As the end of the year rolls around and hunting season creeps up, you'll soon see quite a fair bit of theft of ATVs, motorcycles and other types of snowmobiles and four-wheelers. It's inevitable but preventable. For ATV enthusiasts, having their ATVs stolen from their homes is a painful experience especially since you've put so much effort into customizing, modifying and personalizing your ATV! George Fibbs, 35, had his favorite ATV stolen a few years back and he admitted that it was that one time in his life that he truly felt close to tears. “That ATV was like my baby. As images of someone else riding MY ATV goes through my mind, I felt like crying. That's MY BABY!”, he laughs.

Although there isn't much we can do to bring the thieves to court and see justice served, there are ways to ensure that your ATV remains yours. Never store your ATV where it's obvious…like outside your home. That's almost like inviting someone to come and steal your ATV from you. Even if it's stored outside, it would be good for you to chain the ATV up…not with just one chain, go get a couple more chains and make it as difficult as possible for the thief to steal the ATV. As soon as they see that it takes too much effort, there's a chance that they'll say, ‘Heck, forget this ATV. I am sure there's another one somewhere else'.

Another thing that you can do is to never leave the key of your ATV WITH the ATV while not in use or somewhere obvious. For instance, don't leave the key to your ATV the same place where you leave all your other keys. Keep it in a special drawer or hide it under the bed or something.

And if you have the budget for it, you can invest in alarm systems and motion detectors which will make it extremely difficult for the thief. While all these preventive measures are not foolproof, the chance of having your ATV stolen is reduced down to the bare minimum.