Firewood Bandits!!

[lumberjach]

Anyone have firewood stolen off job sites? I have been in buisness 8yrs and never had it happen untill the past year. Its happened several times where the customer wanted the firewood, called me after job was done askin me if I took it. Once it helped me out. A fellow arborist got into a fistfight with some guy cuz he "claimed it"(to nobody). my buddy did the job so naturally he wanted it. Just crazy to me cuz just a few years ago, I couldnt give it away.

 

[RAMROD48]

Anyone have firewood stolen off job sites? I have been in buisness 8yrs and never had it happen untill the past year. Its happened several times where the customer wanted the firewood, called me after job was done askin me if I took it. Once it helped me out. A fellow arborist got into a fistfight with some guy cuz he "claimed it"(to nobody). my buddy did the job so naturally he wanted it. Just crazy to me cuz just a few years ago, I couldnt give it away.

I did a clean up job for a logger once...pulled all the tops out with my ATV, had about 100 cords (worked on it for an entire summer)...wasnt there for about a weeks time and went in there to start processing and found it ALL gone...the logger had told another guy he could have a few cords...

so few=100...just FYI...

I was beyond pissed off...could have killed the other guy...claimed he took a truck load or 2...

 

[flewism]

I few years ago a friend of mine had about 1-1.5 cords worth of rounds taken off his lot within 24 hours of it being bucked up. He dropped the trees, bucked them up and went to work as he works afternoons. The next morning they were gone? I don't think he ever did find out who did it.

 

[Circle B MN]

I always make it a point never to cut more than I can carry. Even if I'm going to just run home, unload, and come right back. There is always just enough time for somebody to snatch up your rounds.

 

[alderman]

I've had just a bit taken. I learned never to leave any rounds behind as the lazy SOB's will grab that rather than cutting there own. One of my favorite times was when a guy tried to run me off my own property claiming I was cutting his wood.

 

[Mike PA]

Like all the others, I cut only what I can take. If I do cut more than I can take, I leave the big rounds behind. Those have been left for weeks with no one bothering because it is work to load them.

I have not had any of mine stolen, but I found a guy cutting on a pile of wood that I had permission to cut from. He told me that "Bob" sold him a "permit" to cut off this pile. He even had it with him. "Bob" does not own the land or wood pile, nor does he even know the owner of the land. So, talked to the landowner, who dealt with it himself. Did not kick the guy with the permit off, as he thought he had done everything right.

 

[fields_mj]

One of my favorite times was when a guy tried to run me off my own property claiming I was cutting his wood.

You wouldn't think that you would run into much of a problem out in the woods, but I've heard enough from enough land owners to know better. I have permission to cut on 3 farms, and I've run people off of two of them (for hunting, not cutting). That's my favorite thing about ALWAYS being armed. I've never had an argument with anyone. I tell them to leave and they go, no questions asked. On one of the farms, there's a general rule for hunting in that you have to park in specific places near the owners house depending on what part of the property you are hunting. That way he and other hunters know where people are at. If he finds your vehicle on the side of his property, he gets the tractor out and takes your truck to the barn lot, puts it on blocks, and promptly removes the rims. You don't get it back until the sheriff comes out, at which point you get your vehile back, but you can't drive it because the sheriff escorts you to jail for tresspassing. Then, while you're in jail, your truck gets towed so you have to go pay to get it back. I really like that particular farmer

As far as having wood stolen, never happened to me. I generally cut the left over tuff that's too big for anyone else to want, and I cut in the dead of winter most of the time when no one else wants to be outside. I suppose that helps a lot

 

[turnkey4099]

I, too, never leave anything unless it will have to be at least noodled to load. I did loose two trees once. Permission to clear cut a patch a fire went through and killed everything. Agreement was to leave a clean area, all brush piled. Came back one day and found two trees down. One almost gone but signs of hIm haveing to ax chop his saw out of a bind. The other just left lay as to detiorated to use. Of course no brush cleaned/piled.

Posted it with "Warning - a theft report has been filed. If you a caught in here you will be arrested". No more problem.

Harry K

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Right around the corner from my house, a new home is being built. For the last 3 weeks or so, there's been a pile of small rounds just sitting there. About 16" loong, and most run 4-8 inches. Just a car lenght up the driveway, and nobody there most of the time.

There it sits.


Well, yes, I plan to drop by and ask... Been working too late these days to see anybody there.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Right around the corner from my house, a new home is being built. For the last 3 weeks or so, there's been a pile of small rounds just sitting there. About 16" loong, and most run 4-8 inches. Just a car lenght up the driveway, and nobody there most of the time.

There it sits.

Well, yes, I plan to drop by and ask... Been working too late these days to see anybody there.

Neighbors around here pile up logs in front of the house near the curb. Usually they put a "Free" sign next to it. Within a few days it disappears. If no "Free" sign is up, it usually takes about a week longer.

 

[jcappe]

Once

Last year on my own property was the only time I've had any stolen. It was down at the river bottom farm. I felled two dead ash trees and two dead maples all right by each other. Bucked all four up and took one truck load home. Went down a couple of weeks later and the rest was gone except a few rounds that were under snow and they didn't see. I'm guessing they would of had 3 or 4 truck loads. The thing that chaps my arse is they had to drive about a 1/4 of mile back to it. Either ballsy or stupid, maybe both.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Last year on my own property was the only time I've had any stolen. It was down at the river bottom farm. I felled two dead ash trees and two dead maples all right by each other. Bucked all four up and took one truck load home. Went down a couple of weeks later and the rest was gone except a few rounds that were under snow and they didn't see. I'm guessing they would of had 3 or 4 truck loads. The thing that chaps my arse is they had to drive about a 1/4 of mile back to it. Either ballsy or stupid, maybe both.

Nothing is worse than that. You lost all of your labor, wear on your equipment, all of your heat from the wood, and property that you once owned. The infuriates me. Consider a sign next to your wood that looks like this instead of a "Free" sign:

I can get to you faster than you can get back to your truck.

 

[Winn R]

a guy tried to run me off my own property

The same thing happened to me!!

They said it was Ga Power land and their Uncle, a Ga Power employee, had already taken a load out.

The manager of the district office was interested in the story. I got a load of wood delivered and stacked at the house two days later!

 

[Circle B MN]

Nothing is worse than that. You lost all of your labor, wear on your equipment, all of your heat from the wood, and property that you once owned. The infuriates me. Consider a sign next to your wood that looks like this instead of a "Free" sign:

I can get to you faster than you can get back to your truck.

I totally agree with your post, but that dog sure does lack character when it comes to being a deterent. I'm sure a half of bologna sandwich later that ole dog would help load the truck....

 

[nixon]

I totally agree with your post, but that dog sure does lack character when it comes to being a deterent. I'm sure a half of bologna sandwich later that ole dog would help load the truck....

It's a pit bull wearing a happy ,docile dog suit ! Many a lame firewood thief has fallen to this ploy ,and never a word has been heard from them since !

 

[Wood Doctor]

I totally agree with your post, but that dog sure does lack character when it comes to being a deterent. I'm sure a half of bologna sandwich later that ole dog would help load the truck....

That's the meanest picture I could find of Lady, my flat-coated retriever. She's surprisingly territorial and the best watchdog I've ever owned. She sees and hears better than I can, and she has a terrific nose. Her bark is a deep baritone, similar to a Lab's bark. Being black, she's hard to see at night, and I suspect that's when most firewood is stolen.

Most watchdogs don't need to be attack dogs. All they need to do is scare the he77 out of the thief and sound the alarm.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I totally agree with your post, but that dog sure does lack character when it comes to being a deterent. I'm sure a half of bologna sandwich later that ole dog would help load the truck....

Yeah, and thank you for dropping by!

I had a flat-coat like that. Worthless! Well, as a deterrent, anyway. A good friend, though.

 

[Iska3]

I always make it a point never to cut more than I can carry. Even if I'm going to just run home, unload, and come right back. There is always just enough time for somebody to snatch up your rounds.

If it's split, it's in my trailer or stacked so far back in the woods that no one will take it. A few weeks ago I over loaded our trailer so I left a few smaller rounds out in the open until we came back the next day. GONE!!!

 

[Wood Doctor]

I always make it a point never to cut more than I can carry. Even if I'm going to just run home, unload, and come right back. There is always just enough time for somebody to snatch up your rounds.

+1. This happened to me about five years ago, I cut to length a whole bunch of ash rounds at a drop off site. I carried away a truckload and left at least a half truckload behind that I decided I would pick up the next morning.

All of them were gone the next morning. Never again.

 

[StephieDoll]

Only had a round of really nice black walnut taken once. It had great grain and even the sap wood was black. I hope they made somthing nice with it. Homeowner heard them, but thought I was back to pick the rest up. Oh well, still great fun.

Stephie