Preventing Theft of Cage Traps

My 10 acres of land is right next to a big box store (like a Target) and is also overrun with rabbits that like to chew on my recently planted trees. Trapping the rabbits has greatly helped reduce their numbers, but now I'm running into problems with 2-legged vermin stealing the traps. I've tried hiding the traps, but they still disappear. I engraved my property's name on about four different spots on the traps, but they still keep getting stolen, so I'm wondering if anyone has any good ideas as to how to secure the traps?

Right now, I'm thinking about digging a hole about 3 feet deep, filling the hole with concrete and then putting a metal bar in concrete. The wire mesh cage trap would then be placed over the bar, and a lock would prevent the trap from being removed from the bar. Here's what AI thinks it would look like.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to improve this design? Considering the traps are only $15-20 each, I'd rather not spend more than the price of the trap on security for them.

Chaining them to a big tree sounds cheaper and easier, if there are any mature trees.

I'd be inclined to catch the miscreants on a game camera and figure out what's going on. Maybe you can solve the people problem without more physical security.

Chaining to a tree or something similar is the easiest option, but trees aren't always nearby. Look into earth anchors. Commonly used for trapping, it's basically just a washer or something similar, attached to a cable, that gets driven the ground. When it gets pulled up, the anchor turns sideways and sets, and it's there permanently until you dig it up. They're seriously strong. You can hook a truck to one and you'll usually break the steel cable before you pull the anchor.
https://irontrailtrapline.com/collections/staking-systems

BTW, tagging your traps is likely a legal requirement where you live, and can help in catching thieves.

John, are you sure it's 2-legged vermin and not 4 legged? Coons have moved a friend's live traps before - and figured out how to release them! Coons could smell a hidden trap.

That is where a trail cam would be useful! Unfortunately, if your guess is accurate, the cams would disappear also!

James Bridger wrote:BTW, tagging your traps is likely a legal requirement where you live, and can help in catching thieves.

The traps might be removed by the authoritative.  

I hope you find an answer and let us know who it was and how you stopped it.

Jay Angler wrote:John, are you sure it's 2-legged vermin and not 4 legged? Coons have moved a friend's live traps before - and figured out how to release them! Coons could smell a hidden trap.  That is where a trail cam would be useful! Unfortunately, if your guess is accurate, the cams would disappear also!

I'm sure it was 2-legged vermin. Several traps have disappeared without a trace. If it was racoons moving them I would have found at least some of the them on the 10-acre property. I have had traps damaged by racoons, but if those get moved at all it's usually only a few feet.

As a test, I tried chaining a trap to a tree in a spot I expect a lot of 2-legged vermin. It will be interesting to see how long it lasts.

Anne Miller wrote:

James Bridger wrote:BTW, tagging your traps is likely a legal requirement where you live, and can help in catching thieves.

The traps might be removed by the authoritative.  
I hope you find an answer and let us know who it was and how you stopped it.

I wish it was the authorities taking the traps, that would be an easy fix. Unfortunately, there are two main reasons I doubt that it is conservation officers taking the traps. First, my property is registered with the state and has a year-round trapping permit from the department of natural resources. Second, it's only ever been one trap that disappears at a time. Usually I have 5-6 traps out at the property so I'd expect a government official who took one trap to walk around a bit and find at least a few of the other traps.

I wonder if the disappearing trap has a rabbit in it? Maybe somebody thinks they are doing the right thing, relocating the poor darling innocent bunny. Or maybe they're putting it in the stew pot.

Is your property line clearly marked as "private property?" Maybe somebody thinks they are preventing private mischief on public land. People get strange notions sometimes.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:I wonder if the disappearing trap has a rabbit in it? Maybe somebody thinks they are doing the right thing, relocating the poor darling innocent bunny.

That was also my thought ...

I hope the mystery will be solved.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:Is your property line clearly marked as "private property?" Maybe somebody thinks they are preventing private mischief on public land. People get strange notions sometimes.

I doubt it's do-gooders thinking that they are preventing mischief on public land. The traps are engraved with "Property of [Orchard Name] Orchard"  and there are row after row of mulched trees (i.e., it looks like an orchard). See below.

So far, the trap chained to the tree is still there. It's been about 24 hours, and based on the tracks left in the snow somebody walked by it with their dog, and the trap was not touched.