Flagging Tape on Public Land

[Warmsy]

I always pull it down. Except, last year I was following a trail up into a canyon and I was so excited, seeing droppings and rubs the day before opener. Kept seeing tape and pulling it down. Eventually I realized it was probably a hunter's tape and I felt bad and couldn't hunt the next day anyway so I tied them back up on the way out. If it was a hunter I hope he got a buck.

 

[EdP]

The hunting community has yet to inculcate the concept of "leave no trace." The hiking community used to be just as bad 50 years ago and are still not perfect but have improved tremendously via education and constant messaging. I find hunters trash all the time when hunting or scouting on public land. When I find a place that looks good for seeing game I will often then find there is an empty water bottle, beer can or other trash stuffed in the crack of a rock or in a rotten stump. These are off trail location that hikers never go to so it is hunters that left that trash. Its time we cleaned up our act.

 

[northernmadman]

We put it up on the trail entrance off the main trail to indicate a kill and possible grizz on the moose/caribou gut pile. We do remove and clean when we head home after the trip is done.

 

[Macintosh]

I’m guessing you don’t realize that flagging tape is biodegradable. And used by foresters, engineers, surveyors, wildlife managers, gas well workers, etc….

Its very easy to tell the biodegradable stuff from the non-biodegradeable stuff. Its also easy to tell official-use tape from someone marking a trail to their stand or marking an illegal trail in 99.9% of cases. Official use and biodegradeable are not what I see though. Personally, I am referring only to tape that is clearly not official, is clearly not biodegradeable in any meaningful way, is often grossly excessive (as in, flagged literally every 10’ for half a mile such that its aggressivly visible to everyone who passes through a large area of public land and screams “Im using this WHOLE AREA” or “Im cutting an illegal ski glade on this entire mountainside because I want to ski pow-pow and theres too darn many trees…critters, regen, other users, management plan, etc be damned”). And in 99.9% of cases this tape is still up in march and april after hunting seasons are long over, and in many cases has clearly been there for multiple years, so its generally clear that whoever put it there cant be bothered to clean up after themselves. You are correct that there is a legit use for tape—but thats not what I see and not what I’m talking about. No, of course its not the biggest issue facing public land, but I see it a lot and it bugs me mostly because I think normalizing it does nothing but breed contempt and disregard for other people and other users.

 

[cnelk]

Anyone with any sorts of woods smarts knows the difference between timber flagging, mining or other corporate activity and some smuck leaving ribbons in the woods.

Tear it down

 

[jdmaxwell]

If you think any chance of flagging being a project boundary or timber sale, please don't pull it down ! Sucks having to go back and tie it back up before we get the boundary paint for a sale painted just because someone felt like it...
Most companies hang biodegradable..

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Anyone with any sorts of woods smarts knows the difference between timber flagging, mining or other corporate activity and some smuck leaving ribbons in the woods.

Tear it down

Yeah, people are so smart. Maybe you can tell the difference. Maybe most of these guys can. But, I’m betting the masses isn’t that educated.


I wasn’t aware they made non biodegradable flagging anymore. I’ve been tying the biodegrade stuff for 20 years.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Its very easy to tell the biodegradable stuff from the non-biodegradeable stuff. Its also easy to tell official-use tape from someone marking a trail to their stand or marking an illegal trail in 99.9% of cases. Official use and biodegradeable are not what I see though. Personally, I am referring only to tape that is clearly not official, is clearly not biodegradeable in any meaningful way, is often grossly excessive (as in, flagged literally every 10’ for half a mile such that its aggressivly visible to everyone who passes through a large area of public land and screams “Im using this WHOLE AREA” or “Im cutting an illegal ski glade on this entire mountainside because I want to ski pow-pow and theres too darn many trees…critters, regen, other users, management plan, etc be damned”). And in 99.9% of cases this tape is still up in march and april after hunting seasons are long over, and in many cases has clearly been there for multiple years, so its generally clear that whoever put it there cant be bothered to clean up after themselves. You are correct that there is a legit use for tape—but thats not what I see and not what I’m talking about. No, of course its not the biggest issue facing public land, but I see it a lot and it bugs me mostly because I think normalizing it does nothing but breed contempt and disregard for other people and other users.

If you are right I won’t disagree.



But, it’s not what I see. And upto several years ago I was in the woods more than most on this planet. Much less this site.

 

[IDVortex]

Yeah, people are so smart.

I had made out a lengthy reply, but figured I'd be nice and not make realunlucky send me a message.



I'll point out. Lastly, there are times timber areas get ribbons out up during hunting season, and I've then came back through and seen it untied and taken back down, only to find out it was the timber company/surveyor who took it down.

Folks aren't the brightest, look at round-a-bouts. Most folks probably on this forum can't drive them correctly, yet we think most folks can tell the difference between tape for a blood trail or not? I doubt that.

 

[ddd-shooter]

Yeah, people are so smart. Maybe you can tell the difference. Maybe most of these guys can. But, I’m betting the masses isn’t that educated.


I wasn’t aware they made non biodegradable flagging anymore. I’ve been tying the biodegrade stuff for 20 years.

The masses are the ones who are leaving it for the rest of us common sense people to tear down

 

[Weldor]

With Onx and smart phones, GPS. Who needs Flagging tape? RF bino's that give postision's etc. Oop's forgot about a map and compass. LOL I know you guys know this toilet paper to mark a blood trail or whatever. Biodegradable.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

With Onx and smart phones, GPS. Who needs Flagging tape? RF bino's that give postision's etc. Oop's forgot about a map and compass. LOL

That’s my point. I think tech has made flagging obsolete. For 99% of hunters. You’d have to be the dumbest hunter around to flag a path to your hunting ground with the mapping tools available. More easily used. Etc….


Like I said above, everyone listen, if that’s not your experience then I’m ok with it. It’s just not what I see.

 

[Macintosh]

Absolutely—there are places where the vast majority of tape I see is legit. And there are other places where that’s reversed and very little of what Insee is legit. I dont think its universally the same between places even locally, so Id be surprised if there wasnt significant differences regionally and nationally.

 

[TaperPin]

Where I hunt flagging isn’t an issue, but there are generations of tin cans and junk left over from hunters. I don’t leave a mountain any dirtier than when I showed up, but I also don’t clean up the trailheads or pack out half rusted cans - maybe I should. However, if young kids are around I will pay them $.10 a piece for any trash they pick up, so maybe I am an environmentalist and just don’t know it?

 

[Weldor]

Here it is Budlight and dirty diapers, no thanks. I just move on.

 

[EJFS]

Great to see that many people are also helping to clean public lands of unnecessary trash, as some have said, there are legit uses, but as I and others have said, it's pretty easy to tell the difference! I think folks put it up out of habit, fear, or in some cases trying 'claim' their spot.

 

[EJFS]

I’m guessing you don’t realize that flagging tape is biodegradable. And used by foresters, engineers, surveyors, wildlife managers, gas well workers, etc….

Lol, funny assumption on your part! I made statements already regarding both of your concerns. I am on public lands more days than not over the past decade plus, so yes, I understand that there are nuances.

 

[TheTone]

I found an insanely well flagged trail a couple weeks ago. Each piece must have been 18-24 inches long. No idea why they flagged the trail, it was sawed out so well a blind person could follow it

 

[flathead#2]

I pull it as well.
But there was one last year on my lease where somebody put up
a ground blind abouI 50-60 ft. off a road and had probably 30
pieces of flagging tape every few feet to the blind.
You could literally see the blind from the road.

 

[Jmoore]

Now that I’m older I leave be but still don’t like it.
In my younger days some just got pulled and some got rerouted.