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

[AlaskaHunter]

This is part of the writeup in the Fairbanks Newspaper following the 40-mile caribou hunt:
“Devastation is an understatement,” he said of the trail wreckage. “The aesthetic is completely gone.”

This year the BLM took time to place warning signs instructing hunters and ATV users to stay off the hiking trails when using vehicles.
Many of these signs were ignored and as much as mile-long stretches of the trail have been littered with ruts that cut deep into the mud and leave the trail relatively unusable.

The BLM had placed plastic grating filled in with gravel, called Geoblock, across some of the wetter parts of the hiking path over the last few years to allow backpackers and hikers to easily walk across the boggy areas. Many of those grates were driven across and buried in feet of mud. "

Here is a photo I took in July, and a photo after the hunt was closed:
Thousands of dollars were invested in the geoblocks to protect the alpine tundra.

Another reason why the general public sometimes has a low opinion of hunters...

 

[338win]

I believe some of it is ignorance. I remember the east side of quartz trail non motorized area had poor signage. There were lots of markers but I had people riding all around me deep into the walk in portion that looked confused when I told them there was no legal atv access.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I believe some of it is ignorance. I remember the east side of quartz trail non motorized area had poor signage. There were lots of markers but I had people riding all around me deep into the walk in portion that looked confused when I told them there was no legal atv access.

BLM had walled off the entrance to both the Eagle Summit and 12-mile summit trails with snow fence and signs every 10 feet.
ATV hunters simply went around these barriers.
Not a good image of "hunters" to the general public...

 

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

I see this crap way too often in Montana. People drive right over the signs marking the trail as non-motorized.

 

[TLowell02]

Occurs way too often in New Mexico too. Users either drive around signs or blockades or simply run them over and toss to the roadside. Bottom line is our land management agencies have no teeth to enforce anything and it's sickening to watch abusers get away with ignoring the law.

 

[LopeHunter]

BLM had walled off the entrance to both the Eagle Summit and 12-mile summit trails with snow fence and signs every 10 feet.
ATV hunters simply went around these barriers.
Not a good image of "hunters" to the general public...

No one inadvertently nor innocently wandered onto those trails. These are criminal acts and should be treated as such. I can recall the concept of the “noble” poacher merely seeking to feed the family. I can recall the concept of a drunk not being accountable for deaths caused by the vehicle or when beat up the spouse.

Criminals should be treated as such and called out whether have a tag in their pocket or poor eyesight.

Forfeiture of the vehicle should be in the cards. Fines to pay for repair of trails.

Jail time if damage is over $2000. If I keyed your car with $2000 of damage would you find excuses for my behavior?

Lazy slobs are not welcome at my campfire and that may include some relatives, yes?

 

[TOGIE]

it's not just hunters that do this

i've had enough of ATVs and dirt bikes from anyone; i'd go so far as to say i see no place for them on public lands

extreme, yes. no it won't happen. but it's what i'd like to see

 

[Dougfirtree]

Occurs way too often in New Mexico too. Users either drive around signs or blockades or simply run them over and toss to the roadside. Bottom line is our land management agencies have no teeth to enforce anything and it's sickening to watch abusers get away with ignoring the law.

I have often thought that there should be a fee attached to the purchase of any 4 wheeler, or snowmobile, much like the PR fees. Proceeds go into a pot for rehab work on trails, etc. Maybe for more law enforcement, too... The abuse of these machines is just too rampant, too widespread.

 

[NoWiser]

I'd love to see confiscation of vehicle for a 1st offense. This stuff is sickening.

 

[Scott85]

Sickening.

 

[Scott85]

Would it be wrong to deflate tires when you see atvs where they shouldn't be? Asking for a friend.

 

[noharleyyet]

Would it be wrong to deflate tires when you see atvs where they shouldn't be? Asking for a friend.

I would consider the distinct possibility of what type of optic the owner might be watching you with.

 

[Irrelevant]

From my very brief experience in AK the attitude of locals tends to be pretty well towards the FU side of the environmental spectrum. Everyone I met expressed very openly that there's SO MUCH LAND who really gives a flying F about what they're doing.

 

[Sytes]

Not discounting this one bit - it's pretty frustrating to see. Anyone pack hike into areas where the mass horse pack strings run many multi lane ruts through wilderness meadows before? It's as ugly...

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Not discounting this one bit - it's pretty frustrating to see. Anyone pack hike into areas where the mass horse pack strings run many multi lane ruts through wilderness meadows before? It's as ugly...

On the lighter side, at least the ATV's don't leave 10 pounds of crap every 10 feet on the trail

 

[Sytes]

On the lighter side, at least the ATV's don't leave 10 pounds of crap every 10 feet on the trail

haha! thought that was nature's response... rut filler...

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

haha! thought that was nature's response... rut filler...

oh oh oh, my mistake!

Let's work on keeping it in the rut, and not on my boots!

 

[betterluckthangood]

If you think about it in the way that horses are part of the problem, then the Forestry Service is condoning these actions by leasing grazing rights to sheep and cattle owners. I know I've walked up on huge herds of sheep in the high country, the sheep run the elk and deer out of the area real fast.

 

[Dougfirtree]

From my very brief experience in AK the attitude of locals tends to be pretty well towards the FU side of the environmental spectrum. Everyone I met expressed very openly that there's SO MUCH LAND who really gives a flying F about what they're doing.

Yeah, it's not like that attitude has ever caused problems before! we pretty much learn nothing until it bites us in the ass...

 

[Panda Bear]

we have the same problem and it is not just hunters that create these problems - a least not in our area. When the trail becomes impassable they just drive off the trail

I wish we had better enforcement