Etiquette of the Wild
Categories:
Ii Woodcraft
Translated this means "_hands off_." The unwritten law of the woods is
that personal property cached in trees, underbrush, beneath stones, or
hidden underground must never be _taken_, _borrowed_, _used_, or
_molested_.
Canoes and oars will often be discovered left by owners, sometimes
fastened at the water's edge, again suspended from trees, and the
temptation to borrow may be strong, but remember such an
act would be
dishonorable and against the rules that govern the outdoor world.
Provisions, tools, or other articles found in the forests should be
respected and allowed to remain where they are. It is customary for
campers to cache their belongings with the assurance that forest
etiquette will be held inviolate and their goods remain unmolested.
Every one has the privilege of examining and enjoying the beauties of
mosses, berries, and wild flowers, but do not take these treasures from
their homes to die and be thrown aside. Love them well enough to let
them stay where they are for others also to enjoy, unless you need
specimens for some important special study.
A man who had always lived in the Adirondack forests, and at present is
proprietor of an Adirondack hotel, recently reforested many acres of his
wooded wild lands by planting through the forests little young trees,
some not over one foot high, and his indignation was great when he
discovered that many of his guests when off on tramps returned laden
with these baby trees, which were easily pulled up by the roots because
so lately planted.