Litterbugs!
Litter is one of the things that can easily spoil a day in the woods for any outdoorsman. Picture this: while strolling through the woods, filled with peace and serenity, admiring the fantastic job God did when he built the forest, you suddenly come upon a pile of trash. Really ruins the moment, doesn't it?
I have to wonder at the thought process of litterbugs (those who carelessly toss their garbage anywhere they choose). Do they think the trash spruces the place up? Do they think bottles and cans will disappear on their own? Are they so underskilled that they leave the garbage as a landmark, so they can find their "spot" again? I think not. I believe anyone who will litter anywhere is a lazy, selfish, no-good, lowdown wretch, who thinks of nothing except how easy it is to toss their refuse where they stand, rather than packing it out.
I know of many hunters, myself included, who will not only carry their own trash out with them, they'll pick up others' garbage and remove it. This is to be applauded, even though it may be sending a message to the idiots that it's OK, we'll clean up their mess for them. The fact is, only a small portion of litterbugs would be reached by such logic; the rest are so self-absorbed that if they even noticed that someone had cleaned up after them, they wouldn't care. So, I'll continue to clean up whatever messes I can when I find them.
The carelessness of these slobs is more evident in the woods than in town. I suppose the natural surroundings provide the contrast; a heap of trash is ugly anywhere, but it looks much worse in the woods than it does on a city street. I have visited a ladder stand I have set up way back in the woods, and found empty beverage cans laying on the ground beside it. This upset me; someone had used my stand, knowing it wasn't theirs and that it belonged to someone else, and then had littered the area up, which spoiled my next visit to the stand.
Folks, let's make a commitment to stop the spoiling of our woods, roads & towns. When we spot someone littering, let's turn them in. Whenever possible, let's clean up whatever mess we find. Let's tell our friends & family how we feel about this, and hope they spread the word. And most importantly, let's not litter!
-Russ Chastain
One Year ago this week: 12/17/98 - Making Scents of it all
