# SD Card Stolen but left Cam



## ssminnow (Jan 17, 2014)

Why would someone steal my SD card from the camera but leave my camera which wasn't locked on? It may not be the best camera out there but well worth taking...brand new!

I doubled checked with a buddy who helps me set the cam up . He was sure as I am that we had put a card in and turned the cam on and hasn't removed it himself.


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## Splitbrow (Jan 17, 2014)

Happens a lot actually. People dont want their picture taken but also dont want to steal the whole camera.


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## ssiredfish (Jan 17, 2014)

If your sure yall didnt forget to put one in there then you have 1/2 a low-life.  Scum enough to trespass(and not want to get caught) but not scum enough to steal material things.  Though if they are hunting your land illegally they are still stealing IMO......

Could even be someone you invited out there once that wanted to come back w/o you knowing.....


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## littlewolf (Jan 17, 2014)

Simple. Their picture was on it.


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## Wild Turkey (Jan 17, 2014)

probably one of your buddies stopped to take a #1/#2 and then noticed camera. Took card to keep you from throwing up.

Happened to me but he didnt see the camera. Shocking to say the least. But now I have some bribe footage for his next birthday.


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## sinclair1 (Jan 17, 2014)

They probably don't steal for gain, but the picture would be easy to recognize around town or by you, so they resorted to theft to cover that they had trespassed. 

These type folks are common, just like the guy who backs into your truck and drives away.


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## ssminnow (Jan 17, 2014)

Sounds like the most logical explanation. Just this year someone started hunting a neighboring property. Its the only property that I don't know the neighbors personally bc its part of an unfinished housing development. 

well, they gonna have to climb a tree to get the next one... 

Many thanks for the feedback


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## Ohoopee Tusker (Jan 17, 2014)

Just a thought, but if they were worried about their picture being on it, couldn't they have just deleted the card while it was in the game camera.

They also could be checking it to see what was on it. Making their poaching a little easier. May have been checking it for some time and returning the card. You just happened to come by when they had it.


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## Milkman (Jan 17, 2014)

Yep, somebody was there and didn't want you to know they were there.  May not have been a bad guy


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## benosmose (Jan 17, 2014)

I'd be glad my camera was there I had someone do that then couple weeks later brought it back and left it on top of camera honest trespasser I guess lol better than a thief for sure


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## Milkman (Jan 17, 2014)

benosmose said:


> I'd be glad my camera was there I had someone do that then couple weeks later brought it back and left it on top of camera honest trespasser I guess lol better than a thief for sure



Could'a been someone there doing you a favor keeping other trespassers out.


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## j_seph (Jan 17, 2014)

sinclair1 said:


> They probably don't steal for gain, but the picture would be easy to recognize around town or by you, so they resorted to theft to cover that they had trespassed.
> 
> These type folks are common,* just like the guy who backs into your truck and drives away.*


Was not me I promise


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## T.P. (Jan 17, 2014)

Milkman said:


> Yep, somebody was there and didn't want you to know they were there.  May not have been a bad guy



If he stoled the card he wasn't much of a good guy.


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## Gamecock Fan (Jan 17, 2014)

Most trail cam have a limited amount of internal memory and will take photos without the SD Card. If yours does you can use the USB cord and link with your computer. May have photos after the SD card was removed.


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## srb (Jan 17, 2014)

How about this puts the card back in the camera, deletes the pics,Then resets the camera to start takeing pics again.......Now you see you don't know what was on it??? For a few weeks-----


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## ssminnow (Jan 17, 2014)

Milkman, we've never had any trouble with trespassing (until this past week) so im not sure how anyone would know that we needed help keeping people out...

do you reckon these thoughtful folks often pull SD cards without permission to investigate issues?


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## T.P. (Jan 17, 2014)

ssminnow said:


> Milkman, we've never had any trouble with trespassing (until this past week) so im not sure how anyone would know that we needed help keeping people out...
> 
> do you reckon these thoughtful folks often pull SD cards without permission to investigate issues?



Can't recall a certain thread right off, but it's been brought up several times on here. It seems theft by GW's is ok.


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## benosmose (Jan 17, 2014)

Don't bother me none if it ain't deer season and they ain't tearing up the world on our club maybe they won't make it a habit


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## rhbama3 (Jan 17, 2014)

I've had it happen 3 times over the years. The first time was an old moultrie that used film and they pulled the film out and left it on the ground. SD cards were taken the other times and the camera door was left open.


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## InBuckHunter (Jan 17, 2014)

You are lucky that is all they did, a SD card is cheap to replace.
I got a picture of a stick in a gloved hand as they jabbed a stick through the sensor lens of my game cam, then tried to steal my 2 person deer stand. Didn't get the stand just messed the lock up, but totaled the game cam.


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## snookdoctor (Jan 17, 2014)

More than once, me, or someone else in camp have set cameras, swearing that we put a card in it, only to find the card back at camp.
It does happen.


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## ssminnow (Jan 17, 2014)

im definitely thankful to still have the cam but not happy to have thieves on any scale, badge or not. 

ive had it happen once before and chalked it up to me forgetting the card. this time i am positive and had someone witness me putting it in. i even called him to make sure lol. i was hoping it was my mistake but afraid not.

thanks gamecock fan, ill check to see if there is any data on the cam.


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## Milkman (Jan 18, 2014)

ssminnow said:


> Milkman, we've never had any trouble with trespassing (until this past week) so im not sure how anyone would know that we needed help keeping people out...
> 
> do you reckon these thoughtful folks often pull SD cards without permission to investigate issues?



I recall a fellow who got a pic of a fellow wearing green one time. Then for a while afterward the camera card would have gaps of missing time where the card had been erased.  Just saying its possible the person who removed the card just didnt want anyone to know where and who they are.  Its obvious he isnt a camera thief.


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## cramer (Jan 18, 2014)

Milkman said:


> I recall a fellow who got a pic of a fellow wearing green one time. Then for a while afterward the camera card would have gaps of missing time where the card had been erased.  Just saying its possible the person who removed the card just didnt want anyone to know where and who they are.  Its obvious he isnt a camera thief.



He or she might be in a witness protection program and could not risk having their pix up all over the internet or could have been following BigFoot and had to trespass in their pursuit and not wanting to be known as a sasquatch chasing trespasser pulled the card while at the same time knowing you guys would probably shoot said sasquatch, out of season, and ditched the evidence or maybe you forgot to load the card and it's sitting in the gap between the seat of the 4 wheeler.
But we need pics or this just did not happen


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## EAGLE EYE 444 (Jan 18, 2014)

Gamecock Fan said:


> Most trail cam have a limited amount of internal memory and will take photos without the SD Card. If yours does you can use the USB cord and link with your computer. May have photos after the SD card was removed.




I do know that most cameras have an internal memory system that is normally there to keep the date and time of day features correct BUT I have been told that you might be able to retrieve a few photos by using the USB cord and link with your computer as well.  I have not had to use that approach though "so far".  I will say that if I had a problem like this and found the identity of someone who did violate my camera, I can assure you that it wouldn't be a good day for that person and it would be the same even if he wore green pants too.  My Father taught me to take care of business when necessary and then go on about my business afterwards  without telling another soul any details.  




snookdoctor said:


> More than once, me, or someone else in camp have set cameras, swearing that we put a card in it, only to find the card back at camp.
> It does happen.




I have a built-in solution that NEVER lets that happen.  I run 10 cameras 24/7/365 and when I approach each camera to change out cards, I always walk in front of the camera and make sure that it takes my photo before I change out the used card and replace it with a new card.  THEN I ALWAYS TURN THE CAMERA OFF BEFORE I OPEN IT UP TO RETRIEVE THE USED CARD AND INSTALL A NEW CARD.  Even after installing the new card, I always make sure that it takes a couple of photos of me and I check the photo count to make sure that it took a couple of photos before I walk away and go to the next camera.  That way, you know the camera is working properly before you leave the woods.  I follow this exact routine every time as I keep very detailed records on battery change-outs, types of batteries used, overall performance of each set of batteries, and based on change-out dates, I include the total number of photos taken on each camera location etc.


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## LTZ25 (Jan 19, 2014)

It was a black panther that didn't want you to put him on the internet .


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## Hunterlee (Jan 19, 2014)

what kind of camera some cameras has a alittle memory storage on then when card isn't in it plug it up to ur pc and see if any pics are on it


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