Backcountry activities' effects on wildlife

If the wildlife got a problem, they know where to find me.

**This post was edited on Dec 6th 2020 at 2:33:20am

Humans are bad, get abortions, something, something, yolo

Physically being in the backcountry isn't harmful. A persons presence on its own doesn't really change how that ecoaystem functions. Being destructive, leaving crap behind and taking natural items out is. This is why we have Leave No Trace guidelines. Does everyone follow them? No. I get that. But to rope off public land access because some folks can't handle themselves is kind of dumb. What we need is more general education around the basics and LNT and backcountry travel in order to build public knowledge. Any state with lots of public land access should have their schools include this in their ciriculume. A poster at a trail head changes nothing.

**This post was edited on Dec 6th 2020 at 8:42:17am

theres a forum for bc stuff
but your a special skigabber snowflake
aint ya

Lol what about the environmental impacts of ski resorts...

Do people out BC skiing have a negative effect on wildlife? Yes. Is it literally the lowest on the list concern for any natural resource professionals? Yes. Private landowners, TIMOS and REITS all have a much larger negative effect on wildlife than backcountry skiers do. If you don't leave garbage and are staying on set routes and out of protected areas, bc skiing is completely fine.

*skis at massive resort on what used to be pristine wilderness*

go away filthy urbanite

**This post was edited on Dec 6th 2020 at 1:53:09pm

lol the worlds top corporations are responsible for the majority of carbon emissions, pollution, etc. but yeah dude backcountry skiers are the bad guys for what exactly? You didn’t provide any information. You just gave us the burden of proof and said “backcountry skiing bad :(“.Shut the fuck up. This kind of virtue signaling is what gives progressive politics a bad name.

Rotten_TrumpkinsHave you guys ever thought about the impacts that you're causing to wildlife? Winter or not, it's real and detrimental. Google it.

Generic, uninformed environmental hippy claim that people recreating in the woods are raping and harassing wildlife every fucking chance when they are alone in the woods. Doesn't know any of the rules or regulations in place for Leave no Trace, wildlife protection or knows anything about ecosystems.

Gives no examples but feels it must be true because some greenpeace internet video/comments made him feel bad for being a human.

Google "backcountry skiing effect on wildlife". It's not just skiing, but all types of outdoor recreation. A lot of the sources were pdfs I can't post. If anything is "uninformed" it's these types of responses. Just trying to create a discussion but I kinda expected this type of response. Best to contain activities to already established parks, trails, and areas, but y'all do you and continue to think you're all angels in this. Just because you leave no physical trash or intentionally damage things, doesn't mean you're not having an impact. That's naive.

r00kiePhysically being in the backcountry isn't harmful. A persons presence on its own doesn't really change how that ecoaystem functions. Being destructive, leaving crap behind and taking natural items out is. This is why we have Leave No Trace guidelines. Does everyone follow them? No. I get that. But to rope off public land access because some folks can't handle themselves is kind of dumb. What we need is more general education around the basics and LNT and backcountry travel in order to build public knowledge. Any state with lots of public land access should have their schools include this in their ciriculume. A poster at a trail head changes nothing.

**This post was edited on Dec 6th 2020 at 8:42:17am

270on420outlol the worlds top corporations are responsible for the majority of carbon emissions, pollution, etc. but yeah dude backcountry skiers are the bad guys for what exactly? You didn’t provide any information. You just gave us the burden of proof and said “backcountry skiing bad :(“.Shut the fuck up. This kind of virtue signaling is what gives progressive politics a bad name.

50KalGeneric, uninformed environmental hippy claim that people recreating in the woods are raping and harassing wildlife every fucking chance when they are alone in the woods. Doesn't know any of the rules or regulations in place for Leave no Trace, wildlife protection or knows anything about ecosystems.

Gives no examples but feels it must be true because some greenpeace internet video/comments made him feel bad for being a human.

Rotten_TrumpkinsGoogle "backcountry skiing effect on wildlife". It's not just skiing, but all types of outdoor recreation. A lot of the sources were pdfs I can't post. If anything is "uninformed" it's these types of responses. Just trying to create a discussion but I kinda expected this type of response. Best to contain activities to already established parks, trails, and areas, but y'all do you and continue to think you're all angels in this. Just because you leave no physical trash or intentionally damage things, doesn't mean you're not having an impact. That's naive.

So we just don't go into the outdoors? Don't go backpacking, skiing, rafting, all that? Can only stay in the parks guys! Might leave a footprint behind! It is completely possible to use the outdoors and backcountry areas without leaving anymore impact than the animals that live there make while live their lives. This narrative of closing off public lands to human use is stupid. Anyone back there cares a helluve a lot more about conservation than the people who don't use it.

I dont think the burden of decreasing traffic to BC areas should be on the shoulders of people that have been accessing the BC spots long before the pandemic forced "urbanites" into exploring nature.

That being said, kinda unwarranted hate towards OP, I think its an interesting conversation point. I've only been to loveland pass as my only BC experience, so im not at all versed in BC etiquette or environmental impacts, but if im not mistaken dont many popular BC areas have trail heads/common starting points? Seems to follow that these starting points would increase their traffic significantly if overall number of people heading into the BC increased significantly. Increased traffic to natural areas has negative impact to the wildlife due to said increased traffic, especially when areas are being accessed from common starting points, even if every single person that accesses the area is doing everything correctly in terms of environmental awareness. More humans to areas that dont typically see humans has direct and indirect impacts, thats just the reality.

Most areas are at already established trails and mentioned before. Pack a trashbag, if you really want to help out the local ecosystem you can be prepared to do so. No need to stop entering the woods and finding fun spots

Rotten_TrumpkinsBest to contain activities to already established parks, trails, and areas, but y'all do you and continue to think you're all angels in this. Just because you leave no physical trash or intentionally damage things, doesn't mean you're not having an impact. That's naive.

What do you think people do when they go out into the mountains? Just helicopter in to the top of any mountain they fancy to ski and then log a new road to get out?
Anyone who’s skiing backcountry is already utilizing established trailheads, trails, logging roads.

But what are you talking about when say impact ? Do you think BC skiers are effecting elk populations migration patters in the Teton National park? Do think Skiers are burying trash under the snow causing piles of trash to emerge after spring melt out? Do you think the overcrowding trailhead parking at vail pass parking is overused and the high alpine tundra is to stressed to hold a sufficient mouse population to support the small mammal predator population?

Yes, every single thing humans do have a impact because that’s how our society is set up.

But making the blanket statement “BC skiers impact is so large we should just not go out” is horseshit unless your gonna argue some specific points. For fucks sake your footprint literally disappears when it’s snows or melts.

Should we encourage our fellow BC skiers to make good decisions when they head to the trailhead and follow the most updated rules/regulations/closures with the changing seasons?? Yes.

Rotten_TrumpkinsGoogle "backcountry skiing effect on wildlife". It's not just skiing, but all types of outdoor recreation. A lot of the sources were pdfs I can't post. If anything is "uninformed" it's these types of responses. Just trying to create a discussion but I kinda expected this type of response. Best to contain activities to already established parks, trails, and areas, but y'all do you and continue to think you're all angels in this. Just because you leave no physical trash or intentionally damage things, doesn't mean you're not having an impact. That's naive.

And that impact is negligible and generally contained to those established areas you’re referring to.

Any form of recreation in nature will affect the behavior of the wildlife in that area. We are the most prolific and deadly apex predators the world has ever known. Pretty much every animal that has survived around humans has it embedded in their DNA to stay the fuck away from us. With that said, wildlife in alpine ecosystems already has to contend with extremely harsh conditions and they are very well adapted to do that. Making an animal run a quarter mile to seek cover will usually not be enough to exhaust it to the point of death. As long as the animals have somewhere safe to run to they will be fine. The real issue arises when you have urban sprawl and rural developments. Here in Colorado, for example, we have neighborhoods that extend right up to the foot of the mountains and cut directly into the mule deer and elk winter range. In the rocky mountains, cervids rely on migration routes through specific drainages in order to reach places with enough food and shelter to sustain them through the winter. Unfortunately, that winter range is prime real estate for retirees who want a picturesque mountain view without the added inconveniences of living in the high mountains. If we really want to help wildlife then we need to regulate the way that future wildland-urban interface communities are built and ensure native plants are kept around and spacing between houses is maximized. That will do a lot more good than complaining about urbanites online.

**This post was edited on Dec 7th 2020 at 5:36:36pm