Ok but in Montana E-bikes are illegal on any road or trail where motorized vehicles are prohibited. mtmuleyI get your point but let's be real. People are going to continue to move to Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Utah etc. to "get away" from the more populated areas. They love the idea of living where they can easily access their forms of recreation. The problem isn't a few hundred mountain bikers. Much like you elude to in your comment above, the problem is less wintering ground, more people, everywhere they can be, due to trail systems. More roads/highways cutting off migration routes etc. There are millions of acres of land that people aren't riding bikes into and people are rarely hiking/backpacking into. But these same people are all living in the foothills below these wilderness areas where the generations of animals have been able to escape the worst of winter. Today, there are houses, ranchettes, roads, etc. all over those areas.
I am not saying that I don't have to do my part to make it better, but do we all really believe that ebikes are what are causing the demise of deer and elk herds? Maybe there is some culpability in those promoting hunting on TV, social media etc. There has been a huge influx of "new hunters", most of which have significantly improved gear versus when most of us started. Don't we have to take some responsibility in the type of equipment we use to hunt with? Rangefinders, Long range rifles and turreted optics, electronic aiming devices on bows, scopes on muzzleloaders? How about the ease of using a program like OnX or even GoHunt in helping know where to go. I would venture to say that these advancements have as much or more to do with the reduction of herds as anyone riding in the summer on designated trails on a mountain bike, ebike or not. People are already hiking, running, recreating on these trails. Mountain bikes are not the issue, with a motor or not. The issues are the encroachment of people, particularly their homes, and the huge influx of more population. I have seen the population triple in my state over the last couple of decades. Most of you here in the West have seen something similar.
Our desire to keep the trails only accessible to those who want to hunt is a no-go in my opinion. For the trails to exist, they will have to have other uses. Period. That said, I will ride my eMtb where ever it is legal to do so. Where I live, that is mostly foothill and some cool alpine/subalpine trails that are mixed use. I have little desire to ride my mountain bike on a boring fire road, gravel road or pavement. At least not when there are opportunities to legally ride on single track trails. I will however ride my bike on the fireroad, gravel roads etc. when it is my only option. And you will never catch me creating my own trails, on a bike, ATV, truck etc. ever.
There, I have vented. We all have things that we deem important. We all will fight for them in ways that we feel we should. I will continue to fight for the ability to ride my Class 1, pedal assist ebike anywhere someone can ride a bike at all. And most likely, I will continue to use my Leupold CDS scope on a high powered rifle to hunt with. Or my compound bow with a slider sight and an accurate rangefinder. Or, I will as long as it is legal to do so. I am venturing that all of you will do the same.
FH