I follow the same routine as Frankie's Girl stated above. I think it's about limiting the opportunity and making it difficult to get away with it. My graveyard and some other deocrations go up about mid-Oct but the big stuff and the animated props go up Halloween afternoon. I've never had anything stolen or vandalized before and the real reason I did it that way was to not 'show my hand' to the ToT's that would soon have to walk up my driveway.

The only exception to that is the previous Saturday or Sunday night when everything goes out for a few hours for all our family who come over and who can't make it on Halloween night, but the big stuff goes back in that night.

I hope none of us have to go to any extreme measures to protect our haunts. I think that would kinda kill the fun.