywhere ,lazy folk see a chance to steal something.D,ont give em the oportunity.:chainsawguy: HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

[sdt7618]

Gallon of gas and have a bonfire in his back yard. Your wood you burn it!

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Booby traps are mindless killing/maiming devices, and can easily change a simple act revenge into an act of merciless mayhem directed only by chance.

A little over-reaction, I think. Burning shotgun shells are surprising, but hardly dangerous. The powder and hull burns, and the shot just kind of lays there.

 

[fubar2]

Just wait outside his house till he comes out and nobody's looking. Grab him and whoop his ass. Stomp him into his yard and leave.

 

[TreeTangler]

Thanks for all the support guys! It's been a hard couple of weeks for several reasons including this. Just an update for you guys. I took it upon myself to do some asking around with the law. I talked to a state trooper and a local game warden. They both agree that there really is nothing legally that can be done. In fact, the trooper even went so far as to say that lawfully speaking, the wood is his since it is in his possesion. He told me that I could take him to civil court, but that doesnt even make sense. The warden was very sympathetic and really wanted to help but didn't have a leg to stand on. This instance doesn't fall under what's considered timber theft.

On a lighter note, I've known the farmer for a very long time. He thinks very highly of me and I'm considered family. The whole deal has him disgusted. He went to the theifs house this morning to ask him about it. I was told that the gentleman was defensive and basically acted like a total jerk, which really ticked off the farmer considering all the favors he's done for him. So long story short, he informed the theif that he is no longer welcome on any of the farms property for anything. That and we have full permission to set up for coyote hunting!

I just got off the phone with my buddy about an hour ago. He told me that the theif has moved all the wood to his back lawn from out of the front lawn, so you know he's feeling some heat!

 

[fubar2]

Thanks for all the support guys! It's been a hard couple of weeks for several reasons including this. Just an update for you guys. I took it upon myself to do some asking around with the law. I talked to a state trooper and a local game warden. They both agree that there really is nothing legally that can be done. In fact, the trooper even went so far as to say that lawfully speaking, the wood is his since it is in his possesion. He told me that I could take him to civil court, but that doesnt even make sense. The warden was very sympathetic and really wanted to help but didn't have a leg to stand on. This instance doesn't fall under what's considered timber theft.

On a lighter note, I've known the farmer for a very long time. He thinks very highly of me and I'm considered family. The whole deal has him disgusted. He went to the theifs house this morning to ask him about it. I was told that the gentleman was defensive and basically acted like a total jerk, which really ticked off the farmer considering all the favors he's done for him. So long story short, he informed the theif that he is no longer welcome on any of the farms property for anything. That and we have full permission to set up for coyote hunting!

I just got off the phone with my buddy about an hour ago. He told me that the theif has moved all the wood to his back lawn from out of the front lawn, so you know he's feeling some heat!

That is exactly why I recommended what I did. The thief ain't admitting to it so you don't either when he shows up at the hospital with his face broken.

 

[zogger]

All our firewood has a amark where the push plate,a brand if you like ,pushs it through the wedges'It makes the wood identifiable anywhere.Weld ur own special marks or brand on ur pushplate,it,l help with local theives anyway.Think you,ll have to make more secure arangements for your firewood.Too muck work in it by you to have it just stolen by scumbags.Happens everywhere ,lazy folk see a chance to steal something.D,ont give em the oportunity.:chainsawguy: HAPPY NEW YEAR

THAT ^^^^^ is a real dang good idea right there!! Custom brands, I like it.