95yj

heh,heh,...I have to join in with the other self employed here. Like Arlo Guthrie said, "I didn't get nothin', I had to pay $50 and pick up the garbage." But that has been remedied for now. I broke down and got a *real* job this week. Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell

615 as of this morning. If they keep turning rural America into suburbia around here, we won't have anyplace to hide them! Seems it was a better place to live when most of the residents walked on four legs instead of two. Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell

I wish all outdoor recreationalists had that attitude! The true environmentalist gives something back to the environment, not just sit around and complain about what others do to it!!! Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell

quote:Originally posted by BrianSnat:There is no such thing as "leave no trace". We all leave a trace as we pass, matter how careful we are. Deer, bear and beaver, et. al. also leave their traces. Often paths created by animals are more obvious than those created by us folk. The best we can do is to try to limit our impact. They target our sport because it's easy. We tell the world what we're doing on the internet. But while some authorities are out there trying to squash a relatively innocuous sport like geocaching, illegal dumpers, 4 wheelers and game poachers have free reignland. That's it exactly! Have minimal impact. This is what ALL outdoor recreationalists need to do. And the part about 4 wheelers....The OHV community is under heavy fire from the eco's! With 4x4's at the top of the list, and dirt bikes, ATV's, and snow mobiles changing places daily below the 4x4's. The environmental groups know that public opinion can easily be swayed against motorized vehicles. Now, illegal dumpers and poachers? The parks and wildlife department needs to declare an open season on those people!!!! I'm new to Geocaching, but not land use issues. If you think it's tough to keep land open to the public, try getting it back after they close it! When it comes down to fighting for your favorite form of ourdoor recreation, the people you need to influence most ARE NOT the ones in your sport, but the general voting public! Each group of recreationalists on their own are but a small minority of voters. Without the general public, you're fighting a lost cause. Brian and Jeff are right about the cache areas. Nature has a great ability to bounce back and recover from almost anything. I was in Yellowstone the year after the fires. What beauty there was to see if you just looked for it. The park rangers reported new growth of plants and flowers that had not been seen in years. And wildlife was everywhere, young and old. Like has been said, just use common sense and respect( around both people and wildlife ). Pack out what you pack in, be courteous to those you meet on the trail, no matter what means they are using to travel it. And enjoy being outdoors! Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell

quote:Originally posted by 95yj: quote:Originally posted by jackbear:It seems to be one of the cardinal rules of geocaching that we should be aware of where we place caches, and what environmental impact it will have. Lots of governments seem eager to begin permit systems. What are people doing out there to protect the environmental impact both around their own caches, and caches they visit? Grrrrrrrrr... jackbear Well, I turned to get a drink of coffee and bumped the rant switch again! I fully agree with jackbear that we need to use some good common sense rules, especially when hunting caches. many public land agencies are being pressured by enviro extremist groups to close trail access, or limit access by permit. Using all sorts of excuses, most of which can not be verified by honest and factual studies. From human and vehicle impact to the land itself, to disturbing wildlife, to pollution of the soil and waters. But if you step back and think, you will find that responsible use of, and respect for, the land and nature will resolve most all the problems, without banning human access to the land. Nothing outs a bigger burr in my butt than being on a trail for motorized vehicles that was a mining or logging road for years and years, and see where some lazy irresponsible individual has cut across the open land and make their own *trail* just because they didn't want to follow the existing ones. Or felt the *need* to make a shortcut around the switchbacks on a mountain road. This is the type behavior that gets public lands closed to the public. It doesn't matter if you are on foot, bike, kayak, horse, or OHV. If you don't use the land responsibly, you can bet somebody will try to get it closed! Rant switch "off" again. I hope the tape holds this time. Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell

quote:Originally posted by jackbear:It seems to be one of the cardinal rules of geocaching that we should be aware of where we place caches, and what environmental impact it will have. Lots of governments seem eager to begin permit systems. What are people doing out there to protect the environmental impact both around their own caches, and caches they visit? Grrrrrrrrr... jackbear Well, I turned to get a drink of coffee and bumped the rant switch again! I fully agree with jackbear that we need to use some good common sense rules, especially when hunting caches. many public land agencies are being pressured by enviro extremist groups to close trail access, or limit access by permit. Using all sorts of excuses, most of which can not be verified by honest and factual studies. From human and vehicle impact to the land itself, to disturbing wildlife, to pollution of the soil and waters. But if you step back and think, you will find that responsible use of, and respect for, the land and nature will resolve most all the problems, without banning human access to the land. Nothing outs a bigger burr in my butt than being on a trail for motorized vehicles that was a mining or logging road for years and years, and see where some lazy irresponsible individual has cut across the open land and make their own *trail* just because they didn't want to follow the existing ones. Or felt the *need* to make a shortcut around the switchbacks on a mountain road. This is the type behavior that gets public lands closed to the public. It doesn't matter if you are on foot, bike, kayak, horse, or OHV. If you don't use the land responsibly, you can bet somebody try to get it closed! Rant switch "off" again. I hope the tape holds this time. Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell

Their web site covers a lot of outdoor sports and activities. And guess what folks, most any form of outdoor recreation is coming under fire from the eco-nazi's. I love nature, the outdoors, and all the rest, but I also believe we need to keep it open for all to enjoy. If we show respect for the land and nature, use a bit of common sense along the way. Then this will give the exremist groups a little less ammo to use against us. Locking out humans is not the answer. Ever wonder how it is all the land developers go unchecked while they destroy thousands and thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and open land for the sake of cookie-cutter housing divisions? Yet let somebody wear a small trail or path on public land, and some eco-nut-case goes postal against that person's entire form of recreation. There are vast amounts of double standards and politics involved in land use and access issues. I've spent almost a year trying to just touch on the top layer of it. I'm getting close! Suggestion: When you place or hunt a cache on public land, let the governing agency know about your good experiences, and that you are glad the land is there for the public to enjoy! OK, rant switch is "off" now...... Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell

I'd keep this topic quiet. If OSHA gets wind of it, we'll be seeing those stupid warning labels on everything in the forest!!!! Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell

Got one on the glove box door in my Jeep that reads, "Let go of my ears, I know what I'm doing" Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell

OK, I'm new to GPS navigation and Geocaching ( five finds as of tonight, and I started Saturday! ), but do have some time logged as a private pilot. What I have found to work well for me, is to use the compass screen as you would the ADF in an aircraft. Sure, you tend to go a bit past the waypoint, but you quickly circle back into it. Once the distance shows less than 10 feet, my eyes are on the terrain more than the GPS. By doing this, I have already established a circle in which the cache should be located. So far, I have been within 3 feet of the cache every time I've spotted it! Granted my third was hidden very well, but I "knew" I was right on top of it. All it took was looking at the spot from a different angle. Like they said, once your in close, rely on your eyes, not the GPS! Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but I did my third and fourth caches today, and these folks are doing a real good job of hiding stuff here in the Republic of Texas! I've stood within 2 feet of the cache and had to look for a bit to finally see it without disturbing the surroundings as to give it away for the next cacher. Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell