Sportsmen should leave no trace

JEROME - As temperatures warm and anglers head to the waterways, they need to remember to respect the land and leave the area cleaner than they find it. Trash left behind by sportsmen is one of the most common complaints heard from landowners, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Fish and Game officers write more littering citations each year than any other kind of ticket. Access to thousands of acres of public access to private land has been lost because some sportsmen don't clean up after themselves. Fishing line is a major concern. Discarded fishing line left tangled in a tree or balled up on the shoreline can become a trap for wildlife. Every year birds and other animals are killed or injured after becoming entangled in abandoned fishing line. Fortunately many Idaho sportsmen believe in leaving an area cleaner than they found it, picking up others discarded trash before heading home. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game encourages sportsmen to practice good ethics, and clean up after themselves as well as other to help protect the wildlife and environment they enjoy. A few things for outdoorsmen to remember include: - Pack out everything that is packed in. - Leave gates the way they are found. - Drive only on existing roads. - Clean up targets and empty casing after shooting. - Don't shoot on private lands, unless permission has been granted. - Clean up other people's trash. - Leave the land better than it was found. For more information on what sportsmen can do, call 324-4359.