F&G cracks down on hunters’ ATV use!!!!!

[Ithaca 37]

They did it!!

"At their regular meeting in Boise, commissioners unanimously approved a controversial rule that will restrict hunters who ride ATVs, which includes motorcycles, four-wheelers and other motorized, off-road vehicles. While hunting, their use will be limited to “established roadways open to motorized vehicle traffic capable of full-sized automobiles.”"

Applies to private land, too!!

http://www.idahostatesman.com/Extras/IdahoOutdoors/story.asp?ID=35239

 

[BuzzH]

Great, now on to Montana and Wyoming!

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 03-14-2003 10:19: Message edited by: BuzzH ]</font>

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I see that they are still able to use them to pack in camp or retrieve game. I hope it is something that can be enforced without too much trouble. They said something like "Don't take a rifle with you when you go recover the game." In bear country, that might not be wise...

 

[BuzzH]

Bear country, whatever.

Good god, you all afraid of the boogey man too?

If you're that afraid of bears, stay home. Or better yet, if you get to the kill site, and there is a bear, run it off, 99% of the time they'll run off like a scalded cat. IF by some freak chance, one decides to get grumpy, go back to your atv ride to camp get your freakin rifle and smoke the bastard. Is it really that complicated?

Either that or get your elk quarters off the ground if you're really that paranoid about bears, wolves, sasquatches, etc.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I admit that I have limited experience with grizzlies - have you run many off from kills, Buzz? Just curious, as I have heard that they don't scare that easy..but again, I have NO experience with them so it's just hearsay.

 

[JoseCuervo]

Might not be an issue. I am not aware of any area in Idaho with Grizzlys that you can ride an ATV. Certainly not in the regions that were banning the ATV's, there are not Griz.

 

[Deerslayer]

Yahoooo!!!!!! We'll have to drink a cold one in honor of this latest "good move" in protecting our last wild places! I applaud those that recognize the threat......

 

[BuzzH]

Cali, nope I've never run one of a kill, but I did run a sow and cub out of my camp in AK.

My buddy and I woke to the sounds of a cub grizzly whining. We poked our heads out of the tent and found the sow trashing my buddies pack at about 6 yards. The bears were between our tent and the lake shore. We each fired shots from our 338's a couple minutes apart before the bears got the hint. We left and killed a grizzly only to return to a trashed camp. We ran them off again that night. We were around a couple grizzly bears that trip, like 41 seperate bears, most of which we saw every day over the 5 day hunt we took, before we lost our camp to bears. We found out after arriving back at king salmon that the bears were food conditioned and had trashed 7 camps.

Did I feel uneasy? Yeah, a bit. Did I shit my pants, runs circles and faint? NO. I'm not really afraid of grizzly bears, but I do respect the hell out of them. On that trip every bear we saw that caught our scent RAN like scalded cats across the tundra. Would I run one off a kill? More than likely, but I'd be smart about it.

Heres me with my buddies bear he killed. As this picture was taken, the sow and cub were probably having a field day with our camp.

Heres a couple pictures I took with a cheapo 35mm camera. I could have wacked either of these grizzlies with a bow, real easy.

So, while I admit to being no grizzly expert, I have spent what a few people would call "tense" moments in grizzly country, be sure of that.

 

[Ithaca 37]

Great pictures, Buzz! I'm sure we'll hear from guys with all kinds of "What if...?" hypothetical situations for why they should be able to take a gun with them to retrieve game, but it's all gonna be BS. Just part of the whole hunting experience is how I'll look at it.

If they're that terrified about some bear being on their kill they might as well give up hunting and take up knitting.

 

[Nut]

Great pics Buzz

In a way you could say that this is a form of gun control. You can ride where you want as long as you dont have a gun (or a bow)?

Then they want to dictate how a private landowner is able to utilize a ATV on their own property. Then the reason they give is a "Just because"? That is a extremely lame way to include the private lands into the decision. Sounds like a bunch of politicians LOL. I also see it being open for a lawsuit or two LMAO.

 

[Washington Hunter]

I really doubt a private landowner hunting on his own land would be ticketed for riding an ATV. He wouldn't be affecting anybody else, so there is no reason for a game warden to be going after him.

 

[Ithaca 37]

That's going to be controversial. I can just hear the outfitters screaming already about not being able to ride their clients all over the private land they lease and look for deer and elk. As for legality, we don't let people fly around in airplanes and spot game, land and shoot what they find---even on their own land. I don't see where stopping them from doing it with ATVs is any different.

This is really going to shake up some ATV riding hunters! But they still have more than half the Idaho units to ride around in with their guns.

 

[MarlandS]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> F&G is encouraging hunters to use ATVs to retrieve game during midday and not carry a hunting weapon on the vehicle <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Define hunting weapon.
Wouldn't that allow enough leeway to take a handgun along on retrievals? Are handguns legal for hunting use on all big game species in ID? I'm asking because here a handgun has to be a certain configuration and the cartridge meet certain requirements to be considered a hunting handgun.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 03-14-2003 22:38: Message edited by: MarlandS ]</font>

 

[JoseCuervo]

Marland,

I think in IDaho, any Centerfire pistol is legal to use for big game hunting, in areas open to centerfire rifles.

The funny thing about this ATV ban is that ATVs are already banned for use while hunting.

Quoting from the exsisting regulations: :It is Ulawful to hunt game from any motorized vehicle, EXCEPT for holders of a valid handicapped person's Motor Vehicle Hunting Permit."

This "ban" actually does nothing new, as you were not supposed to be hunting on an ATV before. IT looks to me like this ban was enacted to just start cracking down on the violators of the exsisting law. It now would appear that if you are operating an ATV, during an open hunting season, you will likely get a visit from the Warden. If you aren't hunting, and weren't in years before, you probably have nothing to worry about.

(Elkgrinner....)

 

[lilbiggun]

Buzz,
Nice pics and I have no doubt you chased a sow and cubs out of your camp. If a bear claims a kill, you might be able to scare him off but you better do some fast butchering and skinning work because there is a real good chance he will be back.

I've had alot of bears in camp ( I always look for tracks in the morning), I even had one sleep next to our tent one time on kenai lake, so far I never lost any gear to a bear (knock on wood).

As for ATV's, I have mixed feelings on the subject. I want one because of my knees I cant walk that far anymore but I see alot of peopleabuse the hell out of them. I also see some that respect others and the land while using ATV's.

I do know one thing, nobody is gonna tell me what I can and cannot do on my own property.Public land is one thing but private, forget it.

 

[Elkhunter]

Sounds like a bunch of political BS to me.

 

[Argyle]

For what it's worth ... Minnesota has had similar restrictions on the books for some time now. Lifted from last year's hunting regulations -

USING SNOWMOBILES AND ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES
To reduce disturbance during the prime hunting times, a person possessing any valid deer license is restricted to the following hours of operation for snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs*) during the firearms deer season, including the muzzleloader season.

Such vehicles may only be operated:
a) before legal shooting time (one-half hour before sunrise),
b) from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m, and
c) after legal shooting hours (one-half hour after sunset).

• This regulation applies to all public and private lands and waters except for persons using an ATV as a part of their occupation on their own land who are not in possession of a firearm.
• A permit to operate snowmobiles or ATVs during the closed time periods may be issued by a DNR conservation officer in an emergency or other unusual condition.
• ATVs and snowmobiles are not allowed in State Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, Scientific and Natural Areas, or Wildlife Management Areas. ATV use is regulated in state and national forests. (See rules on using public lands, pages 109-128.)

* ATVs are defined for the purposes of these regulations as all vehicles not requiring Minnesota Department of Public Safety licensing, including trail bikes, 3-wheelers, 4-wheelers, 6-wheelers, tracked vehicles, and other similarly manufactured or homemade vehicles.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 03-15-2003 19:35: Message edited by: Argyle ]</font>

 

[Ten Bears]

ARGYLE, that sounds similar to regulation I have seen in other states in the past, and better thought out then what is being proposed here now.