rambopacker

I recently went to a community meeting where OHV use was the topic. One of the main discussions was about the new regulations coming down the pike here in the South West and New Mexico. There will be new regulations from both the State and the Feds. The community leaders who also have businesses are concerned that these new regs will effect the economics of the communty. The biggest group who will be effected are hunters. Some of the new requirements from the State might be that all vehicles will have to be registered, either by your own state or by N.M. I think that the biggest change effecting the Fed. land will be making it illegal to ride off designated roads or trails with possibly the exception of retrieving game. I think I'll leave out my personal feelings but as a person who might be involved in the decision process on a very low level scale I'd like to hear others opinion. I am joining the local communities group that will try to tackle this at their level. Oh, one of the other things that might be changed are certain age limitations and what size of machines can be used by minors and the younger ones will have to be with an adult etc. The funds collected by the registrations will go into a OHV fund that may be used to improve trails, build new ones, put up signage etc. What do you all think?

Rogue

Interesting topic, it's amazing how a tool can be used to our own disadvantage in the wrong persons hands. This I believe is the fate of the ohv's.

Here in Oregon there are designated ohv trails for the off road enthusiast, Yet there are a chosen few who seem to believe that if the capability exsists to go anywhere then no ammount of laws or signs should stop them.

I have seen ohv tracks in the wilderness areas here. Supposedly there are no motorized vehicles allowed in wilderness areas, the forest service isn't even allowed to use chainsaws to clear trails it must be done by hand.

Legally in this state even on gravel roads on publis lands it is possible for law enforcement to require ohv's to meet vehicle requirements. (liscensed vehicle, rider endorsements, etc..)

On a personal note I have no problems with them if they are used in an ethical manner. I dont use one for hunting purposes but i have friends that will use theirs for packing out meat if it can be done with little or no damage to the terrain.

As an end note I believe that the few will ruin it for the many and eventually ohv use on public land other than designated areas will be banned.

Rogue

charlie brown

I agree that something needs to be done about OHV use. I currently do not own one, but know of many people that do. At least here in Nevada, OHV use gets abused way too much. I have had hunts ruined because people just take off and don't care about where other people are at or what they are doing. I have also found tracks in areas only a couple hundred yards from the road. Its pointless to do that if you ask me. I know who the people were that did that also. This was in an area along an aspen patch that was only a few hundred yards long. Someone could have easily used their eyes or feet to hunt this area rather than cover every square inch of land with a 4-wheeler. They are tearing up the terrain, and causing problems by moving deer (and other animals) out of areas. I do agree that OHVs could be used to retrieve game, but other than that, should be required to stick to main trails, etc. Also, drivers should be required to go through a class and have an OHV license, because unfortunately, there are people out there who do not care and also a lot of young people, (<18) who don't care and tear up the land also, as well as parents who let their younger kids just do what they want to do on 4-wheelers, ruining other peoples' experiences who do not have OHVs or choose to walk over that ridge rather than ride their own 4 wheeler. You may think that I am older person, but I am only 20 years old, and would not feel this way if I didn't know how bad the OHV situation is getting out of hand. I don't think it is too much to ask for people to keep OHVs on roads and trails and walk to areas that are less accessible. The areas would stay much more pristine, and would make sure that people can't drive through, bedding areas, springs, and other critical habitat for wildlife (which I have seen).

rambopacker

Thanks for the reply guys, good fodder for me. Several years ago I was hunting up in Washington and it was deer season. I didn't have my horses then and I looked for a place that was non-motorized so I could hike in and get away from the road hunters. It was late in the season and the deer were starting to migrate and I found a place that had some good trails developing. I needed to get back in a ways and figured it would take an hour of hiking. So I got up really early got to the trailhead and started hiking well before daylight. I got to the place just as it was starting to get light and I could actually hear the deer moving down the trail. I was excited. Anticipation was killing me. Then. off in the distance I could hear a noise, was it an airplane, a truck coming up the valley from far below? As I sat there it finally dawned on me that a ATV or motorcycle was coming up the trail. It was like a race, would I see my buck before these @#$%%^^&**))*&^%$##s got to where I was. O.K. forget I worked for the Forest Service I was pissed. Here they came, two guys on a motorcycle. Well I forgot I worked for the Forest Service and I jumped out in front of them with my gun ready. I cut loose. I can't remember exactly what I said but it wasn't pleasant. I pretty much told them if they didn't get there A$$es down the trail they would pay. I guess I convinced em because I didn't see em again. They totally ruined my hunt. What really gets me is that we had hundreds of miles of roads and trails they could have been on legally and they came up the one that was posted as closed. This is why land managers take peoples priveledges away. It's unfortunate that just a few can do so much to screw it up for everybody else.

Now before anybody gets excited as in my other thread I'll say the only reason I don't own a ATV or motercycle is that I can't afford one with my hayburners. I use too when I was younger and it was fun. They are a legal and fun way to recreate on the Forest and I'm totally for the multiple use philosophy the Forest Service has. I hope I can build more OHV trails.

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cherokee_outfitters

I'm sure glad to hear someone talking like this. ATV's are making most of our hunters lazy and out of touch with while they are in the mountains. There are some that use them responsible by driving up to a area and getting off and walking. But for the most part they just cruz around all day and scare the game away.
This last hunting season I had to set my client down for awhile so I could go chase down three men that drove their atv's in a non-motorized area. Well they ended up being the same guys I got busted three years prior for the same offense. Let me tell ya it wasn't a nice conversation we had. But the forest service is pushing fines on them I just wish the forest service would take the atv's of the violaters. You poach a elk you lose you gun, lisence, and maybe your vehicle. So why not take the atv of the irresponsible people using them.

txhunter58

It seems pretty cut and dried to me. Other than possibly allowing offroad use in NONwilderness areas ONLY to retrieve game, why should ATV's be allowed off road? Repetative offroad use destroys habitat and RUINS the ability to get "away from it all" by getting "off road".

I can see no reason at all to allow these vehicles off road and would be for strict rules: Stiff fines and confiscation of the vehicle for rule breakers.

Off road means NO vehicles! Nuff said.

rambopacker

It sounds like most of you are like me and that is great but I've met a couple of guys out hunting who had disabilities and sure would hate to see them not hunting. I guess the only thing I could think of is there is a right place and a wrong place and a right time and a wrong time. We're changing the rules down here in the S.W. and hopefully every body will be equally pissed at me when it's all said and done.

txhunter58

I firmly believe that if I was disabled enough that I couldn't walk or ride a horse, my days hunting "off road" would be through even if riding an ATV were allowed. I shouldn't be allowed to ruin someone else's off road experience just because I was disabled.

rambopacker

Yeh Tx58, I don't want my hunts ruined either. I guess my point was having certain areas on the Forest where this might be allowed. I'm fortunate here on this Forest as I have hundreds of thousands of acres of Wilderness where us livestock and hard core hikers can go and the motorized folks can't, or shouldn't anyways. We in the Forest Service operate within an Recreation Opportunity Spectrum. Which means we designate different areas that allow different types of use or travel within each. Wilderness/primitive is on one end and and roaded/ mechanized is on the other. There are different levels in between such as semi-primitive. This way we offer something for everyone hence we are providing for multiple use. Where there is lots of Wilderness this isn't such the issue but in some areas it's a lot tougher to find the right balance. This is why I only work where there is lots of Wilderness for me to have my fun and pack in.