Leaving no trace is a core principle of ethical hunting. It means minimizing your impact on the land so the environment—and the experience—remains healthy and intact for future hunters and wildlife alike.
1. Pack Out Everything You Pack In- Bring a small trash bag and take all your garbage with you, including food wrappers, shotgun shells, spent casings, and field dressing materials.
- Avoid leaving behind anything unnatural—if it didn't grow there, it doesn't belong there.
- Use existing trails and game paths when possible to reduce soil erosion and habitat damage.
- Avoid driving off-trail with vehicles or ATVs in sensitive terrain.
- If camping, choose durable surfaces for tents and fires. Keep campsites small and low-impact.
- Fully extinguish campfires and scatter any natural materials you used before leaving.
- Dress game away from trails and water sources.
- If possible, bury remains or scatter them naturally out of sight and scent range of others.
- Only target your intended game. Don't harass non-game animals or disturb nesting areas or dens.
- Stay quiet and low-impact to minimize your disruption to the ecosystem.
- Don't take antlers, feathers, bones, or plants unless it's permitted and for legal, ethical use.
- Avoid altering the environment unnecessarily—no carving, cutting, or constructing.
- Model Leave No Trace practices for fellow hunters, especially younger or newer ones.
- If you see litter left behind, pick it up—even if it's not yours.