A sure sign winter is coming

Bert · October 20, 2014, 12:36:02 PM

I was in my "family" car coming home from the store and drove past the dirt road where our current logging job is. I saw a truck coming out the road at a high rate of speed and then saw the back was full of firewood poles in my rearview mirror. Already suspecting what happened, I turned around and drove back the dirt road to our site and sure enough the truck had went up into our log yard and helped himself to our firewood stash. >:( I had some set aside to haul home for myself and there was a pretty good dent in the pile. He must have been a pretty stout dude as most of the poles were 8' long and hard maple or oak around 8" diameter.

I never saw the truck before but if I see it again there will be troubles.

drobertson · October 20, 2014, 01:22:10 PM

Thief's have no season,, hate this for you, but I was hoping you were speaking of the smells in the air! Acorns are abound! love the smell.

Chuck White · October 20, 2014, 01:26:29 PM

I hate a thief!

Really takes some brass to steal someone elses firewood! :-\

Bert · October 20, 2014, 02:02:21 PM

I agree the best months of the year end in "..ber". I enjoy the sights and smells too. The worst part about the whole situation was the theft. If he would of stopped while I was there I would have given him the wood for very little money and loaded it on his truck with the loader. I've done it a hundred times for honest people who ask. I wasn't counting on the wood for my home, but I would rather burn it than donate it to some unappreciative punk for the work that goes into getting it to the landing.

Magicman · October 20, 2014, 02:05:41 PM

I hates a thief. :-\

WmFritz · October 20, 2014, 04:17:06 PM

It's too bad it had to come this, but maybe a trail cam or two at strategic locations. That worm may think he found easy pickens and may be back for another load.

goose63 · October 20, 2014, 04:53:22 PM

fire wood thief's need a DanG good horse whipen >:(

Peter Drouin · October 20, 2014, 08:09:31 PM

thecfarm · October 20, 2014, 08:10:41 PM

Don't get me going!!!!! >:( >:(

Gearbox · October 20, 2014, 08:33:36 PM

One of them got into our Birch vernier log pile 10 years back . Talk about $200 a cord firewood . Gearbox

OntarioAl · October 20, 2014, 10:22:58 PM

About 15 years ago one got into my Birch veneer bucked it up and took it away. I hates thieves!!!Al

woodmills1 · October 21, 2014, 06:26:09 PM

I call them wood pirates

Corley5 · October 21, 2014, 07:39:42 PM

I was coming back from log landing and went by the entrance to the landing where the firewood machinery is set up and noticed that the fresh tire tracks only went in. I had Dee's vehicle not a crummy and saying the trail is muddy is an understatement so I started walking in after I called and told someone where I was and what was going on. I was wishing I had my .45 with me. I got half way in and came across the bow hunter's truck parked on one of the pullouts. I recognized it and have talked to them. So it ended well ;D ;D ;D Thieves suck!!!!

Ken · October 21, 2014, 08:06:14 PM

I've piled my personal firewood at a woodlot down the road for the past few years without any problems. Had over a cord of dry, split wood stole the week before I was to put it in >:(. That property will have a gate next year

Billbob · October 22, 2014, 04:46:22 PM

Quote from: Bert on October 20, 2014, 02:02:21 PM
If he would of stopped while I was there I would have given him the wood for very little money and loaded it on his truck with the loader. I've done it a hundred times for honest people who ask.

Real curious isn't it Bert! Why people feel the need to steal. Most don't realize that 9 times out of 10 if you want something and offer the owner something, you'll get what you want. And it doesn't have to be money. Barter something! Labor, furniture, time .....whatever! I never feel that I've earned my keep unless I've broken into a small sweat. But then again that's just me.

Southside · October 22, 2014, 05:41:22 PM

Maybe find a stick to pour about a pound of black powder into and wedge shut. Then leave the bait stick in a very tempting place. Either the thief finds it and dumps the rest of his wood haul or he finds it and buys a new stove.

Shotgun · October 22, 2014, 06:34:16 PM

Quote from: Southside logger on October 22, 2014, 05:41:22 PM
Maybe find a stick to pour about a pound of black powder into and wedge shut. Then leave the bait stick in a very tempting place. Either the thief finds it and dumps the rest of his wood haul or he finds it and buys a new stove.

I agree that having someone steal your firewood is hard to accept, however I would call this solution inappropriate. You might kill or injure a child or perhaps several, or the thief's innocent wife. :

WH_Conley · October 22, 2014, 07:51:33 PM

Also a guy with a badge will coming to talk to you, followed by the thief's lawyer. What you want to do and what you can get by with are 2 different things. I have had a lot of stuff stole over the years. The most recent was the copper pipes out of a rental property.

Southside · October 22, 2014, 11:29:14 PM

I did say it half in jest, but in all honesty, I don't think there would be any liability, if I were to place a stick of wood on my own property that I had filled with powder, give it away, throw it into the thiefs truck, or sell it different story. Really no different than burying a nail stick in my own gravel road to take out a trespassers tires.

Bert · October 23, 2014, 06:19:11 AM

QuoteMaybe find a stick to pour about a pound of black powder into and wedge shut. Then leave the bait stick in a very tempting place. Either the thief finds it and dumps the rest of his wood haul or he finds it and buys a new stove.

:D Cant say something along these lines hasn't crossed my mind. The problem is, the lazy thief probably has his wife or kid put the wood on the fire and they would be the recipient no doubt.

I have an older non working game camera I put about 15' off the ground and a sign on the same tree warning against trespass, surveillance etc. I didn't bother putting up a working camera because I think it will come up gone also.

I live in a good area, but kids like to ride quads on this particular dirt road and well, kids will be kids. I've had some problems with equipment at the site in the past. The windows got broken out of my loader truck and wedges, ether etc thrown off the skidder. Nothing was ever stolen before now.

I caught two kids doing donuts in the log yard one day throwing mud everywhere and out onto the township road. Makes my site look real nice ya know? One got stuck trying to get away when I pulled in and started yelling. I threw a shovel at him and made him clean the road. Never saw them again.

Anyhow, maybe my camera will ward off an honest thief.

ely · October 23, 2014, 07:39:10 AM

We had one of our switch yards at work stripped of copper Sunday nite on Monday we regrouneed some of the capacitor banks and a breaker...Monday night the came back and took the temporary grounds and everything else they could cut loose. One day they will cut the wrong wire.

LeeB · October 23, 2014, 07:43:05 AM

You can only hope.

mart · October 25, 2014, 03:19:26 PM

The black powder in a chunk of firewood might be a bit extreme but a guy could get a small bottle of skunk essence, available from any trapper's supply, and conceal it in a piece of firewood. It usually comes in one ounce glass bottles so you might have to put it in a small plastic bottle to be sure it melted in their wood stove. smiley_airfreshener

SPIKER · October 25, 2014, 11:18:24 PM

last weekend, I had some wood hauled off, good 3 pickup loads worth from the woods. Had ad on CL for 30 bucks a load so had a couple guys stop by one was up road a bit. Well Sunday I seen multiple paths across yard into woods and went looking to see who/what had been done. Trailer and tractor took a good pile of downed wood out of there. Called neighbor with tractor and he said it was a orange trike. hummm, neighbor up road so went up there and sure enough orange tractor setting in yard and I pulled in. Ok guy walking across his yard see's me & comes over to speak and I said hey. Guess ya stopped by my place for some wood>?

Yep said he only got one load sure... he gave me 25 for the wood (tandem axle trailer full of my wood still setting and a pile tossed in shed too. >:(

So he said he saw me up there today and was going to stop but had his granddaughter & wife in car... ??? So anyhow he asked how I knew I said well camera caught the travels as well as the neighbors told me about the AC orange tractor & I knew who had one in neighborhood so I came looking! ;D Guy didn't seem to know what to say 8)...

hope he wont be back & doubt he will now he knows I have eyes watching...