Who the Heck Steals Firewood

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TreeTangler

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I hopped in the truck the other day to replenish my firewood stacks. I have several places where I cut, and I usually block, split, dry, and store most of my firewood offsite. I usually keep a couple cords at the house. So anyway, I pulled into the field and drove to my "landing". To my surprise, I couldn't find my stack. So thinking that all the beer has finally gotten to me, I drove to my other sites just to make sure I hadn't moved it, nope, just stacks of stuff still seasoning. After several trips and searching, I finally admitted defeat. The rest of this years wood is gone.

I called up my buddy, the owner of this particular piece of land to get his thoughts. He definately remembered the stack being there and had an idea of who might have "borrowed" it. I hopped in his truck and we took a ride to this gentleman's place. Sure enough, there was the wood that I had cut, split, and dried to keep my family warm. I could tell by the marking paint on the end of a couple peices in the stack mostly. Now it's very hard to impossible to prove that any wood not stacked at your own residence is yours, so it looks like I'm up a creek without a paddle. All my other stacks are still drying for next year and the year after.

I just can't believe someone would do this. I've had stacks picked through before, they didn't take much. Usually they just take enough for a campfire or something, no big deal. Sad thing is, if someone was hard up I would have helped him out. Just don't know what to do.
 
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Hate to say it.. sounds like it's time to haul all your wood home and store it there..
 
Drive up to the pile and start loading it in your truck. When he comes out tell him you know what he did. Heres the marks and you have him on deer camera. You don't have to have him on camera, but both of you know he took it. So it will be very believable. If he resists, offer to call the police for him, on him.
 
Drive up to the pile and start loading it in your truck. When he comes out tell him you know what he did. Heres the marks and you have him on deer camera. You don't have to have him on camera, but both of you know he took it. So it will be very believable. If he resists, offer to call the police for him, on him.

better be 100% sure he took your wood..
 
id march my angry but rite up to their door and make them help you load up your wood in your truck. then id thank them kindly for watching out for it and remind them that next time they have a good idea to slam their head in a door for an hour first
 
Drive up to the pile and start loading it in your truck. When he comes out tell him you know what he did. Heres the marks and you have him on deer camera. You don't have to have him on camera, but both of you know he took it. So it will be very believable. If he resists, offer to call the police for him, on him.

Funny thing is, I used to put my trail cameras on my woodpiles but they kept getting stolen too! Seems like I'm just too naive and this world really is getting to my little neck of the woods.
 
id march my angry but rite up to their door and make them help you load up your wood in your truck. then id thank them kindly for watching out for it and remind them that next time they have a good idea to slam their head in a door for an hour first

Just make sure you have a good lawyer on retainer beforehand.
 
Funny thing is, I used to put my trail cameras on my woodpiles but they kept getting stolen too! Seems like I'm just too naive and this world really is getting to my little neck of the woods.

It's not just there. Pretty much a universal problem any more, where ever you go. Not just wood, but about anything you leave visible, even on your won property.
 
Just make sure you have a good lawyer on retainer beforehand.

nothing illegal about confronting the guy at least. ive always had a bit of anger management issues tho so i could see things goin south quick
 
better be 100% sure he took your wood..

Oh, it's mine. The land is on a farm so my buddy and his father drive it nonstop. They said they seen him going down to the back field more than once lately in his pickup, they even saw firewood in the back according to the farm owner. I can tell because I'm the only person I know that marks with blue and I remember that exact stack because of some of the events that happened that day. Let's just say it was a learning day for a friend I've been teaching how to cut.

My buddy is pretty pissed about it, he plans on bringing it up to this gentleman. I guess he's worked on, and "borrowed" things from the farm before.
 
nothing illegal about confronting the guy at least. ive always had a bit of anger management issues tho so i could see things goin south quick

And this is my problem. I would not be able to stay level headed while confronting him. Honestly, I didn't even plan to do anything about it. I can't think of any way possible to prove who's wood is really who's. It really comes down to being my fault for being so trusting as usual.
 
It sucks that you put all of the work in and some scumbag gets the benefit from it. Now I am not saying that most of the suggestions to come would be well deserved to this guy, but in most of the cases I think you are going to come out on the wrong end of the law. It would be very hard to turn the other cheek and a number of people just couldn't. The paint marks are plenty enough proof to you but if this should go farther I think you will be swimming up stream trying to prove it. He knows you are on to him so I am thinking, I let him think he won this battle. Further down the road I get even some way shape or form and you can bet next weeks paycheck that I am the only guy that would know about it when it occurs. I am a firm believer in an eye for an eye, just give it a little time to settle down and then even things up with this #### head. JMO!
 
It sucks that you put all of the work in and some scumbag gets the benefit from it. Now I am not saying that most of the suggestions to come would be well deserved to this guy, but in most of the cases I think you are going to come out on the wrong end of the law. It would be very hard to turn the other cheek and a number of people just couldn't. The paint marks are plenty enough proof to you but if this should go farther I think you will be swimming up stream trying to prove it. He knows you are on to him so I am thinking, I let him think he won this battle. Further down the road I get even some way shape or form and you can bet next weeks paycheck that I am the only guy that would know about it when it occurs. I am a firm believer in an eye for an eye, just give it a little time to settle down and then even things up with this #### head. JMO!

im a big fan of propping up a roofing nail on both sides of all 4 tires. bound to get at leas one flat out of the deal. makes me smile every time
 
Spikes in the road for now on would be my security. I don't live in the sticks but a few nails welded together in a anti tank type design would put a hurting on your future dirt bag robbers :msp_smile:
 
It sucks that you put all of the work in and some scumbag gets the benefit from it. Now I am not saying that most of the suggestions to come would be well deserved to this guy, but in most of the cases I think you are going to come out on the wrong end of the law. It would be very hard to turn the other cheek and a number of people just couldn't. The paint marks are plenty enough proof to you but if this should go farther I think you will be swimming up stream trying to prove it. He knows you are on to him so I am thinking, I let him think he won this battle. Further down the road I get even some way shape or form and you can bet next weeks paycheck that I am the only guy that would know about it when it occurs. I am a firm believer in an eye for an eye, just give it a little time to settle down and then even things up with this #### head. JMO!

NO. That doe's not work unless they know who did it and why, but can't prove it like you.
 
It's too bad that crap happens up there. I was planning an early ( i quit) and moving up there in the side of a mountain.
 
It's too bad that crap happens up there. I was planning an early ( i quit) and moving up there in the side of a mountain.

Right behind you, or in front, however it works out. I think, overall, it's still a better bet than where I am.
 

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