Wilderness Travellers

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Thomas_J

Joined
May 31, 2008
Messages
38
I've been lurking and reading for a while, and I'm curious. We all obviously like the outdoors, but from some of the posts its obvious that there is a spectrum of people in here. Are you more of an NRA outdoorsmen, or a Sierra Club outdoorsmen?
 
Do you mean to ask if we are either hunters or tree-huggers? I would venture a guess that no one here wants to harm the environment. Hunter safety courses now are good about including in the instruction things you should/shouldn't do while in the outdoors. I would also venture a guess that many people here (including myself) are avid hunters. I don't think that means we shouldn't co-exist, because we do. If I were to answer your question, I would have to call myself an NRA ourdoorsman, mostly because I try to follow the NRA Hunter's Code of Ethics.
 
i am more of a tree hugger...

i don't have any capacity to hunt...no guns etc. maybe someday, but for now i don't really feel the urge.

i like just being out there, i don't really need to be chasing something.
 
I'm an NRA Life Member (for a long time) so if it came to a choice I'll back the NRA. I prefer to travel light and not chop down everything at hand like a Sierra Clubber. I like to shoot and hunt. What I don't understand is why can't the two get along. We both like the outdoors, want to preserve it, and access to it. If the Sierra Clubber could accept the harvest of a few animals for the good to the herd, and NRA'er tread a little more lightly, the two could be friends in the field and a force in the political arena.
 
If you want my honest opinion, F the Sierra Club.

That said, when I get back from the woods you would never know I was there.
 
I'm just a country boy. I was raised in the woods here in Georgia, and spent most of my time in them as a kid, because I was homeschooled, we didn't watch TV, and the woods provided all the entertainment I needed. I've never really hunted much, but I do enjoy plinking with my .22 rifles, and I fish in our creek. I don't think I'd really fit into either category, nor do I care to. I'm just an outdoorsman.
 
Well I wouldn't call myself a NRA guy for my lack of firearms, but I have hunted and enjoyed it. Most of my time in the woods is spent hiking, camping, and fishing.
 
I dont like labels. I am an enthusiast of all things outside. Kayaking, mtn biking, hunting, hiking, fishing, camping, skeet shootin and archery.

Dunno what catagory that makes me. Im me.:thumbup:
 
I'm part Native American and that side of me really comes out in my relationship with nature.

I hunt, but I don't consider myself a hunter. I hug trees on occassion but don't consider myself an enviromentalist.

I despise trophy hunting, I find it to be a waste of an animal. If your going to kill an animal, do it with respect and put it to good use.

I love nature and try to respect every part of it. Trees, animals, rocks.

Nature is my church.

OH, except mosquitoes, no respect for mosquitoes, I trophy hunt them like the scum they are.... got little tiny heads mounted all over my livingroom. Call them all "one pointers".
 
TFin04 said:
If you want my honest opinion, F the Sierra Club.

That said, when I get back from the woods you would never know I was there.
Click to expand...

I couldn't have said it better. The NRA tends to wish everyone would hunt and use the outdoors responsibly. The Sierra Clubbers I've run into tend to think only they know what is best. In my opinion, they are mostly wrong in their approach to the outdoors.
 
siguy said:
i don't have any capacity to hunt...no guns etc. maybe someday, but for now i don't really feel the urge.

i like just being out there, i don't really need to be chasing something.
Click to expand...

Well said. This sums it up for me too.
 
Not currently, but in the past I've been a member of the NRA, NORML, the ACLU and the Nature Conservancy:thumbup:

I like to hunt, but I consider myself sort of a tree hugger too.

I don't think things should be hunted to extinction. Also never got the people who don't eat what they kill:confused:

I'm somewhat against logging and resource extraction on public lands in sensitive areas or where it is competing with or reducing the price of the same resources private landowners could get.

Can't really bring myself to timber my place. Some of the trees I've been following for years. Still worse came to worse I know it's there. Also have a major high voltage electric line running across the back of my land and a huge natural gas pipeline running thru my back yard and a gas well too. But when they were going to put a road to an airport thru my barn and a huge 36" hot water line for a power plant across too I fought those. I figure I already done my part with the gas line and power line.

So I'm sort of a conservationist but a pragmatist also.:rolleyes:
 
Quote. Is the wilderness something to be used/respected or put under glass and roped off. End Quote.

I believe it should be used and respected. I have read studies showing the damage that is caused to the soil from Mountain Bikes, Dirt Bikes, and in winter Snow Mobiles. I think the forest can survive:D The Sierra club would grow enormously if they changed their policy on land use. Petition the government to allow motorized and mechanical vehicles into our wilderness and National parks and the benefits would far out weigh the minimal damage. I'm not suggesting that it becomes acceptable for ATV riders to harass herds of Buffalo in Yellowstone. Or for people to play laser tag on their Honda Dirt bikes in the John Muir Wilderness. There would still be rules. And staying on the trails would be one of them. But honestly would our National Parks and Wilderness areas by destroyed by a few people Peddling/Motoring around on trails? And even if you couldn't stand the idea of damaging the soil; think of the short term benefits. National Park/Wilderness use would grow immensely and we would quickly see a major national/even international interest in adding to our preserved lands. But right now congress and their constituents (we the voters) apparently could care protecting our lands. Thankfully hunters and yes Sierra Club members do care and we have much to thank them for. They both make far better allies in preserving our lands then citizens who can care less if we opened up logging and mining in our National Parks.
 
Well said.

As an avid ATV and Snowmobile rider, maybe you guys can see where my animosity toward the Sierra Club comes from.
 
Thomas_J said:
The NRA vs the Sierra Club might be a little to ham fisted, I'll agree. But this story kind of gets to what I'm getting at.


http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/photography/united-states/southwest/utah-range-creek/waldo-wilcox.html


Is the wilderness something to be used/respected or put under glass and roped off.
Click to expand...

That was an interesting story, thanks for the link.

The used/respected vs. roped off can be a fine line at times. On the one hand it's a shame for people to not be able to see the sights at Ranch Creek, yet on the other hand it's a shame that they're being desecrated. I'm not sure which is worse. I think if I'd been in Waldo's shoes I'd have kept it quiet too, only sharing it with people I knew would respect it properly.

I think part of the problem comes from so many people growing up in cities and not really understanding rural areas. They see it more as some kind of playground or huge amusement park to visit a few times a year than for what it really is. I'm sure my feelings are biased that way because of where I live and what I've seen the tourists do each summer.

Having said all that, if I had to choose from the two I'm the NRA type.
 
The funny part of it all i read all the posts twice... I realy think you all say the same thing. None of you want to abuse nature you all want to enjoy it. NRA or a TREE HUGGER On this forum its the same just listen to what everyone on here has to same. Words might be diffrent but the idea is same. As for me i agree with everything everyone on here has to say.. One reason i listen to everything everyone has to say on here.. Some of the best folks around are right here...

Sasha
 
I know, "He's on his soap box again." Too many people confuse tree huggers with anti-hunters. They are not one and the same. I am a tree hugger. I am not an anti hunter.

A tree hugger is one who values nature and tries to preserve it. Some carry it to extremes as in the "Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints" group. Others, like myself, believe nature should be used, but used responsibly and with respect.

Of course, since I've been down this road before, I'm sure the confusion will continue. :rolleyes: End of mini rant.

Doc
 
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