Smoke:
You're right. We know none of the details regarding the incident that saddlesore mentioned except that he did say the camp was left there for someone else to occupy during a later season. What a disappointment for the second users when they arrived and discovered their camp was gone.
Thieving is obviously wrong. But where is the line drawn between theft and salvage? I guess that depends on how well an item is identified. If people are obviously planning on returning in a reasonable time, then whatever they left behind has not been abandoned and therefore cannot be salvaged.
But trashing the forest is also obviously wrong. Leaving a camp setup for months, leaving a tree stand in one place for months, setting artificial ground blinds and leaving them in place for months, are all examples of trashing the forest. It's the same as littering.
If an outfitter sets up a drop camp and leaves it there for three months, he is abusing his opportunity. The Forest Service limits the time that someone can stay at the same camp to two weeks. I think that's a good limit and I suppose that if someone were to leave one tree stand setup, or a camp, or an artificial ground blind for no more than two weeks it would be the same thing. I guess that would be OK with me.
Here's another issue to ponder. This fall I hope to get a second season deer tag for the same unit where I will be hunting elk during the third season. If I setup a camp just before 2nd season and leave it in place until after 3rd season then it will be there for over three weeks. Since that's longer than two weeks I should remove my camp after second season and set it up again before third season. What a PITA. It's the same as the incident that saddlesore mentioned. I think people were wrong to bother that camp. There's more than one way right way to look at a situation.
KC
