watch out the timber fairies are about again

[farmer_ben]

Awful news, and yeah i think timber is becoming the new scrap. A biggish dead Elm came down on our neighbours land next to a tiny b road, within hours the village hoarder was out there with a bow saw logging it up, I asked if he had the farmers permission and I was 'politly' told he didnt need permission as fallen wood is free wood?!?! Is this a general public opinion?

 

Also, how are these thieves stealing 5m lengths? If they are stealing them whole then I presume a lorry and grab is needed? Surely there cant be that many timber hauliers about that you cant narrow it down to a possible couple of culprits? And if they are using chainsaws surely someone must hear something in the dead of night? My wood yard is pretty remote and I live 4 miles away, but I can hear when someone is up there with a saw.

 

All the best with recovering your timber

[oldwoodcutter]

I may be getting old in the tooth,but ime going to catch the lowlife that keeps loading my cord up one day,and when i get hold of him, i think i can just about remember how to dish out a few internal injuries.

Hope you get yours back.

[Old WoodChip]

smart water it :-)

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

Mark with timber crayons the ends of the wood with business name like "AA" This worked when some stolen here and I matched a large piece of bark with the police from the site to a length of wood on the Ford Transit used in the theft.

 

This was 3.30pm on a Friday afternoon in view of public.

[Eagle]

Cameras and trackers are expensive, but can be worth their weight in gold, if they help you get your kit back.

 

Hampshire County Council put some of those wildlife cameras up high in the surrounding trees to monitor a layby for fly tippers and they were all nicked the first night!

[Mycoman]

As I understand it, cameras must be accompanied by "CCTV IN USE" notices to be legal. Coach hire company near here was having diesel 'borrowed' from the yard but got good full face shots on camera. Police, on getting to the scene, said it's all well and good having film of them, you need to have signs up too. The owner replied "yeah, we've got a notice up there..."

 

What was the first thing to have been nicked...?

[Stereo]

I suspect much of it is done in the broad daylight. Probably a transit tipper with some creative signing boards, hard hats and some high viz waistcoats. Who's going to stop their car and challenge this in broad daylight unless it's the owner of the wood.

 

How many times do we drive past crews of blokes like this 'doing things' and not give it a second thought?

[Stubby]

I suspect much of it is done in the broad daylight. Probably a transit tipper with some creative signing boards, hard hats and some high viz waistcoats. Who's going to stop their car and challenge this in broad daylight unless it's the owner of the wood.

 

How many times do we drive past crews of blokes like this 'doing things' and not give it a second thought?

 

Thats how I had it reasoned. I bet the got a forwarder as well . I hate those scumbags .

[Joy Yeomans]

well - got it all back now - well what they left us! which was just the softwood, all hardwood disappeared so after weighing the job up its cost us and not made anything! - welcome to the world of forestry

 

setup stealth camera, but too late, moved to get the rest back that night and just kept going, but after a tyre ragged to bits its turned into a costly job!

 

next time we will get it out asap and i think marking all the timber ends is a good tip, we have done this before but tought this site was too remote - how wrong can you be, and will also setup the stealth camera

 

thanks for all the replies -

all the best

joy

[garth mc garth]

I had nearly 2 artic loads of hardwood taken over christmas a few years ago, skidded out in in whole tree lengths to an area of hardstanding. Timber was taken whole as there was no sawdust and access gate was untouched so had been craned over a fence. Most gutting feeling ever, all the costs and hard work that go into it for some tosser to take it.