It’s important to recreate outside responsibly

It is important to recreate responsibly in Big Horn County, especially making sure one is prepared for the cold weather.
Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office sergeant Craig Shidler said the biggest issues the department faces are littering and people being unprepared for outdoor adventures.
When you go outdoors to recreate, always be prepared, including being equipped for weather changes and car issues.
“People will travel out into the public lands areas, and they don’t have proper gear to prevent them from being subjected to cold or heat exposure or communication devices to contact their families to get help,” he said. “Or their vehicle isn’t running appropriately, and they get stranded out in public grounds.”
If someone is going outdoors, they should have an emergency kit in their car, Shidler said, with warm gear, and enough food and water to be prepared if they are stranded overnight. One should make sure that their cell phone is fully charged, and they have shared plans of where they are going with someone else before they leave the car.
One should make a safety plan before heading out into the woods, he said, and bring maps with them. Stay on marked trails, have a plan if one needs to call 911 and let people back home know how long the trip is.
Besides staying oriented, a map is also advisable to ensure that one is not trespassing on private property and staying on public lands, Shidler said. One should stay on areas and trails they are familiar with if they feel uncertain of where public land is.
When hunting or fishing, one should also utilize responsible practices as well as making sure they are properly licensed for the activity, he said. Know the boundaries of the areas one is hunting, wear fluorescent clothing and follow gun safety practices.
When fishing, read the regulations regarding what is allowed, and use the right bait and tackle for the area one is fishing in, Shidler said. Do not fish in prohibited areas. Follow the normal outdoor safety rules when hunting or fishing.
Dumping and littering continues to be an issue on public lands. It has been the past few years, he said.
“It’s happened continuously for years, but it’s become more prominent, more of an issue recently,” Shidler said. “‘I’m not 100% sure why it’s increased. I think just the lack of respect for the public lands that we’re able to use is the biggest reason why.”
If a citizen sees littering or dumping while venturing in the outdoors, they can report the incident to the sheriff’s office, forest service or the Bureau of Land Management, he said. When doing so, it is important to know the exact location of the dumping and describe in detail what happened. The dumping incident will be investigated, and enforcement will be made if laws are broken.