The gate to a Kiah deer farm has been sabotaged, and police called in, after continued unrest following the Eden Magnet's investigation into illegal hunting.
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And Kiah residents and ethical hunters, brothers Rod and Clyde Thomas, aren't waiting for the authorities to catch the crooks.
This week, they're installing surveillance cameras.
"We've got 60 deer in our commercial deer farm, and someone tried to let them out," Clyde Thomas said.
"They let them out so they can hunt them.
"It's not the first time it's happened.
"In the past we've had gate locks broken, fences cut, and deer shot in their pen."
It is believed the gate was intentionally left open last Wednesday night, August 19.
Two detectives visited the property the following morning.
"They inspected the area and the tyre tracks," Clyde Thomas said.
"The cops have been really on the ball since the Eden Magnet story, but that still hasnít been a deterrent."
Last week, in response to questions by the Magnet, the Department of Primary Industries' NSW Game Licensing Unit advised that camera surveillance activities are being undertaken in the South East, including the area in question."
That obviously doesn't include Mr Thomas' property.
And with trespass and theft continuing to unfold, the Thomas brothers are acting independently.
"We're doing this out of our own pocket, but it's not expensive," Clyde Thomas said.
"You can get good cameras for about $90 each.
"I've bought them for my hunting club before, to record endangered animals for conservation purposes, as well as track feral animals," he said.
But the cameras truly come into their own catching poachers red handed, as Rod Thomas can testify better than anyone.
"I've worked as an undercover investigator for the Mallacoota Abalone Coop for 21 years," Rod Thomas said.
"We've used surveillance cameras a lot to catch abalone thieves, and break up criminal rings."
"It's made our hard work so much easier; recording cars, rego plates, equipment, as well as identifiable faces," he said.
Thanks to surveillance cameras, many crooks have been brought to justice, with Rod Thomas' greatest bust resulting in the seizure of one tonne of poached abalone and the end of a major abalone syndicate.
"We're dealing with sophisticated poachers these days," Clyde Thomas said.
"So we'll be putting the cameras where they'll least expect them," he said.
The Thomas brothers have purchased motion-triggered LTL Acorn 12 megapixel security cameras, which they plan to conceal in camouflage netting, and hollow logs and branches.
The images are stored in SD cards, that Rod says he will check every two days.
"More sophisticated cameras beam their images lives to devices like mobile phones," Rod Thomas said.
"But these ones are great," he said.
"I recommend more people use them."
