How you protect your farm from theft???

[FarmWrench]

Maybe I have been lucky.

I've been me. I'm very well known it the town that my farm is very prominent to. I'm known as a nice guy. I've been to a lot of the homes with the fire department. My wife was elected to the very contentious town board and served eight years. My kids are popular and very well behaved and respected, yet not the least bit selfish or snobby. Hunters are welcome as long as they don't be an @$$°. I'm eager to help.

I've also been me. I've legally slaughtered every dog that worried my sheep and had the dog warden bill for damages. Three of the most brazen, belligerent "tuff guys" with reputation for taking what they want are scared of me. The simple question, " What jury wouldn't find justification for defending myself? Find one person to testify that you haven't threatened them and then find one I have ". Random scrapers(guys looking to " clean up" case the place) have been surprised when I eagerly take them to the least profitable junk pile with poison ivy and I toss off my shirt (revealing the Glock, and I'm not susceptible to poison ivy) and help them load then ask to see their driving license. While they dig rotten tin out of poison ivy I copy their information as they worry that they will end up in the truck sized hole I dug next to the pile of old tin cans they are loading. Any hesitation to my questions ends my nice attitude.

 

[Sprinklerman]

My wife saw this one

 

[timster2]

When I first bought my place I set up some IP cameras, not expensive ones but functional. I asked the real estate agent, who passed by the place on her way to the office, to make a loop through my driveway after it snowed to leave some tracks. That way it would appear that the house was occupied and deter "visitors". When the real estate agent passed through my cameras would send an immediate email with a picture. After sending the emails to her office before she arrived the word spread that the place was not unprotected.

Since then I have acquired several junk cameras and placed them around the place in the open with the real ones concealed. Several trail cameras as backup as well. Cameras watching other cameras. Whenever someone stops by when not at home I let them know I know they were there by virtue of the cameras. Even the delivery guys like UPS and FedEx have noticed and remarked about the cameras. Once it is known the "local" kids know to stay away. The most effective camera is the one prominently in the front window next to the door, if you look in the window to check the place out the first thing you see is a camera looking back at you, by then its too late I've got your mug shot by email!

Its time to re do all my cameras and am looking into upgrading to HiDef somewhere along the line. I like the idea of IP as I am familiar with that and would have a hard time running wires. Just waiting to find the right solution for my needs.

 

[boggen]

there are a few threads here on TBN on how to secure a place up.

with you not being on site, and away for a long time. it gets rather ugly. once you start adding stuff for security... it starts adding electrical, to internet type of thing, which starts incurring a long term monthly bills.

if you lived on property it might be one thing, or even a few miles from property. but not being able to check things it gets ugly quickly.

renting the land out = renters are in charge of area.

=============
IP based cameras that record via custom computer made to record a bunch of video streams.
vs
a DVR style setup.

a DVR style setup more likely handle things better. more talking about the dvr software vs PC side software.

motion activated recording. can get you in bad shape for amount of hard drive space needed. leaves / twigs from trees activating, to wind blowing the grass.. err weeds if not around for months.

regardless of situation you will be sinking a good amount of cash into a system. amount for system plus upkeep. vs paying for better insurance...

WARNING be careful of ebay security systems, lots of scams.

 

[Fawken]

I guess I must be an amateur, and a good friend of mine who works for SLED here in SC who also uses IP during drug surveillance is also a amateur. If you cant tell, I took offense to the amateur comment as I am by no means a amateur. People like the idea of being able to be away and be alerted to issues at home. They also like the fact that they have 24hour recordings of events that may have happened. I also do not post anything about my cameras on my property like. Less said the better they work. I also install for others that ask. So far none have had any issues even when away from their homes. I also use battery backups in case of power outages so they can still be viewed at anytime. So to be called an amateur is a little harsh. Thanks..

Everything you just mentioned, internet and smart phone viewing, 24 hr recording, battery back-up and full HD resolution is available using a DVR and DVI or TVI cameras at half the price of using IP cameras. And with a whole lot less installation time. I only install cameras for the FBI, National Guard, and friends these days, but I installed the systems at most MLB parks in the United States as well as all of the Kroger and Ralphs stores from Texas to California. If you took offense, well I'm not sure what to say. I was replying to the OP not installers who get settled into doing things a certain way in spite of constantly evolving technology.

 

[EddieWalker]

A locked gate and a fence are a good first line of defense. When somebody does drive up my driveway, I go up to them and find out what they are doing on my land, and make it very obvious that I'm taking down their license plate number or lately I just take a picture of it with my phone. Then I listen to their story. Most seem to be just nosy and wanting to see what's going on here. Others tell obvious lies, like they are looking for their friend who used to live here, or they lost a dog, but then don't know what breed it is or what it looks like. I cant say how many where looking for something to steal, most looked like respectable people, but a few had that tweeker look to them that made me wonder.

Our next line of defense are two very large, very loud and very aggressive American Akita's.

I have lights on my buildings that are on all night. I feel that most thieves are cowards and they do not want to be seen. Lights on at night time discourages them.

And of course, we are all armed and we have a lot of experience shooting things

 

[KiotiKowboy]

I never buy 4 channel DVR's. There is no property that can be protected with just 4 cameras. The cameras need to form a protective ring, whereby each camera is actually being recorded by another camera along with covering the perimeter. Here is a an 8 channel. You'll find the price diff between 4-8 channel negligible: LTD8308T-FT LTS H.264 Dual-stream Video Compression 8CH TVI DVR Support Both HD-TVI and Analog Cameras- Directron

Are you saying you run cable everywhere for CCTV?

 

[MossRoad]

And of course, we are all armed and we have a lot of experience shooting things

Ah Texas! :thumbsup:

:laughing:

We have lights and an alarm system, among other things. At our old house, we had an alarm system, too. It only went off once, and paid for itself right there. Someone parked down the street and we could see their footprints in the snow going car-to-car, garage-to-garage, checking doors. Our garage door was an old fiberglass door. They cracked the fiberglass, reached in and pulled the cable to open the side latches. When they raised the door, the alarm went off. Man, the footprints were reeeeeeal faaaaaar apaaaaaaart as they ran back to their vehicle and left.

Lights, alarms, someone to hear the alarm (or be called) are all necessities these days. We have good, close neighbors, too. Out in rural areas, you don't have the neighbors to see your place. That's where a cell phone alarm system comes in handy to call you and email/text you when the alarm goes off, many times with pictures. If you never use it, you are lucky and if it ever does prevent a theft, it pays for itself, sometimes many times over.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

I lock my gate. I lock my barn. I'll have motion lights and recording cameras when the house is finished. These are just the everyday practical things but they won't stop a serious thief.

I insure EVERYTHING and I sleep well.

 

[MossRoad]

I lock my gate. I lock my barn. I'll have motion lights and recording cameras when the house is finished. These are just the everyday practical things but they won't stop a serious thief.

I insure EVERYTHING and I sleep well.

And that's the rub... serious thieves! Its like anything that is not in someone's immediate physical possession is community property free for the taking. :thumbdown: