Let's say an outfitter sets up a drop camp in late August, just before bow season. That camp is located remote from his base camp so it's not included within his 100 yard exclusive zone. He expects to put several hunters in that drop camp throughout the fall. So he leaves the camp in place for three months. I know that same Gunnison outfitter which ransacked the camp mentioned earlier does exactly that, and I know where some of his drop camps are located.
Now what happens if someone takes stuff from his drop camp? How's that different from what he did?
KC
If the FS goes in and removes stuff that is illegally left in the NF, they are enforcing the law, nothing more, nothing less.
If you or I, or anyone else does it, that's apples and oranges. You and I have no authority to enforce the law. So if we take someone else's property, it's stealing. If we take property that's left there illegally and for a spurious reason, then it's understandable, maybe even laudable. But it's still not ours to take, that job belongs to the FS.
If we take a guy's tree stand because he left it unattended for a few hours, that's just plain stealing, and it's wrong. Anyone can see that.
I'll turn it around and ask you the same question I asked before. If you see a guy poach a deer in the backcountry, are you going to attempt to detain him at gunpoint? If you see a drunk driver on the road, are you going to give chase and tell him to pull over?
No, you're going to call LE and let them do their job.
