Guerilla Stealth techniques

[Corto Malteze]

Here are a few things I think are very important as are so many other things when growing. Please add your ideas too!

- if you made tracks, cover them up (when possible) with some dead branches and leaves. Then find a crawling way in your spot. Having a track is ok but it has to be IN your grow area and not visible from outside (nnedle in a hay stack). A guy may walk there and not seeing any tracks, won't go in. With the track it's GAME OVER. Check your spot in the day time once to see if it's well covered. People follow tracks.

- Use leaves for inside tracks too.

- DON'T leave any garbage as it is very visible from a few feet. If you need to, use a dark green/black bag to put the water jugs in) and hide it. Don't add up a lot of garbage (manage it).

- USE gloves when handling water and leaving it behind.

- KNOW the way and go at night if possible (or early morning/late evening). Sunday morning is a good time. Or in the full heat in the Summer if nec.

and Tell no one of course!

[Corto Malteze]

Tall grass areas make tracks impossible to hide. Use zig zags in such cases but I don't grow in spots like that anymore because of the tracks.

- A thin ROPE is very useful. I attach it in the day and go back at night and find it easily without breaking everything and not finding the spot (really sucks being lost in the forest). On your way out (night with soil etc...), take off rope. BUT make sure you REMEMBER the way because you don't want to get lost next time (no rope).

- Use a COMPASS to find a S-E or W spot. Use the compass when cutting branches too so you know what trees/branches to cut.

[williamspartan]

good thoughts corto. nothing is a dead give away like a well beaten path. also people should never plant in rows. makes it to easy for someone to spot your grow

[sativasam]

I planted on the river bank and will be using waders to walk through the river itself to avoid making tracks. My plants are also half way up the river bank in the middle of a bed of nettles and cannot be seen except from above ie by helicopter. Floods are my only worry on this particular spot as we have had some real nasty floods in recent years, though floods are the exception and not the rule in the area or I wouldnt have planted there.

My second area is near a train track which I have to cross to get to my plot, this keeps many random people well away.

When planting near water courses a large fishing rodbag will be very handy for carrying spades etc without being noticed, everybody ignores anglers. Large 100litre rucksacks are good for carrying compost and bulky soil ammendments discreetly. I also carry my plants in cardboard beer cases to keep them safe and out of sight inside my rucksack.

I also covered the end of cut branches with dirt so they arent easily noticed. The white ends of cut branches can really stand out.

Damaged foliage can be encouraged to grow back quickly by watering, nutes may well kill some wild plants as they are just not used to it.

Finding plots in winter and doing the hard work outside of the grow season will save you crashing through the bushes with heavy tools in the summer heat. The only downside to this is that in winter there is no foliage to hide you and you could easily be seen making preperations.

Keep it green.

[Corto Malteze]

Nice. Thanks!

[gemcgoo]

i long for a time when we will not be persecuted for such a wonderful and fruitful hobby.

[greenmeany]

if you gutta grow in buckets, please camo them people!!! i must strongly advise anyone to really make it look like the plant belongs there. if you gut a huge spacing where there is crappy soil, then lal of a sudden, miraculously there is great soil with perlite all over it and rich, dark black, its also obvious. with a little mulch to make it look natural, your chances of getting caught are minimal. thats all i can think of for right now corto. but most of all, think what you would look for if you were trying to find a weed grow. then its pretty straight forward. later

[Corto Malteze]

Thanks GM. Yes I wish prohibitiob were repealed too but for now we have to watch our backs and cover our tracks. You're also right about the black rich soil compared to the rest. Using water crystals, I didn't add mulch yet but will add a thin layer of lacal dirt to cover the soil and styro lol!!!

[some dude]

Nice thread corto. For a guerilla grow my advice is to take your time. There's nothing worse than some city slicker beating through the brush wearing a yellow shirt not knowing witch way is up or down. Patients is a lost virtue these days. Weather your scouting for new spots or tending to your crop SLOOOW DOOOWN. Take calculating steps to avoid steping on that patch of grass and step on the rock instead. Stop every once and a while to take in your surroundings and check your back trail so you don't get lost, it looks a lot different from the other way. Become familliar with the area's wildlife and vegitation. I'm amazed how often I've ran into people or have seen sings of there passing in the most secluded places. You want to see them before they see you. You need to know the area surrounding your plot like the back of your hand not just the way to it and back. Some dude may have a tree stand fifty yards behind your plants. When he goes out in early archery season to harvest a buck he may spot you harvesting your plants. Although the tecnology is very fucking intrusive google earth is a great tool for a grower. You can map out the area then go check it out. Look for spots that are inaccesable on two or three sides like the foot of a steep hillside surounded by thick bramble or places you can only get to by kayak. Of course not every one has to go to these extremes to grow but if you're growing on public land it pays to be very perceptive. I could go on and on and some of these suggestions may seem insignificant but they are important to the security of your plot.

[smellslikedank]

wats a good way for cover up a path in long grass?

[dguglielmo]

ya google earth I used that to find my spot behind my house!!!

Also, talking about trash and tools management. I saw a video where a stupid grower left some fertilizers out that were in white containers. In a helicopter, they could see them from super far away. If you have to keep equipment at the site camouflage the fuck out of it.

Also, be quite. At least where my grow is, people wizz by on ATVs. Don't be talking if you are working a plot with another person anymore than you need to be. Everything said thus far is really all I can even think of as far as stealth goes.

awesome thread!

[patriofarmer]

Originally Posted by smellslikedank

wats a good way for cover up a path in long grass?

Trails in general IMO- Don't take em or make em.

Best way is not to walk through if poss, Take the long way round. I like to go against any way I might take if I was on a nice hike with friends. Go through the prickers, poison Ivy, and punch through thick brush. Make your life a living hell and eventually you will find a place no sane person would leisurely stroll through. That is what you need for highest percentages. Paths are just evidence that larger animals or worse humans frequent the area, something to avoid.

Nice thread Corto, you got alot covered. Here's my 2cents.
Proper equipment-Rubber jacket, misquito spray, gloves, black twist ties, compact shovel or foldable nothing obvious, and of course the tools of your cover story ie fishing pole, binoculars. I know this is a technique thread but without these things I could not get to where I need to go, and use what I have in the field to create a natural yet secure environment, while having peace of mind that worst case scenario is at least prepped for.

Cover story is very important, think of it as car insurance you hope to never need it but will be glad you did if you need it.

Don't imediately chop everything green down and yank up weeds. Your mission is to add to the sea of green and blend. Prune foliage as necesary and for gods sake cover the bare dirt especially if you use perlite in your mix. Use twist ties to tie branches and create a stadium affect around your plots, if you use fencing vines will cover and hide them in a month if you train them. Embrace what you have in your plot.

Camoflauging buckets and water containers is important if you use them. I use rust oleum spray paint that has a rough plastic appearance. Using brown and green I apply heavily then before it dries I roll containers in leaves and twigs, they will stick and you will have a very natural looking base.

Harvest plan is a must. Grass is about 13x heavier before dried, and 4x bulkier. Make sure your exit strategy is well planned IME a Kilo of grass is a large full backpack and a half, and about 30 lbs, not something you want to be carrying a long way on public roads. If you have to leave it close to the road for later pick up. Once there take a portable tire inflator out and place it next to your right front tire, then retrieve your harvest. This way if a cop should come along you can let him know that your just filling a tire with a slow leak and just wrapping up. Cover story again. Just an example.
Don't looks supicious once away, speed, or smoke until the package is safe at home.

Don't tell anyone, Rip from others, or steal. Karma's a bitch.


Happy harvesting this year.

[smellslikedank]

extremely informative thanks a bunch patriofarmer (Y)

[Corto Malteze]

Yeah great stuff Patrio as always.

Another useful thing is I use rope to lower the brush around the Southern exposure (without breaking it) until the plants are tall enough to compete easily and then I remove the rope to let the veg around hide the grow.

For tall grass, there's not much you can do. That's why it's better never to walk through grass to get to your area.

I always try to sneak in under in the back door to my spots. Especially when hauling soil, careful to not break too much. Once all is done cover all your tracks and get a new passage that you'll be super careful with. "Money time" I think when I slither in. Outter TRACKS are your ENEMY. It greatly raises the risk of being ripped and it's stupid to overlook this fact even if your plants are growing and doing great. It ain't over till it's over.

I like Some DUDe's idea of not getting in a rush and being calm and slick when entering. I only go at night mostly but still am careful to memorize (very important to not waste time and make paths).

Never leave a hole or spot unfinished with trash lying around.

Black / green bags are good to conceal unfinished things.

Don't leave things with your prints on them there. Use gloves (latex or gardnening)

Wear a mask when entering and wait to see all is ok before entering.

ALways have an excuse ready in case.

[mjr99]

buy a handheld gps.

the perfect excuse: Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site