Thieves...

[Exeldama]

Regretably i have had some more tools stolen from my wood..... nothing of massive value but not great nontherless.... I hadnt locked everything away or taken it back with me ..rather i tuck things well inside the wood and give a little bit of trust to the world.

I can see that people are looking around even though to do so they must knowingly enter the wood when they shouldnt be there. Originally i was contemplating letting people wander about but shortly after buying it i had some vandalism which put me off...

saddest thing is that one piece of equippement was pretty heavy so it figures that the tea leaf is probably local as a 1000m walk to a car would be needed unless they already had a key to the secure gate., which fits as people from outside the area wouldnt be there anyway..... i wonder if it is one of the same locals who were so suspicious that we (the purchasers) were going to build a housing estate within the wood.... hypocrisy me thinks... any way if i catch the perpertrator it wont be pretty...i have no tolerance at all for thieves.

Question is ... does anyone know how to set MANTRAP...... i dont want it to catch wildlife...just THIEVES...Grrrrr

[Keith Williams]

If it's something heavy and difficult to move, try tracking where it went. The thieves probably weren't too careful about disturbing vegetation/tracks, if it is a local it might still be in their garden or shed...

[tracy]

What a pain! We have also had some petty things going on in our woodland (like glueing locks shut on storage boxes and blocking the public footpath with logs.) All very annoying and sorry that you lost some tools. :-( It is worth reporting it to your local police.

[woodbodger]

There are ways of putting tracers in items an old mobile phone can be used as one I am told.

[athelstan]

This is what I use and it can cause a real "brown trousers" moment especially if you forget where you put it!

http://www.henrykrank.com/alarm_mine.html

On no account use a live 12 bore cartridge.........................

....................on the other hand.

[Kris Hemin]

OK, if we're doing sob stories, and why not, how about this? We sold our house next to our woodland [another story!] moving 30 miles away but keeping the woodland. There was noway we could pack up the 12 foot diameter and tightly sprung trampoline so we moved it into a clearing in the middle of the wood, out of sight from any public lane. This will be such fun we thought, bouncing up between the trees, such silly frolics. Less than six weeks later it was gone. But not even taken in one piece. Three kids were seen carting the steel tubes down to the local village having knifed through the actual trampoline surface which they left in shreds on the woodland floor. Some friends told me of the kids and I told the police but nothing happened, of course.

We've not replaced it!

[Nigel L]

Sorry to hear all the bad news and agree with Tracy its always worth reporting to the police.

I did with my recent lost and had some feedback from them but no significant action

[Exeldama]

Police know already but nout they can do... it wasnt kids im sure as the heavy thing would ahve no use or appeal to them. I have no doubt its sitting in a local garden or farm... if i had the time i would go door knocking.

12 bore catridge.. begger the thought..... i might consider a pit lined with sharpened ash poles though, and maybe a noose attached to a springy branch and triggered by thieves.... maybe even an axe on a hair trigger ready to plummet into someones groin....am i going tooooo far.?

[woodbodger]

I love the idea of the blank cartridge but I am a bit worried: what if I frightened a grey squirrel and it died of a heart attack?

[Catweazle]

Let a couple of local guys shoot in your woods, it keeps everybody out.