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Bad behavior on public lands

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Bad behavior on public lands

Postby wawhitey » 01 08, 2023 •  [Post 1]

Am i really in the minority here? Am i just a grumpy old man? What the hell is wrong with people? More and more, private timberlands that were open to the public, free of charge, are getting gated off, or even charging for access. Even dnr, blm etc, true public lands, are getting gated, kelly humped, closed to target shooting etc etc etc. All due to a bunch of trashy idiots %*** behavior. And what do they do when their subhuman trashy selves get their favorite local spot closed down? Do they experience some introspective moment where they realize THEY are the problem and change their ways? No. They move on, like a swarm of locusts, to despoil the next closest field. Continue their animal behavior, then act shocked and angry when theyre kept out of that place. They really are just like locusts, destroying everything in their path. I am of the mind now that a large portion of the population must be <80 iq savages, to not understand this.
About a week ago, i turned the corner onto my road, turning from a 50mph paved road onto a 35mph paved road, and just as i turned the corner i seemed to get peppered by something, and there was a junior high age kid pointing ashotgun right at me, that instantly looked afraid. His dad was digging into the back of his car for more clay targets. He was launching them toward the intersection for his kid to shoot. There were shot up clays laying in the road. I stopped and chewed dads ass a bit, and rather than arguing, he was apologetic, so i didnt call the sheriffs department.
Yesterday some idiot was mag dumping at the pit, and i drive by today and see this, shot up targets nailed to live, valuable trees, on dnr land. And of course a cardboard box laying there, because everybody that shoots has to leave garbage behind. Targets, appliances, furniture, whatever theyre shooting, in addition to the prerequisite beer cans and whiskey bottles. And it seems half of them have to shoot every street sign on their way home too. Im just sick of this crap. Im getting the dnr involved now, but even if they manage to get my local spot shut down to vehicles and target shooting, the locusts will simply swarm on to destroy the next spot.
Am i crazy? Am i just a grumpy old man? Am i asking too much from society at large to behave in a civilized fashion? Am i really a minority in thinking that a person should take safety into consideration while shooting, and not leave a bunch of trash on public land, and not shoot up live trees?
Seems to me that most people now are dangerous, wreckless, littering dirtbags. But i have to question, if i think everybody but me is an Ahole, maybe im the Ahole.
Hate to be a debbie downer, but just needed to vent. Hard for me to grasp how there can be so many dirtbag **** out there.
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wawhitey
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Re: Bad behavior on public lands

Postby Swede » 01 08, 2023 •  [Post 2]

Having worked for the F.S. for over 35 years I saw an evolution in trashiness. It seems the more trash the less people cared and the more trash that was disposed on the forest. I think some people were too cheap to take their stuff to the dump or it contained things that the dump would not allow. Some campers do not want to be bothered with removing junk including mattresses and toilets.

If that is not enough; I don't think the F.S. cares much anymore. They don't clean up and they don't manage the forest either. Many, very rarely leave the office except to politic at the head shed in the bigger town. Their only objective is to move up the glory ladder.
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Re: Bad behavior on public lands

Postby saddlesore » 01 09, 2023 •  [Post 3]

This all started many years ago when parents started to give their kids time outs, let them be themselves, stopped punishment for bad behavior and praises for good behavior, stopped schools from from paddelings. Kids grew up doing anything they wanted with no guidance.Now those kids are grown and have their own with even less guidance. Hustle them off to day care and let some one worry about it. These youngsters have no moral compass and have no clue there even is one.

One of my pet peeves is these same people take their youngsters 6-7-8 years old and let them kill game before they can comprehend the finality of death.
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Re: Bad behavior on public lands

Postby Jhg » 01 09, 2023 •  [Post 4]

Gun owners...
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Drive-in Hunters...
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Bivy hunters...
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I agree there is a problem with how we parent as a culture. However, something that happened around the mid-90's was a whole generation came along that not only had little mentoring, but considered that anyone even expressing an opinion as was "being an asshole". Every opinion had to be bracketed by words like "sort of", "kind of" and "maybe". Or better yet, no opinion at all.
The result in the groups of young men I come across is none of them dare to express an opinion that goes against the group consensus/behavior let alone tell a buddy to stop shooting holes in the sign.

Trash-holes are an old problem and have been around forever.


We have a public shooting range north of us on public land. It is a nice range. However, every road sign within a half mile is riddled with bullet holes. The latrine doors are bashed in and shot up as well. Trash blowing all over and brass three layers deep. Who is to blame? Gun owners. In my experience, the worst cases of trash left on public lands has always and by far been by people shooting. Targets, hulls, glass, two x 4's, refriderators,you name it. Whatever would be "fun" to shoot up.

The bivy camp left with trash or the latrine left for someone else to deal with? Hunters. I have seen king size mattresses left at drive in campsites, the elk hides and heads just over the edge of the drop off. Fire pit full of burned tin foil, broken bottles, beer bottle caps and half full jugs of urine. I have seen more trash left by hunters than hikers by far. I could give many more examples.

The problem is us. One way or another. If we do not say something when we can, either at camp fires or at sports banquets, or when we see it happening (if its safe to do so) nothing will change.

Remember that 1970's "give a hoot don't pollute" program? That influenced a whole generation to not littler. It worked. We need something like that among hunters and gun owners.
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Re: Bad behavior on public lands

Postby Indian Summer » 01 09, 2023 •  [Post 5]

At the risk of sounding crazy…. I despise littering. There’s just no excuse for it. One of my peeves is cigarette butts. At intersections they are piled up by the hundreds waiting for the next heavy rain to wash them down storm drains and into the creeks and rivers.

When I was younger, before people shot each other as often as they do now, I was proactive about trying to send a message to people who threw butts out the window. I would put it in park, get out and pick it up and hand it to them and ask them to throw it in the garage when they got where they were going. Most of them were embarrassed and said ok. Some were scared. Too bad. But not all of them took it so well.

One time I was a passenger in a friend’s car and a woman next to us in a big black Cadillac with a poodle on her lap was smoking. I know their routine. When they get to the end they take a few puffs in a row as the window comes down and then flick. I saw her window coming down so I reached for the door handle. But instead of throwing the cig butt out she put it in her ashtray…. and dumped 25 butts along with the ashes and some paper right out the window. I was furious. I got out and cupped both hands and picked up as much as I could and held it up in front of her. She started yelling at me and called me a few choice names. So I extended my arms a bit…. took a deep breath…. and blew the whole mess right in her face and got back in the car.

Another time some woman in a gold Mercedes was in front of me at a red light. I saw the smoke coming out the window and could smell it. Sure enough out comes the butt. I was on my way home from deer hunting and all in wool with boots on. I got out and started walking up beside her car. She looked at me in the side mirror and the window started going up. I picked up the butt and held it up but she was going crazy. With her middle finger against the window she was screaming calling me an A-hole and a few other choice things. So I smiled at her…. took about 3 quick puffs from her cigarette so it had a big hot red ash on the end…. lifted up her windshield wiper and tucked it under there and told her to have a nice day.

Did I mention I despise littering? :lol: My hope is that those people quit doing that because they realize people are watching and some don’t approve of it.

I’ve settled down these days but if I see someone litter I speak up every time. We only have one planet! And ducks probably don’t feel to good after eating a cigarette butt! :oops:
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Re: Bad behavior on public lands

Postby wawhitey » 01 09, 2023 •  [Post 6]

IS, I have done a similar thing. Not too long ago, a car full of punk kids, blasting gangster rap, thinking theyre hard, you know the type, stopped in front of me at a red light on mainstreet and i knew the driver was about to flick a butt. It happened. Walked up there, picked it up, flicked it in his face and just said "you droppedd something". In hindsight, probably a bad idea as there were 4 of them and one of me. But the guy didnt say a word, just scowled at me. Couldve just as easily turned into me getting my ass beat by 4 guys. Gotta choose your battles. Luckily it worked out that time.
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