Are a good percentage of us " Outdoorsmen " hypocrites??

dodger · #1 10-13-2012, 07:02 PM

Just some observations from the last couple of weeks.

Outlet Canal at Travers - Protective fencing around dam has holes cut in it and plenty of fisherman using the holes for wetting a line.

Small Trout lake North of Calgary - See above. Same stupidity!

Getting a haircut on Saturday a.m. - I end up picking up 3 pieces of tippet laying on the ground. Southland and Fairmont.

Travers East Campground - Empty minnow containers laying around boat launch.

Today at Fish creek South - Tippet on path following the river, 2 small Rapala boxes laying in parking lot, and the usual amount of fishing line pilled up under the 22X bridge.

Just seems like there's the same amount of " fishing " related garbage now as there was in the 70's. We are more aware of our impact on nature and yet some things never change. My problem is the old " one wreaks it for us all " comment that will explain this but there is just to much fishing related garbage that I have seen in such a short time frame !!

Oh - I forgot the new shotgun shells laying on the shore by a spot on McGregor, not the fisherman's problem.

Dodger.

The Great White Hype · #2 10-13-2012, 07:16 PM

No Kidding.

I always seem to see the same stuff... I try to leave the place cleaner than how i found it though. I hate coming to a spot and seeing all the clutter other fisher people have left behind, stripped line, cans, bags of left over dirt from dew worms, minnow containers, water bottles, cigarette butts ect....

Same goes when I go camping out on the trunk road, beer cans, cigarette butts, chip bags and other crap left behind from the party animals that seem to frequent the area.

Makes me angry

Jbone · #3 10-13-2012, 07:24 PM

Slobs

Guitarplayingfish · #4 10-13-2012, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Great White Hype

No Kidding.

I always seem to see the same stuff... I try to leave the place cleaner than how i found it though. I hate coming to a spot and seeing all the clutter other fisher people have left behind, stripped line, cans, bags of left over dirt from dew worms, minnow containers, water bottles, cigarette butts ect....

Same goes when I go camping out on the trunk road, beer cans, cigarette butts, chip bags and other crap left behind from the party animals that seem to frequent the area.

Makes me angry

x2....

Its the few that ruin it for the rest of us.

Geezle · #5 10-13-2012, 08:07 PM

I don't think it's hypocrisy so much as it's just that some people still don't 'get it'.

Teamprotz · #6 10-13-2012, 08:29 PM

No beer cans ?

Kokanee9 · #7 10-13-2012, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dodger

Just seems like there's the same amount of " fishing " related garbage now as there was in the 70's.

Stuff like what you mentioned can be frustrating when you see it laying around.

On a different perspective, I think there are more people that are using the outdoors compared to 30 or 40 years ago. To have the same amount of garbage laying around may actually mean a smaller percentage of people are leaving it behind. That says that more people are getting the message.

I long for the day when everyone understands what to do with their garbage.

Richard B. · #8 10-13-2012, 08:35 PM

I was grouse hunting on Friday and decided to drop by Sibbald Meadows Pond and saw that someone had dropped some furniture in the turnaround. I have no understanding of why someone would do that.

EORE · #9 10-13-2012, 08:42 PM

Was fishing at ghost res yesterday evening and a group of new Canadians showed up. Watched one guy finish his coffee and just casually threw the cup over the cliff into the lake what are people thinkIngand we found their empty 26of crown royal in the Parkin lot when we left pathetic

New Hunter Okotoks · #10 10-13-2012, 09:18 PM

Remember, you only see the stuff left behind by the slobs. If 500 people fish a spot for 2 months and clean up after themselves the place will look pretty clean. If a group of 4 guys go to that spot and leave their empty lure, bait and food packaging laying around and they decide that they need to re-spool their reels and leave the old line there; the place will look like what you describe.

It really does just take a few to make the rest look bad. I have noticed that I see less beer/booze bottles at spots than even just 10 years ago. I don't know if the slobs are picking up after themselves or if strangers are picking up the cans and bringing them back for deposit. Either way, there's an improvement.

I remember back in the 70's and 80's that it was quite common for people to just throw an entire vehicles' worth of empty McDonald's out the window. At least I hardly see that on the roads anymore.

On the bright side....... we can lead by example and it will eventually get to near zero. The woods and fishing spots are much cleaner than they have ever been. The proper way of picking up what you left and leaving a place cleaner than what you found it, is now a couple of generations in. At least if a guy leaves his garbage laying their in the woods (or anywhere), his kids know that it's not right.

ice · #11 10-13-2012, 09:24 PM

Was out at Laurier lake this summer and I was Walkin Down some trails when I hit a large area where some teens must of had a couple party's, ground was just covered, i went to grab a bag, came back to pick them all up, walked out with a little over 25 bucks of glass and aluminum, as well as 2 unopened alexander Keith's haha,

WayneChristie · #12 10-13-2012, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ice

Was out at Laurier lake this summer and I was Walkin Down some trails when I hit a large area where some teens must of had a couple party's, ground was just covered, i went to grab a bag, came back to pick them all up, walked out with a little over 25 bucks of glass and aluminum, as well as 2 unopened alexander Keith's haha,

I get mad when they break their bottles, Im quite happy picking them up, along with the cans, get enough to pay for my license every year while cleaning up.

KegRiver · #13 10-13-2012, 10:13 PM

I believe Okotoks is right.

It's the few bad apples that get noticed. Problem is, they ruin it for everyone even when everyone knows it is just a few causing problems.

What worries me more then the few is that the numbers of bad apples seems to be multiplying faster then the population.

Albertadiver · #14 10-13-2012, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KegRiver

What worries me more then the few is that the numbers of bad apples seems to be multiplying faster then the population.

Call a spade a spade!

I can only speak for myself, but it seems like the number of 'new visitors' to the province are more likely to litter than others I've seen. Of course, there's exceptions to every observation, in both directions.

I was scuba diving once at Lake Minnewanka. A busload of tourists got out, and were taking photo's of us guys in drysuits and full scuba gear standing next to some bighorn ewes on the dam. I was about to climb down the rocks and hit the water, and two tourist threw thier garbage on the road and were about to re-enter the bus after taking our photo's.

I walked over, wearing all my gear including weight belt, bent over, picked up their trash and waddled over to them. Took the garbage and shoved it in thier jackets. They were shocked to say the least. They just didn't comprehend that they'd done something wrong. The places these folks come from just don't think that this sort of behavior is wrong.

fish gunner · #15 10-13-2012, 11:54 PM

its the reason I only fish the bow a few times a yr. this year on opening week a friend and I fished mackinnon flats, caught some nice bows. then spent 2 hrs picking up garbage, dont think we made it 50' from the parking lot. one week later it looked like we had done nothing.
I am on my second suv load this year from below dickson dam. if spots stayed clean for a few day - a week, I could feel people give a $#!£ . next time you see a garbage droper SAY SOMTHING. keep up the good fight guys.

dodger · #16 10-14-2012, 06:46 AM

So we can all agree that there is lot's of garbage and it may represent the growth in population of Alberta, so it may not actually be the same as it was in the 70's.

How about the part about " Honey grab the kids were going fishing, oh and I'll grab the bolt cutters in case we come across any fenced areas that may get in our way ". Two spots in two separate locations where the protective fencing was cut out !! How safe is it now at the exit canal at Travers for the next family outing? Lucky thing the canals are now closed because when they are open there is a pretty significant flow of water coming out of Travers. The little trout pond not much for flow but there is a good 12' drop to the little creek that exits it.

Is this the future of Alberta?

Dodger.

Slowharper · #17 10-14-2012, 07:11 AM

Wandered across Saskatchewan and parts of Manitoba this fall. I saw less garbage in the 3,000 km. than exists in 2 miles exiting in any direction from my town.
In the two weeks, I never heard/seen a quad or seen anyone drive much over the speed limit.

It's the culture guys! Get used to it.

At least we're # 1 @ something.

Slo....

bisonhunter · #18 10-14-2012, 07:28 AM

I'm with you guys, I've been picking up garbage every time I go fishing since I was a kid and still haven't run out of garbage yet.

We need these guys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHI0Cz3JjbM

I don't know why this thread reminded me of it but I sure used to laugh at that bear when I was a kid.

sniderscott · #19 10-14-2012, 08:46 AM

No matter what you do, you'll have irresponsible fishermen. My thing has been to not tell people there is fishing on the river (trapped in town myself), and just keep being the bigger person. I actually had a couple last night come down to see what I was doing and than help clean.

sniderscott · #20 10-14-2012, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bisonhunter

I'm with you guys, I've been picking up garbage every time I go fishing since I was a kid and still haven't run out of garbage yet.

We need these guys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHI0Cz3JjbM

I don't know why this thread reminded me of it but I sure used to laugh at that bear when I was a kid.

And now that I've watched that video, that's EXACTLY how we did it.

avb3 · #21 10-14-2012, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albertadiver

Call a spade a spade!

I can only speak for myself, but it seems like the number of 'new visitors' to the province are more likely to litter than others I've seen. Of course, there's exceptions to every observation, in both directions.

I was scuba diving once at Lake Minnewanka. A busload of tourists got out, and were taking photo's of us guys in drysuits and full scuba gear standing next to some bighorn ewes on the dam. I was about to climb down the rocks and hit the water, and two tourist threw thier garbage on the road and were about to re-enter the bus after taking our photo's.

I walked over, wearing all my gear including weight belt, bent over, picked up their trash and waddled over to them. Took the garbage and shoved it in thier jackets. They were shocked to say the least. They just didn't comprehend that they'd done something wrong. The places these folks come from just don't think that this sort of behavior is wrong.

Good on you!

I used to hunt with a guy who threw out his cigarette packages. I would pick them up, saying nothing. It wasn't long before he stopped, and started complaining about others throwing garbage out in the bush.

People can be taught by example.

TJG · #22 10-14-2012, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kokanee9

On a different perspective, I think there are more people that are using the outdoors compared to 30 or 40 years ago. To have the same amount of garbage laying around may actually mean a smaller percentage of people are leaving it behind. That says that more people are getting the message.

I dont think there are more people going camping. In the 70s and 80s, my parents went camping and 9 times out of ten, they had to stay in the #2 campground or the overflows.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Great White Hype

Same goes when I go camping out on the trunk road, beer cans, cigarette butts, chip bags and other crap left behind from the party animals that seem to frequent the area.

Going along with the above, people need to stay in the prov and national parks only. No camping wherever u pull over, beside a lake or river away from everyone. Stay off the trunk roads and stay in a park. Ranger Jim cant be everywhere.

[QUOTE]I remember back in the 70's and 80's that it was quite common for people to just throw an entire vehicles' worth of empty McDonald's out the window. At least I hardly see that on the roads anymore.[QUOTE]

You need to see the streets of Red Deer Sat and Sunday mornings.