A Sheridan couple was perplexed and creeped out by trail camera footage showing a masked bandit pilfering their campsite in the Bighorn Mountains over a four-hour period early Thursday.
Tammy Cote of Sheridan told Cowboy State Daily that, while no high-value items were stolen, it was “weird” to know that someone had been lurking around their campsite while they were away.
Never Any Previous Problems
Cote and her husband have camped on Red Grade Road near Sheridan for about a decade. They’ve never had any previous issues with camp bandits.
They frequently left their camper and other belongings there while working during the week and enjoyed it on weekends.
They also make it a point to move it every few days, in accordance with US Forest Service regulations that prohibit occupying a camping spot for more than 14 consecutive days.
In addition to being their favorite summer retreat, it is also their hunting camp, so they frequently leave trail cameras there.
“We’ve always set up a trail camera there because you never know what animals will appear in the photos. “I never expected to see photos of a person on there,” Cote said.
Night Intruder
The camera first caught the man creeping around the campsite around 1 a.m. He appears to have wandered in and out several times. The final photos were taken around 5 a.m.
Cote said the man was wearing a ski mask, leather gloves, and a headlamp.
There is no evidence that he attempted to break into the couple’s camper, she said.
He opened and pawed through a storage box on the back of an ATV parked at the campsite, stealing an electrical cord, according to Cote.
In another photo, the man appears to be fleeing with something tucked under his arm.
Cote declined to go into detail about the items discovered missing from the campsite.
She stated that she did not report the incident to the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office because nothing of significant value was stolen and she believes deputies have more pressing cases to investigate.
When contacted early Tuesday, the sheriff’s office and U.S. Forest Service law enforcement reported no recent campsite burglaries in the area.
What Was He Doing
Cote claimed she has no idea what the intruder’s ultimate goal was or why he kept wandering in and out of camp for so long.
“It definitely gave camp a different feel” when they returned, she said, adding that they had decided to relocate their camp.
Nonetheless, Cote stated that she and her husband are determined not to let the creepy incident spoil the rest of their summer or the upcoming fall hunting season.
“We’re still going to camp and enjoy the mountains,” she told me.
