Funny, I live in area 2/3 in North West Ontario. It is just common sense. I hunt in the fall, fish all year depending on open season. I paddle spring summer and fall. I see some crazy stuff all the time. But for me if it biodegrades I leave it if it doesn’t it comes home with me. When I go out I bring stuff that I consume. Fish guts and bones I through back in the lake, sometimes a snapper will come by, last spring I had the bluest crawfish I’d ever seen come by and pick and some of the biggest leaches as well. Moose guts skin and bones are left, you back to the place you left them the autumn before and there is barely a trace maybe a hip or some fragments of spine. The bush takes consumes it all!! Love your channel! This was a fun episode, Thanks!
I agree with most of your thoughts. However, having floated rivers in Alaska that get moderate recreational use, the number of campsites that became unusable because of human waste and toilet paper accumulation is shocking. Hundreds of cat holes and poop on the surface led agencies to require carrying portable toilets for many river rafters. Waste in arctic environments takes a looong time to biodegrade. So, I only use cat holes if I’m truly remote or where I can get far away from a regularly used campsite.
Regarding your concerns, I am in complete agreement with you. It's a matter of assessing the situation in each circumstance. I rarely camp where I can see much of any human traces of anything, and even then, I'll hike usually about half a quarter mile or more through the bush (I use it as a nature hike) through dense underbrush before I dig my cat hole. If I'm in a hurry, it's about a hundred yards into virgin forest. When I leave my "area", there's a 0% chance anyone walking by will see TP or poop or even any trace of my having been there (unless they are Native American bush trackers!). I can't imagine hundreds of cat holes. That's obviously a well-used route with tour guides, etc. and for that, they should ABSOLUTELY use portable toilets. Thanks for commenting!
The difference I think is how many people camp at your site. In if everyone in Yosemite or Yellowstone just chucked their apple cores on the ground, the whole forrest would be replaced by apple trees in 1 generation.
I agree with most of your thoughts, but I am sick of dealing with toilet paper, cigarette butts, and glass. I volunteered for the Forest Service cleaning trail heads and the amount of waste left behind was very concerning. One piece of litter seems to beget more and more. Somehow people see trash and instead of picking it up, they think it is OK to add to the mess. My other pet peeve is people who believe that tin cans and aluminum foil belong in fire pits. You can burn a plastic bag, but not metal!
I would agree wholeheartedly with your assessment. When I do my business, there's a 100% chance you'll never find my toilet paper or cat hole (few hundred yards after a short hike from my campsite) and actual trash is non-negotiable. There should be no trace of your visit other than maybe a small ring of stones for a fire that likely existed before you arrived at the site. Thanks for the comment.
As someone who also spends a lot of time in the Northern Ontario wilderness - I agree on ALL points. I feel people are getting out of touch with reality when it comes to the eco-friendliness. It only takes a modicum of common sense to determine what will and will not have an impact of the environment. Thanks for posting this.
