Outdoor Etiquette

Is outdoor etiquette dead and gone?

We were fishing the Yellowstone River, Friend Wife and I, and had just remarked at how amazing it was. There we were, literally inside Livingston city limits, and not another fisherman in site.

We spoke too soon. Here comes a guy down the hillside. He sees us, wishes us a good evening, and walks into the water---splashing noisily across the very area we were casting to.

I’d like to say such behavior is exceptional. Unfortunately, it’s not. Nowadays even outdoor enthusiasts suffer from the me-first attitude that permeates American society.

Think not? Hang out at any boat ramp and see what happens. Far too often somebody backs down the ramp and then first starts prepping their boat. Once the straps are off, and the plug put in, they start unloading rods, tackle boxes, and so forth from their truck. At long last, once everything is in place to their satisfaction, they back the rest of the way into the water. More times than not, one of them drives the truck up to the parking lot while the other waits right there, blocking the ramp.

All this time there are two, or three, or a half dozen other fishermen waiting to launch.

Things were a lot different when I was a kid. Outdoor etiquette was constantly present - you always thought of the other guy. It was just part of the outdoor ethic. Nowhere else was the Golden Rule more appropriate, nor easier to follow, than in the woods and on the water.

The thing is, outdoor etiquette isn’t something you should have to think about. It consists, 99+% of the time, of common sense. I mean, it doesn’t take the brains God gave a turnip to realize that wading across somebody else’s fishing area just isn’t right. Or that blocking a ramp when others are waiting to use it is plain wrong. Or that running a jet ski full bore into a swimming area is both dangerous and stupid.

So, this year, let’s everybody make an extra effort to do the right thing. Maybe it will serve as a good example others will follow.