A Sheridan couple was baffled and creeped out by trail camera photos 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 though no high-value items were taken, it was “weird” to know that somebody had been creeping around their campsite while they were away.
Never Any Previous Problems
Cote and her husband have camped in the spot – up Red Grade Road near Sheridan, for roughly a decade. And they’ve never had any previous problems with camp bandits.
They have frequently left their camper and other items there while working during the week and enjoyed it during the weekends.
They also make sure to move it every few days, in accordance with U.S. Forest Service rules that prohibit occupying a camping spot for more than 14 consecutive days.
In addition to being their favorite summer retreat, it’s also their hunting camp site, so they usually leave trail cameras there as well.
“We’ve always set up a trail camera there, because you never know what kind of animals you’re going to see in the photos. I never thought we’d see photos of a person on there,” Cote said.
Night Intruder
The camera first caught the man creeping around the campsite at about 1 a.m. He apparently wandered in and out several times. The final photos were captured at about 5 a.m.
The man wore a ski mask, leather gloves and a headlamp, Cote said.
There’s no evidence he tried to break into the couple’s camper, she said.
He opened and pawed through a storage box mounted on the back of an ATV parked at the campsite and stole an electrical cord from it, Cote said.
In another photo, the man appears to be making off with something tucked under his arm.
Cote declined to describe in detail the items discovered missing from the campsite.
She said that she did not report the incident to the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office because nothing of any great value was stolen, and she figures deputies have more pressing cases to pursue.
When contacted early Tuesday, the sheriff’s office and U.S. Forest Service law enforcement had no recent reports of campsite burglaries in the area.
Trail cam photos captured several image of an unidentified masked man creeping around a campsite in the Bighorn Mountains in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday. (Reader photo: Tammy Cote) 
Trail cam photos captured several image of an unidentified masked man creeping around a campsite in the Bighorn Mountains in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday. (Reader photo: Tammy Cote) 
Trail cam photos captured several image of an unidentified masked man creeping around a campsite in the Bighorn Mountains in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday. (Reader photo: Tammy Cote) 
Trail cam photos captured several image of an unidentified masked man creeping around a campsite in the Bighorn Mountains in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday. (Reader photo: Tammy Cote) 
Normally, a trail camera that Tammy Cote and her husband set up at their campsite in the Bighorn Mountains captures photos of wildlife, like this doe deer and her twin fawns. (Reader photo: Tammy Cote)
What Was He Doing
Cote said she has no idea what the intruder’s ultimate motive 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 decided to move their camp to another location.
Even so, Cote said that she and her husband are determined to not let the creepy happening ruin the rest of their summer, or their upcoming fall hunting season.
“We’re still going to camp and enjoy the mountains,” she said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
