Do ATV's or 4 wheelers hurt your bowhunting area?

[Alex.B]

Thank you Dave. As always, you drive the nail right where it should be, with just one swift hit. I'm forever grateful that
you've showed me your Public Land Wapiti honey holes, and I remember I was almost crying with joy when the little Eastern Newbie hunter that I am saw these huge antlers materializing in the bright blue Western skies for the first time in my life. Also, I was almost crying of rage when we passed by so-called "camps" with $100.000 RV's, 4 or5 top-of-the-line camo ATV's parked in line next to them, and "hunters" doing more doughnuts and figure 8's on their redneckmobiles  around their remote-controlled "outdoor fireplace", than actual Elk Hunting in OUR National Forest, OURS, we the people. Pathetic.

[ib4elk]

My opinion is right in line with Dave's.  Every area I use to hunt, where I only had to walk a mile or less was ruined by ATV's.  
I have sat on ridge tops watching the sun rise or fall on many occasions.  During these times, I could see trucks and ATV's drive along roads well below me.  Interestingly, I could only hear the ATV's on most occasions when I was only 1/2 mile from the road.  They ARE LOUD.  
In addition, on almost every occassion, while watching deer or elk, the sound of ATV's made them leave the area.  The animals DO NOT get accostomed to ATV's out West.  They may get use to them out East or in the midwest but anywhere out West, if there are ATV's within a mile, the animals are either non-existant or very spooky.  Bottom line, ATV's are not good for hunting and have taken over.  To say they are necessary is being the lazy Americans we have become.

And sorry for one last gripe, but I blame the ATV's on the holes and ruts in the roads.  There was almost no road I couldn't get my truck down 5-8 years ago.  Now with the ATV's and their ability to go on these roads way before they should be, they create deep holes closer together that make driving a truck on them almost impossible.  No wonder our public roads are in so much need of repairs.

[fxe]

To me atv's have there place,but not on public land.I use mine from time to time on private land I hunt.After my 2nd back operation I had to make some changes in my hunting.In N.C. it is against the law to use them on public land.Most people follow the law around here.
Never hunted out west and was surprized to hear they allow them on public land.I would be against that as I'm sure it would cause lots of problems.

[elkbow]

here in ohio anyone caught riding one in the state forest are,either on or off road will have their atv confiscated on the spot and impounded by the forest rangers.zero tolerance , in Shawnee State Forest.i agree,elk will not tolerate atv's,whitetail here on my place could care less,when they here my atv its like ringing the dinner bell cause i'm usually filling feeders and checking fence.(livestock)whew!!!

[Bonebuster]

The use of ATV`s here in Michigan is fairly restricted on public land. If a trail is not posted "OPEN" then it is closed. That being said,
abuse and disregard for the law is rampant.

Nothing like the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you hike a mile into a "foot travel only" area, and have three quads zoom by you. And they look at you as if YOU are an idiot.

[Tom Leemans]

They definitely affect deer movement, especially if the ATV traffic is regular. The deer will pattern the ATV movement and avoid it. Now, if that means that the deer are now avoiding your hunting area as a result, then the answer is yes, it does hurt bowhunting.

[Eastern fisher]

Atv's are what you make of them.  If you have a responsible person operating them and using them for thier intended purpose while in the hunting woods then there ia not problem.  Here in Nova Scotia they have as much right to be on Crown land as we do.  If they are on private property without permission then no they are not welcome.  I personally have no gripe against them, mainly because there are few plases the average "Joe" can ride them.  As long as they are being operated responsibly.  My 2 cents

[last arrow]

I tried to avoid this post and the earlier post on baiting because the subject depresses me.  However, I decided I have to post my opinion as I don't think ATV use impacts on my day to day hunting is ATV's biggest threat.  The following is not intended to criticize any individuals but is my impression of hunting's image to the non-hunting public and why I think how "hunters" use ATVs (amoung other things) damage bowhunting and hunting in general.

When I began hunting in the early 1970's, hunters were generally presented by the main stream media as rugged outdoorsmen who were willing to work hard to be successful.  Watch the film clips of Fred Bear from the period as an example as these were regularly shown on major market TV stations at the time (at least here in Michigan).  Today, the main stream media generally portray hunters as fat lazy ignorant slobs that take joy in killing things and will do anything to accomplish this goal.  They are portrayed as backwards and unenlightened at best, or as a villain at the worst.  

Hunters blame this change in the media's attitude (and of the non-hunting public's attitude) on the anti's but they are wrong.  It's our own fault.  It is hunter's growing and continued reliance on ATVs, baiting, shooting enclosures, high tech weapons (compound bows, in-line muzzle loaders, military style rifles, etc.), high tech hunting aids (electronic sighting devices, hearing aids, game callers, automatic feeders, field communications, night vision devices, etc.), and a willingness to pay guides to provide the hunting skills and do the work for you (or worse to pay to "hunt" pen raised animals in an enclosure), that have caused the change in hunter's image.  These items are viewed by the non-hunting public as substitutes for skill and effort, and reinforce their view that hunters are fat lazy ignorant slobs that take joy in killing things.  

Hunters' statements that "the only way I can access the good hunting area is with an ATV" or "when I went to Texas and found all the successful hunters baited is when I decided baiting was alright" show the non-hunting public hunters are willing to adjust their ethics (or cheat) to accomplish their goal of killing things.  Hunters' image to the non-hunting public will continue to suffer until we as hunters start portraying hunting as something that takes skill and effort to be successful at, and openly criticizing those that seek shortcuts.  

In my opinion, it is time to stop worrying about quantity of hunters because that battle is lost (there will never be enough hunters to outvote the non-hunters).  We need to do something about how we hunt and what we call hunting (i.e., how we talk about hunting and what we watch on TV) to change the non hunting publics opinion on hunting if hunting as recreational pursuit is going to survive.

[Orion]

Blaine:  Right on!        

[ChuckC]

Hooray....  I personally agree with every word stated by Blaine.  I know it is gonna cause teeth gnashing but there it is...plain and simple.    

We have met the enemy....and it is us.

ChuckC

[Reg Darling]

Don't just say "western" public land. Here in Pennsylvania (Allegheny National Forest) we don't have elk to be driven away, but places beyond the sound of engines have become a precious rarity. Your complaints about ATV impact in the west apply doubly in the east.

[Mark Baker]

Blaine...very insightful!  I wish more hunters could see things that way.   The big tent is killing us.   Slobs are slobs, and I want no company with them.  Give them the tools (ATV's) to be bigger slobs, and they will.  And they will unfortunately also get the support from those unwilling to stand for something,  anything goes cause' it's legal (or should be cause I can't do it any other way), divided we fall, crowd.

This is'nt a "tude", but a genuine concern for the future of hunting, of the resource, and of the wildlife we so dearly love.  

ATV's have had mostly detrimental effects on my quality hunting experiences.  

Someone said it earlier....slobs are slobs, but now they get around in alot more places than they did before ATV's.

[Alex.B]

Thank you Mark Baker, thank you Reg Darling, thank you David Petersen, thank you last arrow/Blaine.
you guys said what I and lots of other people think, I'm sure. but we don't have the eloquence to formulate these thoughts into such great sentences
         

[bayoulongbowman]

Alex...great point!  

[Aeronut]

YES!

Dennis

[LC]

Blaine, you wouldn't consider running for president would you? You nailed it for me! Perfect.

[Larry247]

Blaine, you said it brother...

[wahoo]

I'm with dave2old. ATVs are the biggest threat we have related to hunting in the past 10yrs. My honey holes are gone and I am hiking deeper and deeper to get into good hunting.It would be nice to get a handle on this problem now. I can walk ouside and see scars all over the valley , it's a nightmare that is out of control. So yes ATVs hurt my bowhunting area greatly.

[Larry247]

What we should do then is take all the motorized vehicles and get rid of them and either ride a horse or walk...?

[adkmountainken]

yes, Larry, to do with the hunting side of it, WALK!!! if you were trying to be smart obvisiouly we need cars, trucks and even ATV's for daily work.