What has everyone done to prevent trail cameras being stolen,

 

I left one camera out over winter on a spot I was seeing some really good bucks,...trying to see what made it through the season.  The camera was as far in as you can get from the road 40+acres up a very steep lill 7-9% grade.   Had it out 3 or 4 weeks and went to check it and it was gone.   This is on a 80 acre private lease surrond by private agriculture land.   So odds are it was one of the neighbors?

 

What is the best method to secure cameras?  

I have a metal security box along with the master lock python cable. I don't think that its fool proof but it deters people just passing by from snagging it. that being said i don't know if there is anything that is 100% effective if someone really wants it they will take it. I also got a label printer and put my contact info on it, might make people think twice about stealing it, makes it seem more personal. plus if the person that stole it just took it because they don't like the placement they at least can call and give you a head up to move it instead of being rash.

My first camera was out for about two months and then disappeared. At this point I'm not sure if it was stolen or if a bear carried it off. I bought another camera and then a bear ripped it off the tree and gnawed on it. I've built my own metal boxes and then I padlock them with the python cable as well. I haven't had one stolen/destroyed since. There are other things you can do if you know that someone is purposefully taking them. Setting up a decoy camera is a decent idea. Have one camera very visible(hopefully not an operable camera) and then camoflage and padlock a second camera so that it watches the first and can't be seen.

Nothing more frustrating or disheartening that having a trail camera go missing when you are looking forward to big buck pictures.

Thanks for the advive guys no bear in the area so don't think it was that.    Had the cameras up all season and left two out at the end to see what made it through.   One of the two went missing,....the neighbor has a stand on the property line 80 yards away in full view of the camera so why would someone take the camera and not mess with the unsecured stand in plain sight?

mabey it was the neighbor