PACK IT IN – PACK IT OUT

With hunting season closing in on us, and the weather starting to cool off more of US hunters, campers, hikers and anglers will be heading out do enjoy the great Arizona outdoors, and that means trash and lots of it. 

One of the first things I was taught by my grandmother was to pick up the trash that we took to the field. The second thing was to leave the woods or desert cleaner than it was when I arrived. Today I still do this and I am passing it on to my kids. Every time we go out camping, hiking, hunting or fishing, we leave out camp site cleaner than it was when we arrived, If every one was to do this when out this fall it would go along way to keeping the Arizona outdoors a more enjoyable place to visit. And it would send a message to the groups that are fighting so hard to take away our rights to enjoy the outdoors. 

Campers, make a game out of it with the kids. See who can pick up the most litter around your campsite. Have some kind of reward for them when they are done. This will do a couple of things, first it will keep them busy for a bit, and second your campsite will be cleaner than when you arrived. 

Hunters, you could do the same thing when arriving at camp. Dove hunters it only takes a few seconds to pick up the spent shells from a morning shoot. 

Fishermen and woman if you are in a boat keep the trash in the boat, this includes fishing line. It will only take a second to clean out your boat at the end of the day. Shore anglers pickup any trash you see while your walking the shore line, if your going to sit and throw out a worm or power bait, look around while waiting for the fish to bite. 

Hikers, most of you carry a small back pack or a fanny pack if you see a can or piece of paper pick it up and put it in your pack. 

If everyone did this every time the great Arizona outdoors will get clean in a hurry. 

Look for more on Pack it in-pack it out. As I will address this issue once a week. And this fall while your out if you see a huge pile some one has left. Send me an email at Camping@azod.com with some good directions and I will try and get the appropriate agency involved in getting it cleaned up.

 REMEMBER IF YOU PACK IT IN- PACK IT OUT

R L Gray

Camping/Hiking editor

Team AZOD