Leaving Your Mark.

We don't seem to have the kind of trees with naturally occurring glory holes so they tend not to do it.
 
There's a few trees out there with my initials on them, lol. Only done it when hunting though....it can get a little boring when you're in a stand waiting for game for hours on end.

I'll await the scolding from all the nature nannies now, ha!
 
I try to leave as little mark as I possibly can. This days I just take pictures and buy patches of the countries or places that I visit.

I am not interested on leaving a mark, more interested in the mark that the places that I visit, experiences that I have and people that I meet, leave on me.
 
Post #7 has really thrown me. I thought he was on about when he is out cottaging and dogging, but I'm having a hard time reconciling that with all the other responses. In hind sight I think you may all be just responding about graffiti, so ignore what I said.
 
I do all the time. A guys gotta pee right? :D


On a serious note, no I do not leave a mark and it pisses me off when others do.
 
mewolf1 said:
If you come to where I camp you would not even notice anyone was there. If I come across you carving your name into a tree you won't know what hit you!:mad:
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What does this mean? You would attack someones kid for carving his initials in a tree in the backwoods?


on a side note...... These days, even footprints are coming under scrutiny.
 
Man...you guys definetely should not wander into the knife throwing subforum because you might have a heart attack if you see what happens to trees over there, lol!
 
LMT66 said:
What does this mean? You would attack someones kid for carving his initials in a tree in the backwoods?
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Don't be ridiculous, a good "what the heck are doing?" scolding to make them think about what they are doing, and the fact that others may not want to see it. It's not hurting a tree, it's disrespectful.


on a side note...... These days, even footprints are coming under scrutiny.
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Pretty low impact IMO
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I been known to cut a small V notch in tree branches I have to pass under on the trail, or stream.

I like going back years later and seeing it there.

I pass by cairns all the time, even in some rugged terrain, deep in the GSMNP and Cherokee Forest. If you think no one's been there before, chances are they have.

Moose
 
The only marks I have ever left are in appropriate places. There was an old dead tree we came across in Algonquin Park. There were names and dates carved all over it. It was quite a sight. I added mine. I have also come across "ribbon/string trees" in the middle of nowhere... so I'll tie one on. We've rebuilt cairns and added a few here or there. I hear of folks carving names in permanent shelters along popular trails. I would imagine that by law, it is illegal... but ethically, I can get past it.
 
No trace when leaving the site, has been my thing for years...
Allthough if I camp at a place that are used by others, I tend to gather up some firewood and store it as dry as I can.
It`s always nice for the next party of hikers to get the fire going without too much hassel.

Don`t know why, but here in Norway this seems to be done almost all over, maybe something from the old days..
Feel free to adopt the idea, as this is a nice gesture to the next guy. (And maybe they see that you don`t have to chop down the trees around the campsite to get fire...)
 
Bobber said:
Don`t know why, but here in Norway this seems to be done almost all over, maybe something from the old days..
Feel free to adopt the idea, as this is a nice gesture to the next guy. (And maybe they see that you don`t have to chop down the trees around the campsite to get fire...)
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If I have taken the time to gather firewood, It seems silly to throw it back into woods to rot, especially if it is a frequented site. I try not to cut up the wood until I actually use it and the remaining lengths get stood up against a tree or rock. It allows the water to shed easily and the air to flow through. Nothing worse than a nicely stacked pile of split wood that is completely saturated.
 
Only thing I will do is leave a stick or two that I have been whittling, and the shaving from it.

I have also stacked rocks before, nothing wrong with that (IMHO), which is probably why I have seen it so often. I have always found these interesting and cool, it is amazing some of the heights I have seen stacks of rocks...especially since the most commons stacks of these I have seen were with smooth round river rocks


And one I almost forgot, I will leave my mark on something if it is tradition, for example, a large rock wall with many many names scratched into it, or a small bit of rocks that is constantly being repainted by many many people. I will only do things that don't change what is already there in a sense (ie: someone was talking about a large dead tree that had many names carved into it)
 
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It's already been said, but especially growing up in Scouts and with my dad and grandpa being outdoorsmen, I would have gotten quite the tanned hide doing any kind of defacing of the woods. That being said, I have occasionally left what we've always called "hoodoo's", or a small stack of rocks when I have found a new area to explore.

As a side rant, I do a lot of hiking on local trails that are literally right down the street from my house. They are great for quick hikes after work, and definitely better than nothing. But the trailheads are right off the street, and a lot of the beautiful sandstone is covered in graffiti, there are broken beer bottles and trash all over the place. Most times I will bring a garbage bag and pick up what I can, and I have seen other people doing the same which gives me some hope! It just takes a few human pigs to really trash otherwise pristine areas.
 
If you are doing this, please stop. I am fortunate enough to live near the Buffalo National River, which has many historic buildings, houses, etc along the way. Every single one has names carved in them. And sadly, so do a lot of the trees. I doubt it really hurts the tree, long term (I am not an arborist-correct me if I am wrong), but I venture out to get away and enjoy nature, not to see the 'Jason was here' carvings. Yes, I will say something to you. Yes, I will report you.
 
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