something to look into……..and speak up…….

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>BigWerm wrote:</div>
And honestly unless you are road hunting (which I’d argue isn’t really hunting), it has no impact on hunting imho

I disagree 100%

Where I grouse hunt, 90+% of the other “hunters” in the area are road hunting on ATVs on the same trails. It really takes the sport out of it and the pressure significantly impacts bird movement. They ride trails that are not designated ATV/OHV trails, drive like a bat out of hell, often have alcohol in the cup holders, and will drive down a trail even if a truck is parked at the end and very clearly hunting it with a dog (i.e. kennel in back of truck). If I ever come up to a trailhead and see a truck parked there, I will let them have it and go hunt somewhere else.

There is very little etiquette by this crowd. I try to avoid them the best I can but its hard when they can cover 10 miles to your 1 mile you can cover on foot. It really puts a damper on things when you walk 3 miles into a trail and you know the last mile is where you will see the payoff with the most birds only to get leapfrogged by a couple guys in a SXS and hear a bunch of shooting 2 min after they leapfrog you on the trail.

I agree. It’s really frustrating when that happens. I have no time for atv hunters. The only reason I see it being acceptable is if it’s an older guy who can’t walk well. My 92 year old great uncle grouse hunts from his atv and in my opinion, he has every right to. I’m glad he’s still able to get out and enjoy the woods.
The nice part about it is that the lazy hunters never leave the trail. I’ll go off the trail 100yds and find birds that the lazy guys never see.
I focus on areas that have no good access, if you have to bust the brush there’s a good chance you’ll find birds that nobody else was willing to find.

grubson wrote:

I’ll go off the trail 100yds and find birds that the lazy guys never see.

This right here. I’d add do the same on trails that don’t see any OHV traffic.

The state forest that I spend time on hunting happens to fall under the Limited Access category and most of the trails I encounter are closed to motorized vehicles and see very little sign of that being violated. If I was constantly running into ATV’s while hunting I’d be looking at other areas that are walk in only. There are plenty of those areas out there.

I too enjoy walking quiet woods when grouse hunting. But I also enjoy exploring forest trails on occasion and wouldn’t want to lose that option.

Some of my best grouse trails are fire roads guys run atvs down. They drive right by a ton of birds that walking will show you. Had a guy one year tell me not to bother after he just came through on an atv on a trail I was just getting ready to walk. I flushed over 20 birds

i fired off an email to both my senator..Jeff Howe and legistaltor Demuth yesterday’

i have yet to hear from Demuth but Howe wont be supporting this bill….if it gets that far!!!!!!

BigWerm wrote:

The bold is already illegal and not at all what I’m talking about. People road hunting anywhere, including approved ATV/OHV trails are not really hunting imho. And you will not have to worry about these people if you are not hunting driveable trails. For example the non-ATV/OHV logging trails in Paul Bunyan are blocked off from any vehicle entry, and I shoot most of my grouse there.

none of the trails I hunt are approved ATV trails. that doesn’t stop them

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

none of the trails I hunt are approved ATV trails. that doesn’t stop them

Call them in, it will stop pretty quickly. Or maybe try walking in the woods. Sounds like you are a road hunter too, you just don’t like competition.

I dont road hunt at all. I put over 200 miles on my boots grouse hunting last year and shot close to 40 grouse. I don’t have a problem shooting birds. I have a problem with a$$hole ATVers that break the law. Most of the places I hunt are out of cell service. Pretty hard to call them in.

What is your ax to grind with me? All I’ve said in this thread is ATVers do in fact impact hunting and they often leave messes in woods and you come at me with personal attacks.

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

I dont road hunt at all. I don’t have a problem shooting birds. I have a problem with a$$hole ATVers that break the law.

I have no personal issue with you. Go back and read my posts on this thread, I’ve been trying to keep it on topic of the bill allowing the DNR commissioner to Decommission ALREADY APPROVED ATV/OHV trails to make it illegal to ride on them. Which if you are opposed to ATV’s in illegal places, you should want them to have plenty of legal places to ride. And if you are hunting where ATV’s are riding and impacting your hunt, even if they are doing so illegally, you are road hunting imho. It is your choice to take that personally or not.

Gitchi Gummi wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>BigWerm wrote:</div>
And honestly unless you are road hunting (which I’d argue isn’t really hunting), it has no impact on hunting imho

I disagree 100%

Where I grouse hunt, 90+% of the other “hunters” in the area are road hunting on ATVs on the same trails. It really takes the sport out of it and the pressure significantly impacts bird movement. They ride trails that are not designated ATV/OHV trails, drive like a bat out of hell, often have alcohol in the cup holders, and will drive down a trail even if a truck is parked at the end and very clearly hunting it with a dog (i.e. kennel in back of truck). If I ever come up to a trailhead and see a truck parked there, I will let them have it and go hunt somewhere else.

There is very little etiquette by this crowd. I try to avoid them the best I can but its hard when they can cover 10 miles to your 1 mile you can cover on foot. It really puts a damper on things when you walk 3 miles into a trail and you know the last mile is where you will see the payoff with the most birds only to get leapfrogged by a couple guys in a SXS and hear a bunch of shooting 2 min after they leapfrog you on the trail.

Oh cry me a river! Just because someone is smarter and more efficient at what they do makes you hate on them? Do you fish out of a canoe and have the same hatred to a boat that goes buzzing by you? It’s the same thing.