I am sorry that  happened to you. I had someone  steal two nice feeders I built one  time, my parents live  right  there on the  land. I've  said  it  before  and I will say it  again, "if  you want to steal from me  I will call 911, best bring the cleanup crew too."

i have been hunting in west texas for 30+ years now.  we put a lock on the front gate to the ranch this year.  this is my 6th year on this ranch.  very few places had locks until recently.  in the old days they did not call the law until it was time to pick up the scum.  today not as many landowners live out on the ranches and i guess the trash has decided to leave the cities and ransack the countryside.  it will take a while to get over the loss, but go have some fun hunting and hope for better days.

Sorry amigo. Lessons need to be taught wit dem sob's

I'm sorry that happened.  Ambush!  If I got another camper, I'd park it, leave all gates unlocked and wait.  Of course, what's the possibility of lightning striking twice in the same spot though?  I hate thieves with a passion.  I never experienced so much crime until I moved to Texas.  We never had to lock our doors or chain our equipment down where I'm from.  That's one reason I may move back.  They don't have police officers stationed at middles school up there either.  What's the bag limit on thieves in Texas?  Does Chapter 9 of the Texas Penal Code apply in your situation?  Good luck.

My wife is allready looking for a used camper, and we will still go back to the ol' lease. I will not allow a scum bag ruin my season. I have allready found a scrape line that looks like ol' mossy horn is close. So I have cleaned the dust off my rattlin horns and I will see what I can find. BUT if you know who should show up and look at my new camper, as John Wayne allways said---WELL HELL WHY NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get a rope and teach the egg-sucking scum some real Texas swing!

Not that it would make any difference to me, but I wonder if the Texas castle law would apply to my camper? After at the lease it is my home!!!!  But rest assured, if I were fortunent enough to meet these "FINE FOLKS" WELLLLL HELLLL!! BULLETTS ARE NOT THAT EXPENSIVE. Money well spent.

I haven't lost anything to that magnitued, but we always have problems with people on the pipeline crews stealing our stuff when they come in and inspect or bushog the pipelines. They stole our feeders, saws, stuff out of camp, etc. and that's with someone living there year round.

This is may or may not apply and it may be outdated

Section 9.41 of the Texas Penal Code

".....§ 9.41. PROTECTION OF ONE'S OWN PROPERTY.  (a) A person in
lawful possession of land or tangible, movable property is
justified in using force against another when and to the degree the
actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to
prevent or terminate the other's trespass on the land or unlawful
interference with the property.
(b)  A person unlawfully dispossessed of land or tangible,
movable property by another is justified in using force against the
other when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force
is immediately necessary to reenter the land or recover the
property if the actor uses the force immediately or in fresh pursuit
after the dispossession and:
(1)  the actor reasonably believes the other had no
claim of right when he dispossessed the actor;  or
(2)  the other accomplished the dispossession by using
force, threat, or fraud against the actor

Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 883, ch. 399, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1974. 
Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, § 1.01, eff. Sept. 1,
1994...."

Got me another trailer yesterday, really burned my backside to have to do it. I will take it down to the lease on Thanksgiving weekend. It will have a hitch lock---(as did the other one) and I will also remove the wheels. It will be a real pain when I have to put them back on to bring it home if the weather is wet and cold. But that will be better than looseing it again.

I've been out here since 1995 and there have never been any problems, until recently.  Someone stole 2 DEAD coyotes off the front fence!  I know, dead coyotes don't compare to a camper but thieving is thieving and I HATE a THIEF!  What kind of throwed off individual would steal DEAD coyotes?  I hope you eventually find the @ssh@le who stole your camper and are able to get a little satisfaction out of the meeting!

William,

Just what a small business owner needs in a slow economy...another expense.  Sorry to hear about your trailer.

It's be nice if they could deal with thieves today the way they dealt with horse thieves back in the "old days".  Quick trial...short rope.

I agree with you David. It is hard enough to make a living as it is without some A---S HOLE helpin me out. Total loss to me after insurance $32,150.00+/-.

william, you might consider placeing a trail cam or two in places they would not exspect like coming in the gate,( licence plates #s) or around camp. sorry for your loss. karma will come back on those guys! or smith and wesson....

Had some people bust trail cams, clip electrical wires on feeders and throw batteries in the field, and steal two 4-wheelers out of a locked trailer on the land I hunt in Midland County. Sucks.

Sorry to hear that Chris, according to our land owner he is having real problems with OIL FIELD WORKERS taking things from the hunters that he leases too. He has filed complaints with law enforcement and the Oil Companies that have contracts with him. Hope that they catch them and word gets around . Other than that, if you should catch one of them, The Sheriff told me to please call them and NOT extract justice myself. He would hate to have to place me in JAIL FOR PROTECTING MY PROPERTY and have some BLEEDING HEART ATTORNEY tell the jury how I had injured the POOR MISTREATED PERSON(S). WHERE IS WEST TEXAS JUSTICE HERE?

William,

I can tell you this - having worked in the oil field most of my life the companies I've worked for have a zero tolerance policy on thievery and that type of thing.  There always seems to be a few bad eggs that break the mold though.  Years ago I used to work on the 6666 ranch in King County when the ranch cowboys caught a guy from another operator stealing horses.  He lost his job right there on the spot.  Then the ranch barred him from ever coming on their place again which meant whether he was convicted or not his one act made him jobless and 'unhireable' in that part of the world.  He either moved into prison or moved out of town, because he was through up there.

Frankly many of us wished they had taken care of him the old-fashioned way, but one way or another he got his due.

David I understand where you are commin from. Please don't missunderstand me, I have worked in the oil patch myself over the past years and I know that most of the people are just hard working folks. But as you said, there is allways a few bad apples. The problem is not just with oil field workers, this applies to every type of business. As I heard one time "IT ONLY TAKES ONE BAD APPLE TO SPOIL THE HOLE BUSSELL." Sorry to rant here, still tryin to get over having to shell out money I did not need to spend right now for another camper----still pissed!!!!!!!!!

William,

If I had just lost what you lost I'd be hotter than a firecracker.  You're really doin a lot better than I would be.

Can't believe that Sheriff told you what he did...my guess is that he feels the same way you do and is just trying to warn you in his own way, but then again telling someone he can't defend his property just adds to the overall frustration of the situation.

I can assure you David, if I were to catch someone stealin my stuff, the Sheriff would just have to put me in jail. I'm from West Texas and we just don't take what don't belong to us. We respect other peoples property and have a ZERO TOLERANCE toward thieves and as--s holes who disreguard other peoples rights and property.

Having lived out there several years myself that sheriff's response is what really surprised me...the VAST majority of folks out there feel the same way as you do, and actually would've helped you track those jerks down.  Some of them might've taken time off work or their ranch to help you.  And a few more of them might've lent you some rope!