Yellowknife (Nov 15/06) - Yellowknife RCMP got its first two reports of snowmobile thefts last week, officially kicking off the winter snowmobile-stealing season.

"In the summer, it's bicycles," said Const. Roxanne Dreilich. "In the winter, it's snowmobiles."

The only difference in the two seasons is that in winter, RCMP don't end up with a pile of unclaimed snowmobiles in their parking lot.

"They're usually recovered," said Dreilich of snowmobiles. "Owners go out looking and find them, or they're found abandoned."

Both of last week's stolen snowmobiles have been recovered. One had very little gas left in its tank, and the owner simply followed its tracks down the street and found it in a ditch. The other was recovered undamaged.

There was also a report of an attempted theft, but thieves were foiled by the heavy-duty chain the owner had used to lock it to a pole.

Const. Dreilich recommends making things as difficult as possible for anyone attempting to make off with your snowmobile.

"Thieves are definitely opportunists," she said.

She said using a heavy-duty lock is most important, and parking it in a highly visible, well-lit location is also a good idea.

In the event the snowmobile is stolen, having a record of the serial number, make, model, description and a photo will help police identify it when recovered.

RCMP also encourage the public to keep an eye out for anyone trying to steal a neighbour's snowmobiles and to call police with descriptions of the suspects and vehicle.

Taking photos can help: three snowmobile thieves were captured and prosecuted last season with the help of photos snapped by a witness.