# How to prevent theives from stealing fence posts



## Osteve (Apr 13, 2012)

Thieves stole my treated 4x4 fence posts.
When I first installed my property fence I decided to use wooden posts rather than galvanize metal posts, thinking they (thieves) wouldn't bother with wooded posts, wrong. I am now thinking of using metal posts filled with concert ( can't sale them for scrap metal).

Any ideals on how to go about discouraging thieves from stealing fence posts?

Nearest neighbor is @2 miles away, and I am not out at the property every day -- @10 acres in the Mojave. 


-Osteve


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## bsmit24 (Dec 31, 2012)

Either steel pipe filled with concrete as you mentioned or make a plywood form make concrete fence post.


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## Osteve (Apr 13, 2012)

I like the idea of building concerte posts. Cheaper than metal posts (@$7-8) per post. Reusable plywood frame,1 rebar per post. Will need to price rebar.


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## Osteve (Apr 13, 2012)

Any suggestions on how to construct a reusable piywood form and dimensions ?

4x4 or 4x6 posts?


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

Osteve said:


> Any suggestions on how to construct a reusable piywood form and dimensions ?
> 
> 4x4 or 4x6 posts?


 ..............You could build two forms...........each side shaped like a ...'C'....! So , if you plan to hang field fence on the outside face you'll have to figure out what kind of method to attach the wire to the post . Personally , I'd use cement post(s) for the Hbraces and T's for stretching wire and use Tposts as line posts ! I'd put a piece of say one inch pipe in the center of the cement post to give it rigidity . The forms donot need to extend into the post hole , they only need to extend down below the soil , far enough to prevent the cement from running out of the form when you're pouring cement into the form . 
...............I would consider using some kind of large metal clamps to hold both forms together so when the cement is cured the forms will separate with a minimum amount of work . , fordy


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I like the idea of "concrete" posts; however, I would create them differently. I would get a couple of pvc pipes (4-6 inches in diameter) and cut them down the middle lengthwise. (This would create the "rounded" posts most useful for fencing.) The 2 pieces can easily be pulled together around rebar that was stobbed into the hole and can be wired together, making taking them off simple once the concrete has cured. (I would also take a much smaller piece of tubing...most anything...and run it thru the pvc pipe at 3-4 places from bottom to top. When the concrete has cured and the pvc removed, these little holes can be helpful in attacing your fencing to the concrete, i.e. just run some wire thru the holes and tie your fence with it.)


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## Shin (Mar 25, 2014)

I suppose you could throw in a GPS tracking device to follow the post after they swipe it and let the police know.

Or you could brand them in some way to make them clearly identifiable?

Just guessing at ideas.


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## Eaglewerks (Apr 4, 2015)

My family is somewhat familiar with the area, having had relatives living in the 29 Palms area for many decades. I have personally owned many plots of land in the Western US and also in the Midwest. Some I lived on, some I did not. It is entirely possible you are dealing with some sort of activist that thinks the desert should not be obstructed with fencing and such. Other possibilities are scavengers, thinking they are taking some material that has been abandoned. An additional possibility is that you are fencing on some other person's property. Make sure you are at the EXACT location of your property, and not infringing upon some other person's property. Until you establish a more permanent presence there, I would simply place markers at the EXACT corner points of your small plot using standard T-Posts made from metal, using the tallest (usually 6.6') available at your local building or farm supply store. They should cost you no more than about $4 each. Then once the posts were driven in to their proper depth (about 2 feet or more driven into the soil) I would then place one additional post on each side of the property corner, about 20 feet distant from the corner along the property line. Place a well-used tire around the corner post and let it lay flat on the ground. Tag the corner post with a small "Do Not Remove" tag or notice. 

Most areas that I am familiar with were not fenced except for small areas within the property around perhaps a dwelling forming a small yard or around a few chickens or such, but actual corners were marked in the fashion I have described. Good luck on your new homestead. Do your best to become very friendly with your neighbors.


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## watcher (Sep 4, 2006)

I was thinking you could drill a couple of holes in the bottom of the post, put some rebar through it then set the post into a large hole full of concrete. Be a lot of work to do it but a lot more to someone wanting to steal it.


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## Osteve (Apr 13, 2012)

Lots of good ideas, some sort of cement posts is the way to go.
The property is posted and the fence is well inside my property line no question about that. And other people in the area have their property fence.
Just posting will keep some people out. A good % of people will respect a fenced property. its the other ones, one needs to worry about.


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

here is a picture note the hinges on the ends,

put a rebar or two in each post,


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

Is there any place to put a game camera? Sure would be nice to find out who is doing it. How do you know they same people wouldn't be out to help themselves to whatever you had on site if you were building a home? They might even be very "friendly" people. (?)


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I think the forms need to be oiled each time.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I have been following this thread but have been confused from the start about the actual theft. 
Are these posts being pulled up after being set? Are the stealing them from the site before they are set? Are they cutting them off at ground level? 
If they are being pulled up, a deadman can take care of that. Stealing from site means better security. Cutting is the only reason I can see for cement posts, which have their own set of issues. I remember seeing a 100 foot length of concrete fence posts settling and tipping year after year because they were set in the ground like a wooden post without a proper base. As they were never perfectly straight, their own top heavy weight drove them over.


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## Osteve (Apr 13, 2012)

They (wooden posts) had been pulled,(set in concrete) and also broken as they pulled them out. The only reason I can think of, they want to reuse them or resell them. Not much good to them broken. All this is a along @600 yards, along the roadside (dirt road).


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Can you hide a game camera there ?


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Weird, just weird. Around here it takes a backhoe to pull up posts wholesale. I have pulled a few by hand and it was hard work.


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

Osteve said:


> They (wooden posts) had been pulled,(set in concrete) and also broken as they pulled them out. The only reason I can think of, they want to reuse them or resell them. Not much good to them broken. All this is a along @600 yards, along the roadside (dirt road).


 ............Were it me , I'd switch from wood posts over to used pipe.........3 inch OD for all my corners , H's and T's , and 2.5 inch OD for my line posts . This design is called "Pipe and Toprail" , where you weld a top rail(2.5 inch pipe) to all the line posts and when you stretch wire you are working against the Collective strength of ALL the posts . This would require a lot more effort to remove the posts from the ground . 
............I would hire some one to watch my fence line to preempt any theft , while I was home during the construction phase . It is certainly cheaper in the long run than having someone steal all my materials . , fordy


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

Osteve said:


> They (wooden posts) had been pulled,(set in concrete) and also broken as they pulled them out. The only reason I can think of, they want to reuse them or resell them. Not much good to them broken. All this is a along @600 yards, along the roadside (dirt road).


............Were it me , I'd switch from wood posts over to used pipe.........3 inch OD for all my corners , H's and T's , and 2.5 inch OD for my line posts . This design is called "Pipe and Toprail" , where you weld a top rail(2.5 inch pipe) to all the line posts and when you stretch wire you are working against the Collective strength of ALL the posts . This would require a lot more effort to remove the posts from the ground . 
............I would hire some one to watch my fence line to preempt any theft , while I was home during the construction phase . It is certainly cheaper in the long run than having someone steal all my materials . , fordy


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## Osteve (Apr 13, 2012)

fishhead said:


> I think the forms need to be oiled each time.


What type of oil?


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

It helps to know who the local criminals are, and at some point have a heart to heart talk with them, letting them know exactly how much you value the life of thieves...


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## farmerted (Dec 21, 2012)

break some glass and glue it to all the posts.


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