Using ATV's while hunting

[wildlife414]

Our wildlife class is involved in a discussion about the use of ATV while hunting on public lands. Some of us agree that you should not be able to go off road with an ATV under any circumstance and others of us feel you should be able to leave the full sized vehicle roads and go on trails if the four wheeler will fit. Please share your opinion with us.

 

[AZ402]

I use mine to get to and from camp. AZ has a lot of real rocky roads that beat the crap out of your truck. I've never had any reason to take mine off road..........

 

[BigHornRam]

I've seen too much abuse by ATV's riders on public lands to have a good opinion of them. I've seen a dad driving an atv through a trailless meadow with their kid on the back holding loaded gun while "hunting" turkeys. I've heard guys drive in on their machine and start calling turkeys seconds after shutting it down. I've seen more outlaw trails started in public areas then I would like to count. I would have to side with the first opinion, no off road under any circumstance.

 

[kirkl]

I use mine like AZ402, roads are rough where we elk hunt and it saves wear and tear on the truck.

 

[Tom]

I think I vote no off road and its got to be an official road, not old, used to be a road type paths.

 

[Oak]

On public land, ATV's should be restricted to roads/trails that are open to full sized vehicles.

 

[cjcj]

I don`t own one yet.... They are a great tool for offroad big game retrieval in Az [where legal] to do so... they keep damage to a minimum when used properly, use less gas than a truck too!

 

[Ithaca 37]

They should be banned from any hunting activity. Too many slobs riding them are doing a huge amount of environmental damage.

 

[schmalts]

I just use a rental.... I dont care what the underside looks like when i am done with it

 

[JoseCuervo]

Wildwife14,

Ask for permission from the moderators to the Sportsman's Issues section of this forum, (it is a protected area due to some ridiculous language used by some of the less edjumacated members of HuntTalk.com. )

Once you get access to that section, do a search on "Fat-Assed ATV Rider", or "Fat Assed ATV Rider", "Slob Hunter" and you will find many other opinions on the subject of Fat-Assed ATV riders.

 

[Ithaca 37]

414, The problem is that there aren't enough law enforcement officers working in the BLM and Forest Service to police all the ATV users and many, maybe even a majority of the ATV users, knowingly break the law against off road travel. This past weekend I went to a chukar hunting area I haven't been to for two years. Since I was last there it's been ruined by ATV users who have made illegal trails all over it and have been following their bird dogs on ATVs as the dogs hunt. When the dogs go on point the ATV riders get off and flush the birds. They have reduced the chukar population by at least 75% in the last two years

ATV users have ruined the hunting in many areas. They are not capable of policing their own ranks and the environmental damage they have done will be visible for many years. The illegal trails I saw last weekend will still be visible a hundred years from now.

The ATV users who are not hunters are just as bad.

 

[FAIRCHASEBEN]

" LAZY SLOB HUNTERS " has alot of good info as well.

 

[noharleyyet]

Step up 280...the perfect opening for the Montanny mouth.

 

[AkBearHunter]

I don't see anything wrong with using atv's for hunting, as long as it's done the right way. I use my Foreman exclusively for scouting/hunting and do not take it off trail except for game recovery. I've seen some stupid stuff done by people hunting off of 4 wheelers in my favorite moose hunting area. Watched a guy on a Polaris 6 wheeler and another on a Polaris 4 wheeler ride right through a prime moose bedding area, they did this for 3 days and didn't get jack. Moose stayed put and I ended up with a nice 57 incher a few days later. We are not ALL lazy slob hunters but we have more than our fair share.

 

[Ithaca 37]

and do not take it off trail except for game recovery

What is the law in Alaska on riding ATVs off trail?

 

[AkBearHunter]

There are only a few areas where you can't ride off trail and they are clearly marked. Most of Alaska is open to ride and the hunting regs tell you where you can and can't ride depending on which unit you hunt.

 

[Boatfool]

I own an ATV and use it for pre-season scouting.Where I go there are a lot of Forest Service roads and private timber lands open to four-wheeler travel.I also use it some during season to get from camp to some of the more remote areas.I never have to leave the legal roadways to do so and can then begin my hike into my hunting area.I have and will continue to turn in those people I see in our hunting area that cannot resist the urge to break the law.From what I see most of the problems come from the recreational riders in the spring and summer.

 

[huntmt454]

I don't mind four wheelers during hunting season as long as they stay on open roads. A few people though ride out on ridges and all over and is giving themselves a bad name and closing down country to everyone else. it seems to some that since they have a four wheeler that they dont have to work to retrieve game either, just ride wherever. In a way they are turning hunting into a lazy man sport. the few that are doing this are ruining riding the rest of the year. Just my thoughts.

 

[LILIDAHO]

Just like guns don't kill people, ATVs don't destroy things. PEOPLE DO! I use an ATV when hunting but it stays in the truck or on the trailer unless I get somthing down!! LIL
PS who do I ask to get into the Sportsmans issues?

 

[Ithaca 37]

LIL,

unless I get something down

Then what do you do, ride off trail to pick it up? That's illegal.