To not pick up dog poo...

[Moonfishstar]

... when in a quiet forest, but to flick it with a stick into dense undergrowth instead?

I don't see any issue with this, but I've got a feeling lots will disagree with me, so I wanted to get some other opinions.

The FC have changed their stance since the research about the damage that dog muck does has been published. They now ask you to bag it and take it away with you to dispose of.

No one should be leaving it in the countryside anymore.

I think so. I haven’t looked into the stats for tourist spots for walking like the fells etc, only general walking.

I don’t live in a tourist area at all, and definitely ‘going for a walk’ is not a thing like it used to be. Many rights of way have effectively disappeared because people aren’t using them and there isn’t much to motivate land owners to maintain access.

They need to change their website then as it still says stick and flick. Having wrong information doesn't help the situation

Where? When I looked at their website it says dog mess should be bagged and removed

https://www.forestryengland.uk/dog-code

I just don’t understand this.
Finding a stick, ‘flicking it’, having to discard stick there too, asking for opinions about it on here, after all that, wouldn’t it just be easier to pick the damn stuff up?! As others have said, if dog owners don’t want to carry it, they shouldn’t have a dog. Children and other dogs are exactly the ones who will roam off the beaten track, and it is disgusting if they end up in it( and they do).

@RubberyChicken

Sigh. I’ll explain it again.

Forestry England manages the Forestry Commission woodland in England. Forestry England are not OK with it. I’ll even post its dog code. Again.

https://www.forestryengland.uk/dog-code

OP has already said they’re in Forestry England woodland.

This makes their poo different to step in because…?
I don’t have a dog, for clarity.

Just by looking out of the window.
By walking
By footfall numbers and empty parking spaces

except For lockdown of course.

That’s not the argument of this thread though… you’re right. Dog owners should pick up in those situations

This was my bike ride today… approx 800m at the top of a hill in Scotland. The undergrowth is actually quite dangerous for kids to play about in. I flicked my dog’s shit in there.

Most forests are not right to roam… they’re working forests and it’s actually pretty fucking dangerous to be roaming

If it comes out of your dog’s arse it’s yours to bag and carry with you until you can bin it. Do not leaving it lying around to collect later (and then conveniently forget), or hang it from a tree (wtaf is that about!). Carry it until it goes in a bin. If you want a dog, it’s your responsibility to deal with its shit.

I can’t speak for the whole country, but the areas relevant to me day to day are common/open access areas, including woods/forests.

I’m enjoying the irony of being lectured on safety by someone who chucks dog shit around the place.

Umm, how do you ensure you flick it entirely under the brambles and none goes on top? 🤮🤮🤮 Just pick it up, don’t be a dick.

Slightly off topic but why is it dangerous for kids to play in there? My kids play in that sort of forest all the time. They climb, they scramble, they crawl…

Why ask if the response means absolutely nothing to you? 🤔

I discern an urban-rural split. Locally, the right to roam around our open spaces is used mostly by middle-aged dog walkers and mountain bikers, because our trails are not suitable for small children or buggies. No sensible person would allow small kids to explore very far off the tracks because it was (in the 18th century) very intensively mined (for some extremely toxic minerals) and there are still remote sections where nobody could guarantee the land's stability. It's been re-forested but mostly with conifers, so the wildlife value is limited, and the terrain is generally steep with some sheer drops. The primary recreational users are downhill mountain bikers looking for adrenalin thrills, and they know they need body protection gear. They also know that they are at least an hour from the arrival of an emergency ambulance, once reported. So there are bigger hazards than dog shit.

Actually, the most likely cohort to put themselves in danger, are tourists from cities.

Well as 92% of England and Wales is not right to roam that is pretty unusual

From my understanding, 'stick and flick' is acceptable in some places.

Personally, I would not do it. That is because I would probably flick in into my face!

I was once caught short of poo bags in the local park, and there were no other dog walkers about to ask for a bag. So I did the 'stick' bit, and carried it over to a poo bin. I must have looked like an idiot that was doing some weird version of dowsing.

It’s clear from this thread that the majority of people think it’s gross that dog owners keep flicking shit about because they’re rural and can do what they like. It’s disgusting, everyone is fed up with dog poo regardless of location.

It’s clear from this thread that the majority of people think it’s gross that dog owners keep flicking shit about because they’re rural and can do what they like. It’s disgusting, everyone is fed up with dog poo regardless of location.

Exactly!

Only if you live in a densely populated area. I don't.