ATV's going up horse/human trail

[Brian in Montana]

People are largely able to do this with impunity and know it. That's why they keep riding their stupid 4-wheelers in places they don't belong. I've reported this kind of thing several times. Most Game Wardens are hardworking folks but the area they cover is huge and you generally have to be back in town before you can make a call.

Vehicle access laws in the mountains are practically unenforceable and these lazy pukes know it.

 

[flyingvmt]

I've always said ATV/UTV's are one of the worst things to happen to hunting and access. I don't take plug wires or cut them. I don't do any damage to them. But, air is free, and I bet those tires don't do well without it. Or so I would guess. mtmuley

Same. Never thought about spark plug wires to be honest....but it would suck donkey dick to have four flats and a plug wire chewed through.

 

[noharleyyet]

People are largely able to do this with impunity and know it. That's why they keep riding their stupid 4-wheelers in places they don't belong. I've reported this kind of thing several times. Most Game Wardens are hardworking folks but the area they cover is huge and you generally have to be back in town before you can make a call.

Vehicle access laws in the mountains are practically unenforceable and these lazy pukes know it.

This ^^^^is how it is.

 

[u1299]

Just got home from the Missouri Breaks, hiked in about a mile early this morning to a glassing point and about half way in came across a set of truck tracks on an old abandoned road (been closed for at least 10 years I know of) they continued to the end of the road where I walked in to glass, had the a--hole gone another 20 feet he'd have dropped into the abiss. On the way out I saw where he left the main road and deliberately drove around the post notifying no vehicles beyond this point. Tracks were made last evening after it had rained earlier in the morning. I hate hate hate people who do this.

 

[onpoint]

Some years ago, Bozeman Daily Comical columnist, Parker Heinlein, penned a column about ATV's. I remember a portion of it - paraphrasing - "ATV's make it possible for fat, stupid, and lazy people to get into the back country...."
I know there are responsible riders out there. However......
Parker caught a lot of flack for that column. I found it - due to the evidence of many of my own experiences with these machines - to be spot on.
I guess if I found it necessary to plop my somewhat fat ass (which is lazily plopped in front of this PC - stupidly stirring the pot on a website) on a machine instead of using my feet to get in the hills, I'd be of different opinion....

 

[u1299]

Same trip in the M Breaks my son saw a set of 4 wheeler tracks going around a post notifying no vehicle access beyond this point even though the post had been pulled out of the ground, it was still laying there. My son reset the post before walking in to hunt. He returned several hours later to find the atv had left by driving over the post my son had reset by simply placing a wheel on both sides of the post driving over it knocking it down again. What a worthless piece of shit..

 

[HighDesertSage]

I just posted this on another thread, but most of you guys have smart phones with a video camera. Use em.

 

[Nameless Range]

Document the BS as best you can and report em. There's so few authorities out there the only way this gets better is if we police our selves.

 

[Speeddmn]

Yeah I actually know the guy who it was I went up and knocked on his camper and when I told him it was illegal he just replied with what are you gonna do about it... I didn't have service and wanted to hunt so I moved over a drainage and I was going to call the fish and game but, what do I say to them... they need to get the C.O.'s to go work I say at least 30 camps on my drive and never saw a game cop.

You may not like my answer, but you posted so get to see it. This is also just as bad in my opinion (which we all know about peoples opinion's), if you are an advocate for the land/national forest, etc you should care as much about our public lands and hunting. If losing a days hunt is worth more than the stopping of illegal activities than you sir apart of the issue we all fight for. The people that continually perform these activities and get away with it only add fuel to the fire for our Gov. agencies to close more and more access to our lands.

One of the places I used to hunt had a group of out-of-state hunters that always camped in the same spot and every year were trespassing, driving atvs where they weren't allowed, using other peoples tags. Anyway I would call the warden every time I saw a violation and sometimes he'd get their in time, sometimes he wouldn't. After getting pinched the first time I figured that would be the end of that (Even had a bull confiscated). Nope right back next year doing all again. After a few times they figured out it was me calling and when they saw me they'd cuss me up and down, say that I was lying and just trying to keep them out. It took 4 years of reporting them until they finally never came back.

I guess the point is that if you don't make the call, they won't stop and sometimes you gotta make a lot of calls.

This is exactly what I am talking about, yes maybe making that call wont lead to anything, but if you are persistent eventually the LEO will have time to get there and investigate. Having any and all info readily available to make his/her time more effective will also help you, help them.

 

[Zach]

As a retired LEO I am getting very tired of making the call,giving the info & nothing is done.
Even more pissed about poaching I report & then I am being looked at.

I am taking care of things my way from now on.

Please expand.

 

[brymoore]

I don't like ATVs driving in closed and have had a few heated discussions with gate jumpers. I've reported to F&G without much luck. I'll would now get BHA's assistantance should it happen again. I won't, however, damage someone else's property. I'll take a picture but I won't touch it.

 

[tx_basser]

it happens all over, even here in Texas. You walk in miles to set up for Duck Hunting in an area, only to see some idiots come driving in and around signs to get there in atv's or some large jacked up 4wd pickup. I buried some 2x4's with nails in them in some large mudholes to help air escape from their tires.

 

[elkantlers]

Ive run across several atv/motorcycles where they aint supposed to that somehow lost the sparkplug wire

I get where you are coming from, but destruction of personal property is not the answer and would drop you to their level. It would probably get you a bigger fine than the people riding where they shouldn't be.

I could see some dead trees falling across the trail after they go by.

 

[Dan O]

The jerks breaking the law with their ATV's are at the same level as the jerks who would damage property whether it be gates, signs or ATV's. Remember the old saying " Two wrong's don't make a right" well it's still true in todays world. Document the violation as best you can and report it as soon as possible. Be willing to take the time to follow thru with your complaint by writing a statement, testifying in court if need be.
As much as you may want to do something to the ATV or setting nails in the trail or what ever your imagination comes up with. it's NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO! Sometimes doing the right thing is not the easiest thing to do, but it is the right thing.

 

[elkduds]

Count me among those that have got nowhere w legal documentation of ATV scofflaws. I still take pics/video of machines, riders, trucks, trailers. I can see the rationale for nondamage monkeywrenching. Always thought it would be hilarious if Bubba had to notify LEOs that his quad was locked to a tree, 2 miles past the Trail Closed sign. Sometimes what happens in the mountains, stays in the mountains.

 

[shootbrownelk]

I've always said ATV/UTV's are one of the worst things to happen to hunting and access. I don't take plug wires or cut them. I don't do any damage to them. But, air is free, and I bet those tires don't do well without it. Or so I would guess. mtmuley

Don't cut/slash them...remove the caps & stems, hard to keep air in them that way and no vandalism.

 

[opyff]

A bullet thru the crank case wouldn't be a bad idea. If it's on federal public land Game and Fish usually can't do much to uphold federal laws. Contact the local FS or BLM LEO, but make sure you get pictures, GPS coordinates and as much additional info as possible and they can probably still give them a ticket

 

[phutch30]

A bullet thru the crank case wouldn't be a bad idea. If it's on federal public land Game and Fish usually can't do much to uphold federal laws. Contact the local FS or BLM LEO, but make sure you get pictures, GPS coordinates and as much additional info as possible and they can probably still give them a ticket

Not true, State law enforcement has authority to ticket on "most" federal land i.e non military, national parks excluded

 

[RFVSkier]

Not sure where you're at but in CO if you can get a picture of the registration # sticker, which is supposed to be visible, of the vehicle with GPS info the Forest Service will just mail them a ticket. At least that is how it works with snowmobiles in the winter here, I would have to imagine they might do similar for ATV's. We have snowmobiles violate our hut boundaries or enter non-motorized areas and if we can get pictures of the registration # and the gps info or the hut visible in the background they just mail them the $250 ticket, no investigation or waiting for officers to come out and catch them in the act.

 

[noharleyyet]

Not sure where you're at but in CO if you can get a picture of the registration # sticker, which is supposed to be visible, of the vehicle with GPS info the Forest Service will just mail them a ticket. At least that is how it works with snowmobiles in the winter here, I would have to imagine they might do similar for ATV's. We have snowmobiles violate our hut boundaries or enter non-motorized areas and if we can get pictures of the registration # and the gps info or the hut visible in the background they just mail them the $250 ticket, no investigation or waiting for officers to come out and catch them in the act.

Makes much more sense than vandalizing where you might be being watched.... thru a scope. Think about it.