securing guns at hunting cabin

[farmbif]

does anyone leave guns at your hunting lodge or cabin?
my cousin, who is closer to me than my own brother, just called and says he might just be getting a "hunting chalet" and acreage somewhere in very rural Montana.
He wants to know if I might want to go on a hunt out there. I was thinking if going to take a couple guns to leave there.
should I be thinking this about this?
I've never had a hunting cabin or a relative that had such a place before.

[dragon813gt]

I have never left guns even though they can be secured and hidden. We only leave things we are willing to lose. And guns aren’t one of them.

[cwtebay]

My vote is a resounding no. Mine is extremely remote, and has been broken into more times than I care to admit. That's through a locked door, with a locked slider over the top, windows have expanded steel over them, and I added security lights before the last time.
However, last time someone broke in they made a meal from a grouse and used some flour, oil, and coffee. They washed the dishes, put them away and left an apology/thank you note with a $50 bill for damage.

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[NyFirefighter357]

I wouldn't but if I did they would be more than is a safe. Hidden somewhere you might even have to disassemble something to find them. Problem with remote hunting cabins is just that, they are remote & rarely used. They make a perfect target for thieves or vagrants. Our hunting cabin isn't remote it's a duplex house off a cul de sac, in a nice neighborhood. Someone that did some work on the property turned out to be a crack head and broke into our utility room and cut all the copper pipes out of the room, well lines & piping for 2 boilers. With me doing the repair it cost about $1,000 to replace which I did with PEX & cast iron circulators. He also pumped the oil out of the oil tank, he was a machine operator & I'm sure he used it for his excavator which he sold & tried to steal back from the guy he sold it too. He did have the como to the gate lock as well which made it easier.

[Bazoo]

I would consider leaving a gun or two, provided I could hide them. Hide them means not under the mattress, but maybe in a hidden compartment under a floor board, or behind a wall, in a secret compartment in a piece of furniture. A half decided wall with a removable panel or top might be just the ticket.

[merlin101]

I have, I left a .22 and a 12ga in the steel shipping container for a year and had quite a bit of rust on them from condensation. Now they stay in the cabin, hidden away both with trigger locks, I know how easy trigger locks can be removed but why make it easier for them? I never leave any guns that are irreplaceable!

[farmbif]

I'm stoked, have only been west three times in my life, once to Texas and twice to the big liberal state. Never seen Montana before.
cousin is a master carpenter and creating a void space somewhere in a wood building would be like Childs play for him.

[Winger Ed.]

Because of the chances of rust, theft, fire,,,,,,, No way.

There's too much to lose for the least little bit of benefit.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Work with a stupid liberal who grew up in Alaska of all places have heard him tell a story of him and friends breaking into a summer cabin and stealing firearms including as he said it a stainless ruger mk2 target pistol claimed he put them back well as he is in his 40's and to remember the pistol so clearly he still has it I would say , My answer do not leave anything you are not willing to lose , Had a baby seat and base stolen out of my van sometime in the last month and I live in a pretty good neighborhood , but ghetto rats have families and they roam and steal .

[DW475]

Better off taking your firearms home with you. No way would i leave firearms in a cabin. No matter how good they are hid.

[Lloyd Smale]

theres a couple old single shot shotguns and a 22 rifle at camp in my locker. If there stolen they can have them. We dont even lock our camp because its so remote all that would accomplish is a broken window or door to get in. Id never leave anything of real value there. But if you want a 200 dollar tv that might bring you 20 bucks used or some old furniture or a rusty old beater gun come on it and help yourself. You need it more then I do.

[dverna]

I would not leave a gun in a cabin. If it was a BOL, I would put the gun in sealed plastic pipe after treating it with a preservative and bury the pipe in the woods. If you keep out air and moisture, rust is not a problem.

[salpal48]

I would not Leave anything in My cabin . Seems to be a no brainer to me

[Parson]

Your choice but recommend even at home remove bolt, trigger group or whatever to render them useless, and either take parts with you or hide in different place

[Cast_outlaw]

I personally would not keep one at a hunting cabin, as it’s easy in both Canada, and the us to transport one. If I had to, a hidden compartment in the floor or wall etc would be your best bet. just make sure they are dripping with some kind of oil that won’t evaporate, or run off. I use fluid film as it never moves from where you spray it and dose not dry. The buried in a plastic sealed pipe is another good method, just make sure you don’t forgot where.

[.455 Webley]

The point here that I don't see addressed is Why? When you factor in all the gear that must be packed for a western by hunting trip 25 lbs for two rifles in a hard case with two boxes of shells each is nothing. Just my experience. Happy that you have a place to go and enjoy the west.

[slim1836]

I worked too hard for what little I have, I would never leave valuables where criminals could take them.

Slim

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Is your cousin going to live in this cabin? Then maybe I could see leaving some guns there.

If this cabin will be vacant part of the time, then how often will you be going to this cabin?
Maybe a couple times a year?
If that is the case, storing guns there seems foolish to me.

...this reminds me, I left a compound bow and acc's at my buddy's place many years ago, we haven't shot any arrows since there was a Bush in the White house, I wonder if my bow is still there?

[Thumbcocker]

How would you feel if your gun was stolen and used in a crime? Some states have laws making it a crime to not properly secure firearms. How about a lawsuit against you by a crime victim? Might not win in Montana but legal fees ain't cheap.

[farmbif]

lots of good points here, In all reality its never good to leave any firearms unsecured. things are not like what they used to be, lawyers and thieves waiting behind every bush for anything they can pounce on. the last hunting cabin I was in was 40+ years ago in Louisiana and nobody but nobody messed with those guys that owned that place
been doing so reading, for what hunting licenses cost there could buy nice new hunting rifles.

[MT Gianni]

While much of Montana is rural very little of it is remote by our standards. I might leave a gun or two in a cabin but it would take a while for most to find it. It would also by nature not be something you could get at easily. I see the advantage of not flying with rifles. If you want to leave something in a cabin make sure that it isn't in something easily identified as a gun container.

[dragon813gt]

I see the advantage of not flying with rifles.
The only advantage is that you don’t have to travel w/ it. I guess another advantage is you don’t have to pay a potential baggage fee. I travel w/ firearms all the time and it’s not a big deal. If you’re going on a hunting trip you will checking your baggage anyway so checking firearms is just one additional step.

[bangerjim]

Fire, rust, theft, vermin, humidity, mud daubers................what many other ways can I say NO! :veryconfu

It only takes a minute to pack a sidearm.....mabe 2 for a long gun!


banger

[Shawlerbrook]

Agreed ! Would you leave money there ? Why wouldn’t you bring them with you ? I might hide a beater 22 or shotgun, but never anything I truly value.

[elmacgyver0]

I don't care what you do with your guns, their yours not mine.

[clintsfolly]

I have left a old Single Barrel 12ga in my cabin and a few boxes of shells for most of my guns. Bought it for $40. And $5.for the case. I figure that someone breaks in Maybe they grab the Guncase and leave the rest of my camping gear!

[ShooterAZ]

I'm in the don't leave them there group. Even a beater .22 or shotgun is not a very good thing in the hands of a criminal.

[Buzz Krumhunger]

I don’t leave any in our cabin at the ranch and I’m typically there 3-4 days a week.

We had a more remote place several years ago. I only made it out there once a week or so. I tried locking the door and travelers from sunny Mexico broke the door down. There wasn’t anything of value in it-my clothes and boots were way too big I’d guess. (We’re about 100 miles from Mexico.)

I sure don’t want to supply thieves with a weapon they can employ against me to steal my vehicle.

[GregLaROCHE]

The problem with stolen guns is the type of people who would steal guns, are probably those you wouldn’t want having them. Besides the personal loss of the firearm, there is the potential that it could be used by the thief or sold to someone who would use it to commit a crime. Everyone has the responsibility to try and prevent their firearms from falling into the hands of those who shouldn’t have them. Do you know where all your guns are or what they are doing tonight?

[cwtebay]

I should admit that I do stash a few guns. I have a couple of bubba's gunshop Mosins and a SMLE wrapped in oil cloth AWAY from cabin. I thought about the stolen gun liability quite a bit and stashed the bolts elsewhere. I'm sure it's possible for someone to find rifle/bolt/ammunition - but the likelihood is slim.

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[slim1836]

I like to insert somewhere a tiny note saying "stolen from ....." wherever I can, like behind the butt plate, or behind a grip. If I sell it, I'll take it out.

Thieves usually don't break weapons down, just use them or sell them.

I still don't leave my weapons elsewhere.

Slim

[10-x]

Burglar Bomb, nuf sed...

[bakerjw]

However, last time someone broke in they made a meal from a grouse and used some flour, oil, and coffee. They washed the dishes, put them away and left an apology/thank you note with a $50 bill for damage.

It's kind of hard to be mad at someone like that.

[jonp]

If you do, buy a waterproof container and bury it .

[jonp]

My vote is a resounding no. Mine is extremely remote, and has been broken into more times than I care to admit. That's through a locked door, with a locked slider over the top, windows have expanded steel over them, and I added security lights before the last time.
However, last time someone broke in they made a meal from a grouse and used some flour, oil, and coffee. They washed the dishes, put them away and left an apology/thank you note with a $50 bill for damage.

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Happened to my grandfather once. Someone got lost snowmobiling and ran out of gas. They broke off the lock, made a fire and spent the night then used a few gallons of gas that was in the shed. Left a $10 bill on the table explaining what happened and apologizing for the locks.

[lightman]

I would not leave a gun in a cabin around here. I've belonged to two deer clubs in the last 45 years. One of them was just off of a gravel county road that was a favorite route between a dry college town and the closest liquor store. We were broken into just about every year after hunting season ended. We never left anything of value there. "Q" Beam lights and Rebel Flags were a favorite item for them to steel. And any cookware made of aluminum or copper.

My current club is also on a gravel county road but its between 2 very small towns that are 40+ miles apart. There are 10's of thousands of acres here that all look alike. I mean theres nothing to attract anyone there and its not on a route to or from anywhere. Traffic is very light there. A few of the guys leave guns there and we've never been broken into. (knock on wood) But I still would not do it personally. Like someone else said, the risk outweigh the good.

[fatnhappy]

I have a place 5 hours away in the Adirondack mountains. It’s 15 miles from the nearest cell signal. It’s been in the family since WWI
Not once have I ever considered leaving a firearm there.

Ymmv