ATV use on Closed Roads

[NOCK NOCK]

How many gates were closed in 1980?   How many are up and closed now?  How many folks were tooting along on Hondas and jeeps in 1975?  Your Dad  or Gramps maybe?  Now what do ya think your children will be doing in 30 years?   Yup.  NOTHING, and whos fault is that?

He’s right you know.
1 road at a time, eventually the greenies/anti’s will get them all closed.

[trophyhunt]

How many gates were closed in 1980?   How many are up and closed now?  How many folks were tooting along on Hondas and jeeps in 1975?  Your Dad  or Gramps maybe?  Now what do ya think your children will be doing in 30 years?   Yup.  NOTHING, and whos fault is that?

He’s right you know.
1 road at a time, eventually the greenies/anti’s will get them all closed.

[Tribal Elder]

Crybaby.  As far as Im concerned it should be "OPEN"!!!  I don't support restrictions to public use on public lands.  Flame me I don't care, Im tired of this crap.  IF we still had freedoms and the gate didn't exist what would ya whine about.  Habitat destruction going around the gate?  Really?  Give me a break now your worried about dandelions damaged?  Don't hide behing the :legal" claim either.  It should and was legal at one time in past before freedoms were taken.  I spent childhood running around mnts and no old guy whined I was illegal behnd closed gate damaging floura.  That is my point.  Buy a darn quad and ride behind gates, support freedoms or quit whining.

That's *censored*. Get off your ass and walk, like everybody else. Obey the rules or be prepared to be turned in my people like me, who obey the laws. I see you riding on closed roads, I'll stop you cold.

[Encore 280]

I pay for a permit to hunt behind the gates and it pisses me off everytime I drive by and see beer cans and bottles just tossed out the window by so called "sportsmen" I come across empty beer cans and garbage way back in the woods and I'm sure you guys have to. Too damned lazy and inconsiderate to pack the garbage out after they went through the trouble to pack it in. Probably no trouble at all packing it in, didn't mind it a bit. I'm pushing 71 years young and I don't care if they gate all the roads, I'll still walk in. 

[buckfvr]

Animals need to have somewhere to go to get away from human pressure......plus hunting behind gates can be very worth while.  Man has occupied nearly all winter range in this state, so yes, in some areas access should be limited. 

[Mudman]

Garbage sucks for sure.  Do you see it on interstate 5 too?   Exactly.  Tribal elder, your opinion is on "MUTE" if you are an actual Native.  You choose to follow your own rules and not subject to ours thus until you follow our laws and restrictions like us you have no dog in the fight.      Sure some areas need protections.   Many don't.   Cant hide behind that as a point of order unless applied to everywhere imop.   So like I said Close it ALL.   Then tell me how happy you are hunting behind gates and paying for $400 permits and how mad ya are some dude has a key.   So many people "support" the restriction or rule or law because it benefits them and their interests.   So MANY don't support the general freedoms of ALL user groups.   Division occurs and we all lose out in the end.   If you are a bird watcher, hiker, conservationist, animal rights group etc well then you have benefitted greatly here in Wa while all hunters and recreation orv logger fishermen etc have been screwed.  Why?   Because we aren't united, we squabble over whats fair and what benefits my individual uses the most.  Like school children in line for lunch.   We should be able to drive trucks, jeeps, Honda trail 90, atv, utv, sleds, horses, boots, goats, camels, and have open gates to access it.  Weyco can suck a lemon, PAY the taxes Weyco!!!  FS US State BLM lands etc belong to the public.  Of course many areas need protections for various reasons and those do not include allowing for a nursery for Tribal Elder to harvest 20 Bulls.  Sorry to bring in "Native" argument but he included himself into this discussion so its FAIR GAME.  No PC protections.    Many issues in Wa.   THEY are connected in many ways unlike us who are divided and seem to only support our individual interest while hiding behind the FAKE illusion of being a united Outdoorsman group.  We are not.   We are class warfare.   We are the Well to do permit paying ALaska and Safari hunters chasing trophy animals acting al mighty righteous and then the country farm boy trying to pay $120 for tags and no $ for permits.  Getting tickets for insurance or trespass cause they don't have a updated GPS or understand what a section or township defintition is.   Trying to put some meat in freezer and raise 2 kids.  Not having $200 in fuel to actually drive to a place hours away just to shoot a spike at least.  AND in the process get flamed by the righteous and a ticket for driving into a open gate that is supposed to be closed area.   Its a broken system guys.  Focus on you use only and watch others lose theirs.   There is NO reason why all cant support each other and allow multiple uses in all user groups.   I haven't the answers but I sure as heck aint gonna be part of the problem either.

[Encore 280]

Just because we have to see the garbage along I-5 doesn't mean we have to see it in the woods, plain a$$ lazy is what it is. Trouble with opening gates and letting atvs, utvs and motorcycles in is it wouldn't be 2 days before one of them would be making trails off the roads, guaranteed and you can't argue that. They can't stand staying on the designated roads and obeying the signs. Not saying you're one of those but you can thank them. Sorry, I don't feel sorry for you guys or myself. I own one also. Life goes on, deal with it.

[Encore 280]

Years ago Pope Resources had most all of their roads open. Then a guy went in on a motorcycle and was critically injured and he sued Pope Resources. What happened? Gated roads, no motorized vehicles allowed. That's the story I heard anyway.

[NOCK NOCK]

Just because we have to see the garbage along I-5 doesn't mean we have to see it in the woods, plain a$$ lazy is what it is. Trouble with opening gates and letting atvs, utvs and motorcycles in is it wouldn't be 2 days before one of them would be making trails off the roads, guaranteed and you can't argue that. They can't stand staying on the designated roads and obeying the signs. Not saying you're one of those but you can thank them. Sorry, I don't feel sorry for you guys or myself. I own one also. Life goes on, deal with it.

Re read reply #98........I have tons of pictures to prove it

[pianoman9701]

Seems like when the people on atv's and sxs's get to get on a legal road they seem to wonder off the road and make their own roads/trails into the woods or somewhere else. They just can't stand to stay on the road. Why is that? I own an atv and when I use it I have no problem staying on a green dot road or any other road. There's usually signs up that say "stay on the road". Some people never learned how to read I guess.

and …….no trucks/jeeps/cars/mtn bikes/motorcycles/horses/hikers EVER go off the road??  JS

Trucks, jeeps, and motorcycles aren't allowed to go off road where ATVs aren't allowed, either. Mnt bikes aren't allowed in wilderness areas. Horses and hikers are allowed everywhere. Are you justifying illegal ATV off-roading because other people break the law, too? Or are you justifying it where hikers can go and ATVs can't? You response makes no sense. You're either following the law or you aren't. It's really quite clear. 

[BA Mongor]

It's not that clear for a couple of these individuals!
They just want it their way.

[bhawley76]

I am reading this and kinda in the middle. I do see and understand both sides. I wish I could put music to this it would be twisted sisters WE"RE NOT GONA TAKE IT.

[sagerat]

I’m still wondering how the hunt was “ruined” as stated in the op. Yeah, it sucks to have guys come up the road you’re walking on quads but the animals don’t leave the county. Get out in the brush and hunt one up, screw those other guys...

[pianoman9701]

One side is flanked by a straight up hill, the other by water. The elk come down the hill at dusk to feed around the lake. They don't come down with the ATVs running the road/trail. I'm no young buck. Hiking in a couple of miles is about my top speed. When I saw them, I just turned around and went back the other way.

[cavemann]

For what its worth, we went in on drop camp and our camp is right of trail just before wilderness boundary.  4 dirt bikes went by that night and we all kind of looked at each other and scowled.  Well, we were dropped in and that was our reality.  Next morning 3 more went by, none were hunting.  Just riding trails and it was a large loop.  Same guys went by 4 or 5 times echoing through the whole valley.  And this was 15 miles back in...

Day two, my son and i hit the woods early and came down a hillside the trail cut right across.  He ended up spotting a nice 4x4 bedded down about 30 yards below the trail, we were about 40 yards above.  Made the shot and we packed him out.  Motorcycles passed us on the trail on the pack out.  Went 3 for 4 on the hunt, a couple other drop camps from same outfit had similar experience with the motorcycles and still had two really nice bucks hanging when we went out...

Point being, it's not cut and dry that guys on roads ruin a hunt.  I don't own an ATV, no dog it in the fight.  But animals adjust to roads and traffic on them pretty fast, and it is not always relocating to another county.