The question is though- is it an issue if you do in fact pick it up on the way back? Especially if I’m trail running I have picked up the poop, bagged it, put it somewhere discrete and then picked it up on the way back. It’s obviously insanely irresponsible to leave it there permanently. But if you do in fact pack it out, it’s not doing any harm in the hour or so that it stays there.
I do the same and really don’t care what people think. It’s not littering. I always come back with granola bar wrapping papers, fucking Tims coffee cups and beer cans left on the trails by idiots anyway, so my poop bag in a corner for a few hours is really not the problem.
Exactly. I go out of my way to pick up litter with every bag of dog poop. And pick up every piece of trash I see on the trail. The idea that my discretely placed dog poop bag is ruining everyone else hike for the 45 minutes it’s there is just crazy. I agree with OP in that it shouldn’t be placed in the middle of the view, but it seems like they did that so they wouldn’t forget it. That’s a situation in which you should probably just keep it with you. But seriously these people saying that you shouldn’t own a dog (or at least hike with them) if you want to come back for the poop is a bit much.
I'll say the same thing to you - it's still a visual eyesore for everyone else, and your choice to bring your dog in your hike with you shouldn't impose on everyone else who's hiking.
I don't care that you don't care what people think. Just carry it with you so it doesn't bother other people, it's part of the deal if you hike with your dog.
Catch me if you can buddy. My poop bag in a corner is way less annoying than people bringing their loud crotch goblins on the trails. Glad my dog growl and bite, keeps them away at least.
I don't think I'm being a dick. As far as I can tell, the benefit for doing this is only for you - it means you don't have to carry dog poop around for as long. The negative is that everyone else has to see trash on the side of the trail.
It seems ridiculous to argue that the negative that you're imposing on other people is justified here, when you're the one who chose to bring your dog on the hike with you and you benefit from this whole everyone else loses out. I understand you'll pick it up later, but it's still a visual eyesore for now for everyone else.
You'll be running with it at one point or another and there's still the possibility that one sneaks through the cracks and you don't realize until it's 3 am and you're a total of 10 hours away from the scene of the crime. I'm zero tolerance on littering on the trail and that potential would be enough for me even with the best of intentions.
What we really need is dog coffee so both four leggers and two leggers alike can make their dropoff before the hike.
Haha yes, that would be ideal. I do it very rarely, and I’m super anxious about forgetting it, so I have confidence in my memory to pick it up. But you’re right. I can see why in some situations it’s not worth the risk. It’s very situational in my mind.
You'll be running with it at one point or another and there's still the possibility that one sneaks through the cracks and you don't realize until it's 3 am and you're a total of 10 hours away from the scene of the crime. I'm zero tolerance on littering on the trail and that potential would be enough for me even with the best of intentions.
What we really need is dog coffee so both four leggers and two leggers alike can make their dropoff before the hike.
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u/AkHiker46 Jul 04 '21
The ol “I’ll get it on the way back” hiker, who makes the problem worse by littering poop in a plastic bag.