I was out this weekend, and while pondering the mysteries of the world while perched on a log, became curious about something.

For years and years, I've doody-fully dug catholes and buried my waste, as everyone recommends. (Remember, I'm hiking in the Ohio River valley, so we're talking forests and deep soil, not fragile alpine environments.)

But it occurred to me this weekend that mammals much larger than me (deer, moose, ponies, and bear, to name a few) never bother with such niceties. That got me to wondering why it's necessary for us to bury ours. (I'm not talking about toilet paper; if not buried, it needs to be burned or carried out. I'm not advocating leaving "mine fields" complete with little toilet paper flags.)

I've got a couple of ideas of my own, but I'm just curious about everyone elses thoughts as to why this is necessary. (I'm also not advocating a change in policy - just running down a random thought.)