Ok, another question for you long-time NM hunters. I'm trying to get a feel for my new home State.
I've lived in many parts of the country and have never had so many people warn me of theft issues as when I moved to NM. Moving to NM, my concern over theft quickly turned to almost panic as all new acquaintances immediately started warning me about rampant theft (at least in Albuquerque area). I met people on the hiking trails who would immediately warn me about theft when they learned I was new in the area. Usually they warned me two or three times and say "nothing is safe", "if you think it's safe..., it's not. Folks told me about people taking groceries from their cart while they were putting them in the trunk. My insurance agent said that thieves steal ANY vehicle...., it doesn't have to be a certain make or model, or even a nice car. A neighbor here had someone pull into their yard at night, hook up their RV and drive away never to be seen again. I had fresh tire tracks in the snow pulling up to my camper at the same time although I had a hitch lock. Another acquaintance had their camper taken while they were at a campsite (although that happened in S. CO).
So......, I've been pretty concerned when I'm hunting in NM about whether my stuff will get stolen or not. Based on the theft situation in Albuquerque, I worry about the rest of the State. Will my truck be broken into. Will thieves come into my camp and take anything not bolted down? Do thieves patrol hunting areas looking for opportunities? Please advise if you have experience leaving your camp/vehicle unattended in NM backcountry areas.
In California, I once had someone break into my truck while I was parked quail hunting. Also, in California someone burned a couple of vehicles (luckily not mine) that were parked at a wilderness trailhead parking lot. That's been my only bad experience to date.
Is this something I should be particularly concerned about in NM????
I've lived in many parts of the country and have never had so many people warn me of theft issues as when I moved to NM. Moving to NM, my concern over theft quickly turned to almost panic as all new acquaintances immediately started warning me about rampant theft (at least in Albuquerque area). I met people on the hiking trails who would immediately warn me about theft when they learned I was new in the area. Usually they warned me two or three times and say "nothing is safe", "if you think it's safe..., it's not. Folks told me about people taking groceries from their cart while they were putting them in the trunk. My insurance agent said that thieves steal ANY vehicle...., it doesn't have to be a certain make or model, or even a nice car. A neighbor here had someone pull into their yard at night, hook up their RV and drive away never to be seen again. I had fresh tire tracks in the snow pulling up to my camper at the same time although I had a hitch lock. Another acquaintance had their camper taken while they were at a campsite (although that happened in S. CO).
So......, I've been pretty concerned when I'm hunting in NM about whether my stuff will get stolen or not. Based on the theft situation in Albuquerque, I worry about the rest of the State. Will my truck be broken into. Will thieves come into my camp and take anything not bolted down? Do thieves patrol hunting areas looking for opportunities? Please advise if you have experience leaving your camp/vehicle unattended in NM backcountry areas.
In California, I once had someone break into my truck while I was parked quail hunting. Also, in California someone burned a couple of vehicles (luckily not mine) that were parked at a wilderness trailhead parking lot. That's been my only bad experience to date.
Is this something I should be particularly concerned about in NM????
