THIEVES!!!

Wow. I'd like to think that couldn't happen.
Did you confront them in any way? "So - I see you had your fire - where did you get the wood?"
The camera is a good idea (but sad that you had to get it).
Others have posted putting a mark on their splitter that dents the end of the wood with a symbol/design, so all your split wood could be identified.
Or spray painting the ends of your wood after it's stacked.
Or keeping a dog near the pile.

I just don't want to believe people would knock, walk away, and then come back and steal the wood.
Hope you don't get robbed again.

I'd be knocking on their door and dropping off a bill for the wood. I wouldn't bother asking them anything. If you are sure they took it, tell them they took it and you want your money - $1000 per cord sounds about right to me.

In the meantime, the trail cam is a good way to go. Even if nothing gets stolen again, always fun to see what kind of critter activity is going on out there at night. Go to the range, throw a nice tight group on a target, note that the distance from house to woodpile is less than the distance was from the bench to the target, laminate it and tack it onto the front of your pile.

put a sign out that says "ONE of these pieces has dynamite in it. guess which one..."

I haven't had any firewood stolen, but someone did help themselves to my splitting maul left on my pile. Jerks

Trail cam MIGHT be a good idea.

First, it must be an infrared camera, otherwise the flash would allow them to pinpoint where the camera is and then it is bye, bye trail cam.

Even if it is infrared, there still is a red light which comes on when taking the picture. Depending upon how it is mounted whether they see it or not. Also infrared cameras have limited range in dark periods.

I suggest fastening the camera high in a tree looking down. You won't cover as much area that way but it would keep it out of sight as you don't want thieves taking the camera!

Good luck.

devinsdad said:

9:30 pm Neighbors down the road knocking at the door. Hey do you have any firewood for sale? We are having a bon fire for my friends b day and are out of wood.
9:31pm no I do not sell wood that is to heat my house ( 12 cords of beech)
9:32pm ok thanks sorry for bothering you
6:30am on my way inside with the newspaper I notice one whole corner of the FRONT of one of my stacks gone.about 6 loads of wood huh wonder who stole that? I called the cops but of course I cannot prove anything. They went to talk to them. already knew there names .uhoh. State police said there has been alot of woodpiles being stolen lately in the area. Anyone else having problems with thieves? I was gonna booby trap the piles but am afraid to be sued by the scumbags. I told the cops it would be different if it were january and they needed to heat their home but to burn my hard earned wood in a BONFIRE? I wish I lived in Texas then I could just shoot em.

went down and picked up a trail camera to monitor wood piles. next time a picture will be worth a thousand words

Click to expand...

I work from home.
I'm up early and I stay up late.
Wood stacks are at the end of the driveway. Well within ear shot.

I would like to think I would be able to hear someone pull up into my driveway and you would think I would hear them dumping wood into their vehicle. I would also like to think that my dog would bark. But I guess I will only know for sure if someone tries to do it.

The interesting thing is that people have noticed my wood stacks. When I was at ACE Hardware I was talking about repainting my siding with one of the employees and when the guy realized I had an old house he asked if it was near by. Than he asked if it was before or after the old house with the huge stacks of firewood. When he realized I WAS the house with the huge stacks of firewood he called his buddy that worked there over and said I was the guy with the huge amounts of firewood. The other guy commented on how much firewood I had. They both seemed like nice folks, so I wasn't worried. But it did show me that if there are people out there looking for 'free' firewood I would probably be on their list of 'visits'.

I recently cut up a rather large oak limb that had fallen at the side of my yard, well things got busy and I hadn't had time to move the wood to the slitter pile, next thing I know I am mowing the yard and it is gone except for two pieces. The two pieces left apparently, the p*#$!s couldn't pick up, funny thing was my wife was more upset about than I was.

And some people wonder where those guys get all their "seasoned" firewood to sell. To embellish the thought maybe the guys who sell green wood supposedly as "seasoned" aren't half the thieves we give them credit for. Last winter was long and cold and the forcast for this one is supposed to be a little worse. The theives were busy in my area and a number of people were victimized. Camcorders (plural with panoramic view placement) with zoom lenses and motion sensors might see a jump in sales but then so might sales of chain linked fences and rotweiler type dogs.

Hi -

I have though on this a bit. I marked the end piece on my splitter to each peice split can be ID'd as miy product.

I do occasionaly give a wheelbarrow of wood away for a special occasion (not bonfire) to my immediate neighbors.

I'm also known to hang an occasional target on the woodpile.

Then there are dogs...

The neighbos are quick to send any trees my way.

So far, so good!

I have 2 cords behind my garage that borders an alley. If someone wants it, I would never see or hear them. Good thing is that it is all fresh cut oak and wont burn if it is stolen. Guess Ill have to rely on my neighbors to help me keep an eye on the neighborhood.

DVR system with night vision camera, no infrared needed, I pick off about one wood fairy a month. I would like to go further but that comes under the heading of premeditated. Dry piles are locked up in chain-link, wet stuff out in front of that. Some consolation that it is not going to burn very well. Last guy swore it wasn't him even as the LEO was handing the judge the 8x10

I bought a wireless motion sensor for my driveway that is supposed to have a 300 foot range but it won't work farther than about 50 feet. Even at 3 feet I get too many false alarms.

My 25 year old mcintosh apple tree finally had decent apples this year.


I've picked up a few drops, but was waiting for the first frost.

Took the dog for a walk after dark last night and noticed all the apples were gone.

Not just a couple. All of them.


I'm looking at cameras and basebal bats.

Around here it's the bears that steal the apples. Better make that a BIG bat.

The bears around here have opposable thumbs.

I hate hearing these stories, they also get me paranoid...

I am getting better at creative wood avalanches if you pull the wrong piece.

devinsdad said:

9:30 pm Neighbors down the road knocking at the door. Hey do you have any firewood for sale? We are having a bon fire for my friends b day and are out of wood.
9:31pm no I do not sell wood that is to heat my house ( 12 cords of beech)
9:32pm ok thanks sorry for bothering you
6:30am on my way inside with the newspaper I notice one whole corner of the FRONT of one of my stacks gone.about 6 loads of wood huh wonder who stole that? I called the cops but of course I cannot prove anything. They went to talk to them. already knew there names .uhoh. State police said there has been alot of woodpiles being stolen lately in the area. Anyone else having problems with thieves? I was gonna booby trap the piles but am afraid to be sued by the scumbags. I told the cops it would be different if it were january and they needed to heat their home but to burn my hard earned wood in a BONFIRE? I wish I lived in Texas then I could just shoot em.

went down and picked up a trail camera to monitor wood piles. next time a picture will be worth a thousand words

Click to expand...

Sorry to say this , but You're going to have more problems with these folks . Apparently they don't much care about You or Your property . You told them NO ,and they took what they wanted any way .

Since I built my wood shed I have been concerned about this also. The shed is behind my house so I'm not worried about someone driving up to it and helping them selves but still don't want anyone taking my wood. I got a couple of solar powered motion activated security lights from HF and put them on the shed. They are not the brightest things but do enough to light up the area. I also have a couple of them mounted inside the shed to help me see inside too.

The WoodButcher has an 8' Tall Sasquatch that sleeps behind his main stack of wood. He feeds him berries, compost, and he’s extended a portion of his tarp for shelter.......
Sasquatch loves it. Folks stay away.

WoodButcher

Kids now a days are missing or misinterpreting the phrase Land of the FREE to... (I will just take it because it its not mine , it must be FREE.) Pin em up and let the beatings begin. Capitol punishment anyone??? >:-(

LLigetfa said:

I bought a wireless motion sensor for my driveway that is supposed to have a 300 foot range but it won't work farther than about 50 feet. Even at 3 feet I get too many false alarms.

Click to expand...

Try Dakota Alert motion sensors.
Mine works flawlessly. Only false alarms I get are on really windy days when the bushes on the other side of drive are really swaying with the wind.

devinsdad said:

9:30 pm Neighbors down the road knocking at the door. Hey do you have any firewood for sale? We are having a bon fire for my friends b day and are out of wood.
9:31pm no I do not sell wood that is to heat my house ( 12 cords of beech)
9:32pm ok thanks sorry for bothering you
6:30am on my way inside with the newspaper I notice one whole corner of the FRONT of one of my stacks gone.about 6 loads of wood huh wonder who stole that? I called the cops but of course I cannot prove anything. They went to talk to them. already knew there names .uhoh. State police said there has been alot of woodpiles being stolen lately in the area. Anyone else having problems with thieves? I was gonna booby trap the piles but am afraid to be sued by the scumbags. I told the cops it would be different if it were january and they needed to heat their home but to burn my hard earned wood in a BONFIRE? I wish I lived in Texas then I could just shoot em.

went down and picked up a trail camera to monitor wood piles. next time a picture will be worth a thousand words

Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about your wood, and I hope they can be caught next time.

A trail camera would work... Last year on my hunting property I caught 2 guys on my property without permission.

Another thing you could do... Put up electric fence around your wood stack... and also put up posted signs.

People in my area wouldn't steal firewood, because they are too lazy.

Good-luck!