A dog is a good deterrent. My old boss had his house broken into and had people messing around in his yard at night a few times until he got a dog. It's a 35lb mutt that is actually pretty friendly but she barks. People like that will avoid property with a barking dog in favor of a quiet, unguarded target.

 

One of the two other guys I own the property with lives there, but he's a truck driver and can be gone up to a week at a time, he's got a dog that's actually a damn good watch dog, but he takes him in the truck with him.

I don't leave much up at the farm anymore partly because I can't get up there more than three or four times a year with my mom's health what it is and because I don't need my sh*t getting stolen. Even the house isn't very secure, to be honest if the guy didn't need to live there, it should have been bulldozed down years ago. We basically bought it for the property value of the 38 acres, the house and barn were pretty well dilapidated. But we have trails like crazy to ride ATVs and a 4 acre pond that I've taken up to a 13 lb. bass out of.
The third guy I own the property with is single (although engaged) and has a two story, four bedroom house in town 18 miles from the farm and I have a bedroom in his house for when I'm there, so I leave a lot of my stuff there. We built a garage out in his back yard about four years ago and we now keep our ATVs there.

Ok, enough of the sidetrack, sorry Josh. But this is the "General Discussion" section, LOL.

If I were you, I'd mount a couple of what I call D-rings up front, if your grill guard can handle the weight of the truck, maybe bolt or weld them on there. If you go to pull out and your cable/rope/chain or whatever has a hook, just hook to the D-ring, if not then take out your shackles and attach them to the D-rings...

 

Thanks guys, decided to wrench em down tight and hope for the best. Might eventually weld up TRUE d-rings and keep the shackles ready when i need them. Picked up a 15ft section of 5/16 grade 70 gold chain today as well. i have about 50ft of various tow straps but figure having a chain will be nice at times. think its heavy duty enough? says breaking strength of 18,800lb... Going to get another section if yall think its tough enough. note i will NOT be yanking with it(use of ****** strap for that) will only use it to pull with no yanking.

 

Hammer- pretty sad people break in to your place like that. Hope it never gets that way here. I leave my truck unlocked keys in ignition here.... House unlocked and garage open. 4wheelers with keys in em and trailers unlocked. Haven't had an issue here yet.

 

the 5/16 grade 70 chain is plenty strong. i have about a 16' piece of that i keep in a small rubbermaid box in the tool box. its sort of overkill, but its great for pulling anything, including trucks, logs, trees, machinery... anything you can hook onto or around it.

the 5/16 is a little heavy and overkill. a buddy keeps 2 longer sections of 1/4 chain in his truck and we end up using his more often than mine just because his is longer and not so damn heavy.