Author Topic: Water Fowlers and Litter (Read 3403 times)

Macthediver · « **on:** December 09, 2007, 06:00:22 AM »

I was wondering if anyone else noticed that Water Fowl hunters tend to be unintentional slobs? I've hunted ducks here on the Mississippi river now for over 30 years. There has been a lot of things that have changed and some that have stayed the same. One thing I've noticed is that hunter just don't seem to consider their spent casings as litter. Back in the days of paper casings it may have been less of a problem or noticeable as paper rotted down. I know years passed guys myself included picked up casing to reload. But in this day and age of everything throw away you don't see that anymore.
All I know is that there are more and more none hunters playing in the marshes then ever before. It's the canoe/kayak crowd that is coming into play here. Why would we as hunter want to give them one more reason to whine about us to the public and DNR.
I personally can't believe the piles of casings that some hunter leave on popular islands or in blinds here on the river (public land). I'm not perfect myself and I know guns throw casing out of site, I loose some myself. I have however tried to make a point of picking up mine and other peoples casing. It has become rare to come back to the boat landing with less than a box or two of other peoples empty hulls I toss in the boat. I'm not going way out of my way to pick them up or it would be several boxes.
Anyone else notice this?

I know some farmers where if they find a casing you left on their field, you won't be let back in to hunt.
I think maybe the people who teach hunter safety should talk more about this in their classes.
Anti's tend to look for every reason they can to dis hunters. I think this one is a simple fix on our part.

Someone ??Kick me off my soap box OK!
But there I got that off my chest

Mac
"Never Forget Which Way Is Up!"

tomzuki · « **Reply #1 on:** December 09, 2007, 06:08:13 AM »

Yes! Pick up your spent shells. They wont go back in the cardboard box so bring a plastic trash bag and carry them out. They are much lighter empty so no big deal.

Siskiyou · « **Reply #2 on:** December 09, 2007, 06:11:03 AM »

Good post, we live in a garbage society!

Specklebelly · « **Reply #3 on:** December 09, 2007, 10:59:22 AM »

I agree 100%.

It gets worse than loose casings. A lake that I used to hunt exclusively you would actually see the casings in piles with the shell boxes on the ground right next to them. People took the effort to gather their shells but leave them piled up.

My primary lake that I use now is no better. Society is full of people that do not care about anything except themselves.

I just don't understand it and never will. When I was in Boy Scouts we were told to leave an area better than we found it. I guess not everyone subscribes to that philosophy.

Think about this as well. If you leave your shells laying around you are also advertising to others that a lot of shooting comes from your spot.

Maybe we will see improvements, however I won't hold my breath.

gooser · « **Reply #4 on:** December 10, 2007, 08:17:13 AM »

Excellent post. I usually try to pick up mine and some others as well.I have also seen cans and plastic bottles that I will carry out. Most public areas have a trash can by the parking lot or boat launch,where I'll drop them in that.

prairiedog555 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 10, 2007, 11:26:15 AM »

It really is amazing that people litter in the outdoors. It makes me sick.

Specklebelly · « **Reply #6 on:** December 10, 2007, 12:00:30 PM »

I used to use a phrase like "hunters are also stewards of the environment" as one of my many points when talking to the anti's about why hunting is OK.

I don't say this anymore because of stuff like we have discussed on this thread.

Doc T · « **Reply #7 on:** December 11, 2007, 05:30:42 AM »

The only thing I leave is egg shells from my hard boiled eggs and orange (satsuma) peels. I usually shoot a double so I catch my empties when I reload and put them back in my bag.

Doc T

gooser · « **Reply #8 on:** December 11, 2007, 02:43:51 PM »

Quote from: Doc T on December 11, 2007, 05:30:42 AM

The only thing I leave is egg shells from my hard boiled eggs
Doc T

Doc T one nice thing about hard boiled eggs......is you boil them right before you go out hunting,wrap them in tin foil,and use them as hand warmers for quite a while, then you have lunch.

They'll stay warm a long time.
Try it.

Macthediver · « **Reply #9 on:** December 12, 2007, 07:19:02 AM »

Speaking of the trash cans and the parking areas and boat landings. It never seems to amaze me how many guys pick their ducks along side the can. Feathers blowing all over the landing.
I was taught like specklybelly to leave a place cleaner than you found it. Only problem is I end up being like a dang trash man.
I do believe alot of the plastic bottles blow around and wash in from storm drains and everywhere else. When I'm running my fall trapline on the river I pick up the bottles I have to walk right over. If I picked up everyone I saw the boat would be full every day.
I don't know what the answer is on that problem other than getting rid of plastic bottles. Which we all know will never happen.

Mac
"Never Forget Which Way Is Up!"

Specklebelly · « **Reply #10 on:** December 12, 2007, 10:46:28 AM »

Not to pile on, but I went goose hunting again this morning (we only shot two

) and I bet I picked up 75 freshly shot shells this morning left from other hunters.

I saw an off duty game warden at the truck who was also leaving from hunting and he said he picked up about 50 himself.

You have to love public land.

Cement Man · « **Reply #11 on:** February 02, 2008, 11:00:35 AM »

Great post! Right on target. I don't know what other non-felonious illegal activity aggravates me more than a slob. Rivers, ponds, marshes, all beautiful and OPG ruin them. We also face a lot of scrutiny from non-hunter/anti-hunter groups here on the Upper Mississippi refuge, and the slobs sure don't help our cause.

marshrat · « **Reply #12 on:** October 03, 2008, 03:21:01 PM »

I really like this post. This is a topic that has rubbed me the wrong way for a while. I used to be a wildlife manager, and I would go around to some of the state game area parking lots and see all kinds of garbage left. Not all of it was from hunters, of course. But all the empty shells around wetlands and creeks, etc., were most definitely from hunters. Just because of this, I am considering going to a double barrel...I hate leaving empties.

Cement Man · « **Reply #13 on:** October 03, 2008, 05:19:33 PM »

I belong to an upland hunting club. The owner likes to keep the 400 acres in pristine condition and picks up every old shotgun hull he sees. I do too. It keeps the place like it should be. If you make a mess, pick it up!

dakotashooter2 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 06, 2008, 06:17:12 AM »

Does anyone know if hulls are a recyclable plastic? Trap ranges throw tons of hulls away and it's a shame it couldn't be reused (both the plastic and brass). I do my share by picking out the reloadable hulls and getting at least acouple more uses out of them.

Macthediver · « **Reply #15 on:** November 16, 2008, 04:14:30 AM »

It's a new season since I first made this post.
Nothing has changed in the marsh I hunt.
My son still calls me a junk picker even though I know he is throwing casing that are not his in the boat too. One thing about my son though is that he is using and auto loader this season. That thing flings cases so far I can't even find them. He does make up for it with the empties he picks up left by others. But that gun has mad him a bit lazier about looking for the far flung hulls.
I have to wonder what people think of our shooting skills, when we come to the landing with the bottom of the boat littered with empty hulls? The son and I often hunt on a firing line area. It can be absolutely incredible the amount of trash left there. I've even thought of making some little signs reminding people to pick up. Problem with that would be that they would end up becoming more trash. A reminder at the landing would only make the none hunters look more at the mess the hunters leave.
It's a tough issue for me and I'm far from a greenie.

Mac

1911bmw · « **Reply #16 on:** December 22, 2008, 03:02:18 PM »

I pick up all my hulls and anything else. Not only for the environment but also so no one else sees my spent rounds and finds my secret hunting spots.

browndown · « **Reply #17 on:** December 30, 2008, 06:58:54 AM »

I see alot of empties around as well. It really gives the good guys a bad name. The only thing we can really do is pick up after others when we have the chance. It sounds stupid but we have to do it.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #18 on:** December 30, 2008, 07:44:22 AM »

3 types of hunters don't pick up hulls -1-lazy , 2-stupid and those never going to hunt the spot again . Why advertise your honey hole to the world !
I hunt in Canada some and citizens of Canada get to hunt for a couple weeks before the rest of the world can come in and hunt . We always look for piles of hulls when looking for a place to set up and it hasn't failed to produce a goos shoot yet !

anweis · « **Reply #19 on:** June 15, 2009, 02:38:31 AM »

This is an old thread, but i just came upon it.
I am not a bird hunter (perhaps i will try goose hunting one of these days), but i do go every year in marshes to watch birds.
I am very grateful to all of you for your attitude, for picking your spent shells, and for supporting conservation of waterfowl and wetlands.
I just wish that more people were like you.

gooser · « **Reply #20 on:** June 23, 2009, 12:18:32 PM »

Amen to that anweis.....