no front plates?

[LedJedi]

Got pulled over about 4 weeks ago on the way to work.

Nice HPD officer. He came up to the window and I already had the window down, keys on the dash and hands stacked on top of the steering wheel with license, CHL and insurance in hand.

He told me the reason he pulled me over was no front plate on my truck. I just sort of looked at him like he just sprouted 3 heads. Eventually I said, "really?"

I asked him if he minded if i get out and have a look. So we went to have a look and sure enough the plate was gone along with the mounting screws. I just sort of stared at the mounting bracket for a minute after crouching down to have a look.

I think i said something along the lines of "I'll be <deleted>. <deleted, deleted, deleted>. Someone jacked my plate." I walked around to the back of the truck to check out the back plate. It was untouched. I apologized to the officer and told him I had no idea it was missing. He said "no problem, there's been a rash of these lately, happens all the time." and went on to explain that more than likely they took the front plate only because they probably had sufficient cover to steal it without being seen.

I got back in the truck (didn't want to make him nervous, he was about 1/2 my size). He went and checked me out. Came back in about 5 minutes, handed me the cards and insurance back and said, "i'm not going to write to you up, but be sure and get that replaced as soon as possible. I thanked him for letting me know about the plate."

Overall one of the nicest cops i've encountered.

That afternoon I got online and ordered some security screws for the license plates. When they came in we went and got new plates. Unfortunately the screws only fit the front plates, not the back.

Two days after we got the front plate on again I walked out to the truck in the morning to go to work and the left and right sides of the front plate were both bent at 90 degree angles like someone had tried to rip the plate off. I just smiled and bent the plate back.

Yesterday morning I go outside and see the plate hanging by one screw. They had actually pulled on it enough so that the plate metal around the screw holes bent and popped the plate off over those screws. Apparently they just couldn't get the last screw.

Yesterday afternoon i went to the hardware store and picked up a handfull of washers to put over the plate mounting spots. They would have to take a hacksaw to the bumper to get the plate off now. I also ordered screws for the back plate.

Unfortunately there's not much I can do to catch these folks outside from stake out the parking lot and my situation doesn't allow me to set up a camera in a practical place.

Wrote a letter to the apt complex advising them of the situation and asked that they step up security and advised that their failure to maintain a safe environment for both persons AND property could constitute a breach of contract. I'm sure they got a good laugh out of that.

man, we really need to move.

get some security screws for your plates and go ahead and beat the badguys to the punch and use washers.

was a great leo contact though :)

[Hamourkiller]

A friend had a similar problem and solved it by installing a silent alarm that went off in his apartment when the thief was doing his thing. He went downstairs and introduced said thief to the business end of his 1911.

I am sure you can get the alarm cheap enough these days.

[LedJedi]

<insert sinister laughter here>

i really like that idea.

[Texasdoc]

my car was at the Airport and some one took both front and back plates ,So on the drive home last weekend I was stopped twice and when they ran the VIN and found that the Car was in good standings the last Trooper wrote me a warning that I could show to others that I am working on getting a new set. Oh boy its fun dealing with the County to get a new set .


Doc

[308nato]

I think I 'am going to just Tac Weld mine to the bumper.

[chewy555]

I think I 'am going to just Tac Weld mine to the bumper.

That should stop anyone from taking them.

[Humanphibian]

Don't go welding on them!!!

They are "State Property" and welding them could be considered destroying state property.

I found this out on time when I was younger. I had a tailer with a seamless gutter machine on it that I left parked in my apartment complex overnight on a regular basis. After the third or fourth tag I had to replace I got the bright idea to weld it to the bracket. WORKED GREAT....until I was informed by a Trooper (pulled over for speeding...oops) that I could not alter the plate in any way....which included welding the edges. "That's why we put those nifty little holes in them" he said.

[LedJedi]

for anyone who's interested, this is the website I ordered the security screws from.

http://www.autoetch.net/Do-It-Yourself+ ... crews.html

[barres]

Don't go welding on them!!!

They are "State Property" and welding them could be considered destroying state property.

I found this out on time when I was younger. I had a tailer with a seamless gutter machine on it that I left parked in my apartment complex overnight on a regular basis. After the third or fourth tag I had to replace I got the bright idea to weld it to the bracket. WORKED GREAT....until I was informed by a Trooper (pulled over for speeding...oops) that I could not alter the plate in any way....which included welding the edges. "That's why we put those nifty little holes in them" he said.

Okay, then weld the screws in place behind the bracket. "I didn't weld the state's license plate, Officer. I welded my screws that hold the plate in place!" (Okay, don't use those exact words or the tone I was saying them with in my head when talking to a LEO. )

[Humanphibian]

yea, I ended up tacking some carriage bolts backwards through the bracket to make studs. Put the plate on then tacked the nuts...problem solved

[Hoppes]

Don't go welding on them!!!

They are "State Property" and welding them could be considered destroying state property.

I found this out on time when I was younger. I had a tailer with a seamless gutter machine on it that I left parked in my apartment complex overnight on a regular basis. After the third or fourth tag I had to replace I got the bright idea to weld it to the bracket. WORKED GREAT....until I was informed by a Trooper (pulled over for speeding...oops) that I could not alter the plate in any way....which included welding the edges. "That's why we put those nifty little holes in them" he said.

OK, don't weld the plates. Instead, weld a frame around the plates to your bumper so that they can't be taken off or stolen. Make the frame steel. Design the welded plate so that it covers all the edges of the plate so it can't be pryed out. State should be happy because you didn't deface its property.

H PPES

[flintknapper]

Don't go welding on them!!!

They are "State Property" and welding them could be considered destroying state property.

I found this out on time when I was younger. I had a tailer with a seamless gutter machine on it that I left parked in my apartment complex overnight on a regular basis. After the third or fourth tag I had to replace I got the bright idea to weld it to the bracket. WORKED GREAT....until I was informed by a Trooper (pulled over for speeding...oops) that I could not alter the plate in any way....which included welding the edges. "That's why we put those nifty little holes in them" he said.

OK, don't weld the plates. Instead, weld a frame around the plates to your bumper so that they can't be taken off or stolen. Make the frame steel. Design the welded plate so that it covers all the edges of the plate so it can't be pryed out. State should be happy because you didn't deface its property.

H PPES

At this point... I'd make a frame out of a couple of #4 double long spring Victors.

Any trappers here will know what I mean.

[Hoppes]

Don't go welding on them!!!

They are "State Property" and welding them could be considered destroying state property.

I found this out on time when I was younger. I had a tailer with a seamless gutter machine on it that I left parked in my apartment complex overnight on a regular basis. After the third or fourth tag I had to replace I got the bright idea to weld it to the bracket. WORKED GREAT....until I was informed by a Trooper (pulled over for speeding...oops) that I could not alter the plate in any way....which included welding the edges. "That's why we put those nifty little holes in them" he said.

OK, don't weld the plates. Instead, weld a frame around the plates to your bumper so that they can't be taken off or stolen. Make the frame steel. Design the welded plate so that it covers all the edges of the plate so it can't be pryed out. State should be happy because you didn't deface its property.

H PPES

At this point... I'd make a frame out of a couple of #4 double long spring Victors.

Any trappers here will know what I mean.

Think it would take a size 4? Well, given the circumstance, I think a size 4 would send a more snap-shut message.

I used to trap up in Arkansas. I sold the hides to supplement money I made part time while going to college. Those were the days when a 'coon would bring 25-35 bucks for a good hide up to jumbo, minks would bring 35-45 and bobcat would bring up to 150 bucks.

I remember trapping a branch one winter off the Ouachita River east of Arkadelphia, AR. I had my chest waders on and stepped down into some really cold water. Outside temp was 26 F. I was resetting a Northwoods 1.5 coil springs trap that sprung during the night and it went off on both thumbs. It did not injure my thumbs, but it took some doing to get out of the trap, because I didn't have a free hand.

Water was deep enough that I had to bend over and most of my head went under water. I had to plant my two feet on each side of the coil springs and step on them to release both thumbs. It ouched, but the first thing I did was look around to see if anybody had seen that. It's funny now but wasn't at the time. I reset the trap set and got back to the pickup to dry my head off. It was very cold that morning.

Trap profits Do not amount to that much any more. Those that trap now do so for the love of it. I think an o'possum brings more than a 'coon hide now.

Hoppes

[CHL/LEO]

Back in the late 60s when I was a kid I used to trap Nutria that were invading our stock tanks and possums that were getting into our chicken coops. One night I heard one of our hounds barking and figured I had just caught another possum in the trap by the chicken coop. I got dressed and headed out there with my rifle and sure enough I had caught something all right - a skunk! He had sprayed both the chicken coop and our dog who went to check it out. I shot the skunk and he let loose again. I went and woke my aunt and uncle up and told them what happened. Their reply was: you caught it - you deal with it. What a mess that was. The next afternoon I pulled my entire trap line.

Every Saturday we would head to town for haircuts and of course I would sit there reading Field & Stream until it was time to go. I can't ever recall any of their stories about trapping addressing what to do if you caught a skunk. I do remember we went through a lot of tomato juice on our dog trying to get that stench out. We finally just took some sheep shears to him.

[Hoppes]

Back in the late 60s when I was a kid I used to trap Nutria that were invading our stock tanks and possums that were getting into our chicken coops. One night I heard one of our hounds barking and figured I had just caught another possum in the trap by the chicken coop. I got dressed and headed out there with my rifle and sure enough I had caught something all right - a skunk! He had sprayed both the chicken coop and our dog who went to check it out. I shot the skunk and he let loose again. I went and woke my aunt and uncle up and told them what happened. Their reply was: you caught it - you deal with it. What a mess that was. The next afternoon I pulled my entire trap line.

Every Saturday we would head to town for haircuts and of course I would sit there reading Field & Stream until it was time to go. I can't ever recall any of their stories about trapping addressing what to do if you caught a skunk. I do remember we went through a lot of tomato juice on our dog trying to get that stench out. We finally just took some sheep shears to him.

We would take Green Pine Straw, set it on fire, and let the smoke settle on the skunk scented areas. It would get rid of a lot of the smell. But you would smell halfway like a pine tree. You decide which... I helped a friend do that one day too. He went to feed his chickens and as he went around the corner, a skunk was there trying to steal eggs that had been thrown out of the pen. He raised his tail and started spraying yellow gas.

My friend described a burning throat and eyes and he could hardly breath for a few seconds. Then the awful smell hit set in. He said his eyes burned all day. I ragged him good about that skunk.

We caught very few skunks because we set mostly water/hole and blind sets along small streams and creeks. When we did catch one....When the trap springs, the animal jumps into the deeper water and drowns under the weight of the steel trap. By the time we got there, the smell would be washed down the stream. We would stake the trap in at least 18 to 24 inches of water so that flowing water would just give that drowned skunk a good long bath before we got there.

Mink musk is pretty strong and obnoxious too. Not as bad as a skunk though. I never caught a skunk in a bobcat or fox set though. I caught every possum in the county though. Guess I was lucky.

I think some of the old issues of Fur, Fish and Game might have some articles about what to do when you catch a skunk in a steel trap although I don't recollect which month and year. One of my uncles trapped all his life. He would dispatch a skunk on dry land sets with his .22 rifle and come back in a day to get him out of the trap. He just tolerated the smell. He had to move his trap after the catch usually.

If you shoot a skunk, you will most certainly cause it to release a load of yellow gas. Some say shooting it in the head will most always cause it to spray. Others recommend a shot to the heart/lung with a followup to the head. If you get the skunk before he/she releases, chances are you can deal with the low-grade skunk musk to get it out of your trap. My advice is don't take chances with them. Stand back.

Hoppes