Hunters with ATVs cause thousands of dollars of damage to alpine tundra trail

[noharleyyet]

As I was driving back to the office today to sign up for a Defensive Driving Course for 10 over in a 40, a yellow Camaro with that loud pipe note that only a chitty running floored 6 cylinder can produce blew around me at about 75 in a 45.

 

[oxn939]

I wonder if that is a manpower issue in alaska as to why more people dont get busted?

Think you're spot on here. We actually ran into the warden on our way out who, coincidentally, went to college right down the road from me at the same time- super nice and helpful guy. Anyway, he said manpower shortages keep them from doing anywhere near as much enforcement as they wish they could. It was basically him and a partner trying to corral literally hundreds of people, the majority of whom didn't care at all about keeping things legal. He also said that a shockingly high number of hunters, both resident and nonresident, kill cows on that hunt thinking they're small bulls.

I don't mean to come off with an inappropriate amount of vitriol towards ATVers, but you don't see a lot of fair chase hunters illegally executing an animal without even knowing which sex it is. We would clean up a really glaringly obvious black eye to the hunting community in general if that entire area became non motorized offroad.

 

[elkduds]

It's not an ATV problem, it's an asshole problem. Simple as that. Stay on trails designated as such, staff off trails designated as such, and have fun. Simple as that.

An ATV or UTV exponentially increases the damage an a$$hole causes, like replacing his shovel with a bulldozer.

I've heard it all, from "This used to be a jeep road before it was illegally closed," to "I paid for this and it is my right use it on my public lands." Excuses are like a$$holes.

I spent nearly every day this summer and fall along a 5 mile stretch of forest service road in CO's Mosquito mountain range. When I recorded and notified the local Forest Service office of a particularly egregious case of dickfors making a road by driving off the FS road to where they wanted to hunt, I received no reply to my phone call nor my email giving the particulars necessary for law enforcement. As you would expect, other morons followed the 2 tracks that had never been there before. The FS HQ is only 18 miles from the spot. I saw one FS truck on that road in the 100+ days I was on it. Without enforcement, what good did it do me to confront those bozos about their illegal camp?

These are the rules for this particular NF:

• Camping is allowed throughout the districts in both developed and undeveloped sites.
• There is a 14-day stay limit anywhere in the Forest.
• Vehicles MUST be parked in established sites.
• You may camp outside of developed campgrounds if you do not cause any resource damage and keep your vehicle within one vehicle length of main roads.

If you know these scofflaws, show this to them. They'll remember me.

 

[elkduds]

As I was driving back to the office today to sign up for a Defensive Driving Course for 10 over in a 40, a yellow Camaro with that loud pipe note that only a chitty running floored 6 cylinder can produce blew around me at about 75 in a 45.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

This got good, like I thought it might. So far I’ve seen vague suggestions of vigilantism, blaming on the permitted grazers, and also it’s the government’s fault. Oh my!

So yeah, no man, don’t go jacking up anyone’s ATV. The results will be badly received by angry armed owners. Permitted grazers… nope. That same phony denial refocus tactic is used to say the Civil War was due to tariffs, look it up. And government agents will enforce when these are elevated into criminal law with associated criminal fines and penalties.

 

[ol_spark]

I am in the "I hate ATVs in hunting areas camp" Where we hunt in GMU 26 here is CO is a wilderness/non motorized area . There is one authorized jeep trail that dead ends where we camp. You are only authorized to drive on that and pull off to park. EVERY year for about the last 5 it has continued to get worse and worse with ATVs.....ignoring signs and driving up trails (including going over barriers), tearing up the existing trail and all the way to driving almost a mile straight up the middle of a meadow to pick up a deer. I have taken pictures and forwarded those to CPW with luke warm response to say the least.

My perspective is a little different than most, I think. From the time I started hunting the west (while still on active duty) I have had all kinds of physical issues and pain to deal with. I try to keep myself in reasonable shape and structure my hunting in relation to what I can do. I know a lot of it will be painful and strenuous for me, but it is the price that must be paid. I have a problem with people who are too fat and lazy ( almost to the MAN the folks we have encountered in our area meet this description-as well as being from other states) to be prepared for a hunt and the struggle it might entail. If you fit this description you should 1) Get in shape, put forth effort and earn your hunt or 2) Go on guided hunts where you have others to do a lot of the heavy lifting for you ....DO NOT just hemorrhage cash on a vroom vroom buggy so you can go around tearing stuff up, ruining others hunts and breaking the law because you can't be bothered not to be a POS.

I understand completely. It took me 10pts as a nonresident to draw a Wyoming deer tag this year. Trailered my SxS over 1600 miles to help me getup the mountains. Stopped at the gate and walked in daily. Met some younger archery elk hunters that made me depressed because I couldn’t hump as fast as they were going. Left that area to them until archery elk season ended. Met the local game warden and deputy sheriff who checked my license and asked if I was the guy driving all over the BLM. I told him those were two local young men and my machine was parked on the trail to check my trail sticker on the way out. They left. A couple days later, I’m glassing a sage meadow and hear an atv with two young fellows driving through the center of it. Pissed was not the word to describe my feelings. Ten years ago I may have caught them but not that day. All I could do was scream at them. No way, with my knee was I catching them. Wyoming has a a$$hole problem, not an atv problem. One night in another area I thought some locals were having troubles and stopped to help. In exchange for my kindness, the local offered me some honey holes but you have to drive your SxS past the gate. Sometimes you have to cheat a little to succeed he said. He said if you’re caught its only a $100. What’s $100 in this day and age. He’d been caught before, he stated. I thanked him for his advice but said I wouldn’t be using it. With attitudes like this, I won’t be returning to that area. I’m sure no one will care though.

 

[HighWildFree]

Sometimes you have to cheat a little to succeed

That's the real Code of the West right there

 

[MTGomer]

So yeah, no man, don’t go jacking up anyone’s ATV.

I used to think this way until I got tired of nobody doing anything.
A valve stem remover costs $2.99.(this is not an admission to ever using one)

Now that I live in AZ it makes sense to turn people in because BLM and GF law enforcement take reports seriously here.

In Montana, you can either handle it yourself or just accept that it won’t be handled.

 

[MTGomer]

Chapter 3 of things the prepared outdoorsman should have stashed in the pack:
A complete “possibles” kit has epipen, tourniquet, quick clot, valve stem tool, a little duct tape, extra boot lace, extra SG waist buckle.
And a little mole skin and tenacious tape.

 

[Akcabin]

When I get the chance I talk to folks about it. Generally I think that if it's hunters. It's hunters that just don't realize what they're doing. But plenty of others that don't care. But they generally move along because they are cowards n afraid to confront someone. Or don't come back because someone did confront them. When they run, their punks. And afraid of confrontation.
For me. We all know it happens. Getting fired up n frustrated enough to leave your area. There everywhere else too.
They are the same folks who park in handicap zone. Right in front of the door at the grocery store. Or in the fire lane. Butt in line. They are jerks wherever they go n seems to me the biggest problem is others that allow it. And always find some justification why they are OK.
Atvs can tread lightly. And be useful tools.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

When I get the chance I talk to folks about it. Generally I think that if it's hunters. It's hunters that just don't realize what they're doing. But plenty of others that don't care. But they generally move along because they are cowards n afraid to confront someone. Or don't come back because someone did confront them. When they run, their punks. And afraid of confrontation.
For me. We all know it happens. Getting fired up n frustrated enough to leave your area. There everywhere else too.
They are the same folks who park in handicap zone. Right in front of the door at the grocery store. Or in the fire lane. Butt in line. They are jerks wherever they go n seems to me the biggest problem is others that allow it. And always find some justification why they are OK.
Atvs can tread lightly. And be useful tools.

Hey, I think I’ve heard this before. So how long you think before ATV drivers get religious exemption going where they shouldn’t go on public land?

 

[geetar]

As I was driving back to the office today to sign up for a Defensive Driving Course for 10 over in a 40, a yellow Camaro with that loud pipe note that only a chitty running floored 6 cylinder can produce blew around me at about 75 in a 45.

Those people are to the city what the guy with a 2 stroke dirt bike is to the National Forest.

 

[BuzzH]

Chapter 3 of things the prepared outdoorsman should have stashed in the pack:
A complete “possibles” kit has epipen, tourniquet, quick clot, valve stem tool, a little duct tape, extra boot lace, extra SG waist buckle.
And a little mole skin and tenacious tape.

Styrofoam is light, cheap and more effective than the valve stem remover.

 

[noharleyyet]

Styrofoam is light, cheap and more effective than the valve stem remover.

I'm wary of parked wheelers Buzz...get the feeling someone's watching me thru a riflescope.

 

[Rainer]

I read that the Yukon is doing something similar to this. If passed Jim Shockey is going to get pissed lol

 

[mtmuley]

I found an atv way off trail on a bear hunt one time. I was gonna pull valve stems but my buddy said no. So, I took pics of it, the surroundings and the registration sticker. I even took pics of the guy when meeting up with him. ( Tense situation) Emailed the pics to the Forest Service LEO, and the dirt bag got fined. I will turn in any atv/utv that is even 1/32 inch off the road. Damn sick of them. mtmuley

 

[rwc101]

I don't get the 300 ft exemption for dispersed camping or game retrieval on USFS land. Bad enough onx and other show "roads" that aren't on the MVUM.

 

[Shangobango]

Not nearly as egregious as most of what was discussed here, but yesterdaymorning before it was light, I hiked in 2 miles down a road that has a gate across it at the parking area with a big ole sign that says “ Road closed to motorized vehicles”. Doing this will usually get me away from 99.5 percent of other hunters around here. When I got to the end of the road, still a half hour before first light, there is one of those dang e-bikes leaning against a tree. I text the FS Ranger. He confirmed it was illegal and said he would handle it if I would give him the location.

 

[Akcabin]

Hey, I think I’ve heard this before. So how long you think before ATV drivers get religious exemption going where they shouldn’t go on public land?

No idea. What are they ? Why would someone want a religious exemption ?

 

[MTGomer]

Styrofoam is light, cheap and more effective than the valve stem remover.

I’ve been thinking on this and I’m not coming up with anything…?
Care to dumb it down to my level?