Post by: teej89 on July 22, 2019, 09:57:43 AM
Post by: Stein on July 22, 2019, 11:34:09 AM
Post by: 7mmfan on July 22, 2019, 12:08:42 PM
OnXmaps or other land ownership information sources like the county assessor, will be a big help in finding out who owns the ground you are interested hunting, and then going from there to figure out what their specific vehicle restrictions are.
Good luck, its frustrating, but once you get the hang of it, you learn that putting a little more work into finding your way into ground often leads to finding places where other people don't go.
Post by: teej89 on July 22, 2019, 12:13:50 PM
:yeah: That is part of the problem, especially in Western WA is that there are many different land owners, even state owned land, and they often have different vehicle restrictions. Eastern WA is a little more straight forward as most of that ground will be National Forest with straightforward vehicle use rules.
OnXmaps or other land ownership information sources like the county assessor, will be a big help in finding out who owns the ground you are interested hunting, and then going from there to figure out what their specific vehicle restrictions are.
Good luck, its frustrating, but once you get the hang of it, you learn that putting a little more work into finding your way into ground often leads to finding places where other people don't go.
Yeah it's tough, fortunately if on onx I can select the hiking trails to show the gradient and from there I can locate where trail heads are as it shows only hikable trail. Tracing back to where the hiking gradient starts typically you can clearly see a parking lot and where the trail isn't as visible but again not 100% certain that's accurate.
Where we hunt in Montana the MVUM is clear as day and makes scouting a helluva lot easier. If I can't find anything for these units I'm just going to zoom in online on the roads and see if it looks like a used road and deem it drivable, in other words, avoid it.
Post by: 7mmfan on July 22, 2019, 12:19:04 PM
Another issue, and I haven't found an answer to it yet, is differing vehicle use rules within a department. Take DNR for example. I hunt a lot of DNR ground all over western WA, and some places are never open for vehicle use, some are always open for vehicle use, and others are open at different times of the year. I have come to learn which are which, but have never seen a publication or vehicle use breakdown on the website for different areas. Just had to show up and learn.
Post by: bobcat on July 22, 2019, 12:26:05 PM
Post by: dreadi on July 22, 2019, 12:49:15 PM
Some of those roads to nowhere can lead you to areas that others won’t go because it’s not convenient and you might want to hunt there after you get your bearings and generally know what’s up.
Good luck.
Post by: teej89 on July 22, 2019, 06:19:23 PM
I ended up finding this for capitol peak, I love vehicle access maps, really helps narrow down hunting locations.
Is this the map you guys were talking about or is there a further detailed one?
Post by: Stein on July 22, 2019, 06:33:38 PM
Post by: teej89 on July 23, 2019, 07:51:05 AM
Don't assume there won't be motorized vehicles behind closed gates. I've made that mistake a few times now.
ha great... gotta love abiding the law to be outplayed by ignorance
Post by: 7mmfan on July 23, 2019, 08:06:05 AM
Don't assume there won't be motorized vehicles behind closed gates. I've made that mistake a few times now.
ha great... gotta love abiding the law to be outplayed byignorancestupidity and disregard for anyone but themselves.
Fixed it for you.
Post by: Bango skank on July 23, 2019, 08:10:51 AM
Don't assume there won't be motorized vehicles behind closed gates. I've made that mistake a few times now.
Such a joy to hike several miles up from a locked gate in the dark, only to have some *censored* come driving by at 8am with a hot coffee and a bag of mcbreakfast sandwiches
Post by: JimmyHoffa on July 23, 2019, 08:11:32 AM
Usually it's not from ignorance...they know exactly what they're doing.Don't assume there won't be motorized vehicles behind closed gates. I've made that mistake a few times now.
ha great... gotta love abiding the law to be outplayed by ignorance
Post by: 7mmfan on July 23, 2019, 08:14:48 AM
Don't assume there won't be motorized vehicles behind closed gates. I've made that mistake a few times now.
I dealt with this last year on one of 2 days I got to hunt blacktail locally. I was 5 miles in on my bike when 2 pickups came by. They had bikes in the back but the gate was left open from the loggers so they drove in. Luckily they didn't head where I was headed. I got the last laugh an hour and a half after dark when I came out and there they were trapped, and I mean trapped, behind the locked gate. No way to get a vehicle around it. My guess is they were there all night until the loggers came back next morning.
Post by: bobcat on July 23, 2019, 09:39:58 AM
Don't assume there won't be motorized vehicles behind closed gates. I've made that mistake a few times now.
ha great... gotta love abiding the law to be outplayed by ignorance
In Capitol Forest, that may not be illegal. Look on the map, it says "motorcycles are allowed on gated roads shown on this map unless posted or abandoned."
Post by: KFhunter on July 23, 2019, 10:01:14 AM
I see gates with no motorized vehicle signs - so those are an obvious no
I see gates with closed for wildlife habit winter range - so again no motorized vehicles in the winter, but what about spring/summer/fall?
I see gates with road closed due to vehicle ruts and habitat damage - ATV wouldn't leave ruts??
I see gates with no signs whatsoever - if other gates have signs and this one doesn't, what does that mean?
I see roads closed with no gates at all but just rocks in the road and kelly humps with ATV tracks over the top
tons of gates with tons of signs, or no signs at all, and ATV bypass routes, whats the clarification?
There's zero enforcement of closed roads with ATV's behind them so how can I condem a long standing practice of riding atvs around a gate when the FS/DNR don't give a crap? Dont enforce it? don't replace road closed signs? and have a tendency to gate everything so they don't have to maintain the roads?
Moreover, I think there's a plan to let roads go into disrepair, gate it, then call it a roadless area and then nominate it for wilderness. I'm 100% against that, there's some beautiful areas no longer being utilized due to these practices. I used to drive my ATV all over the place before the rules went nuts and everything got gated off, now I hardly ever use my ATV it just sits collecting dust. I drive my truck with my McSammaches and coffee to a gate then walk in, I try to park in the ATV bypass (to not be in the way of a gate :chuckle: )
Post by: KFhunter on July 23, 2019, 10:08:20 AM
Post by: Stein on July 23, 2019, 10:25:21 AM
Just because there are too few enforcement people to give everyone a ticket doesn't make it right. If you want to drive an ATV or motorcycle, my feeling is you should make the effort to know where you can drive it and where you can't. Even when walking in, I make the effort to know where I am and not trespass even though 99% of the time there is no sign on the private/public boundary or a warden there to give tickets.
Post by: KFhunter on July 23, 2019, 10:29:39 AM
A couple guys doing it right though isn't going to change anything though, people are going to drive around.
If i got a big buck/bull down couple miles behind a gate and there's a well used ATV bypass around a gate..... I'm gonna be awfully tempted.
Years ago the road wasn't gated and I drove my motorcycles up through there many times 30 years ago, now its gated and I can't do that anymore, what's the difference between now and 30 years ago? just a gate..
Post by: buglebrush on July 23, 2019, 10:32:18 AM
Don't assume there won't be motorized vehicles behind closed gates. I've made that mistake a few times now.
Such a joy to hike several miles up from a locked gate in the dark, only to have some *censored* come driving by at 8am with a hot coffee and a bag of mcbreakfast sandwiches
No kidding! Infuriates me.
I know a guy who was passed by an ATV five miles behind a locked & closed gate. He got the last laugh when he found their ATV a mile further on. Removed a tire and hid it far away in the brush. He then called forest service when he got out, and they went in and confiscated the ATV, fined the guys, etc... :IBCOOL: :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
Post by: KFhunter on July 23, 2019, 10:34:01 AM
Post by: Bullmoose on July 23, 2019, 10:59:08 AM
Post by: MADMAX on July 23, 2019, 11:12:09 AM
Hell I cant even use it on a forest road in most areas
Took it one trip to Frost and Quartz mts area eastside
Id be glad to just be able to use it on a road that everyone else uses and save a little gas
Most established ATV areas are so overwhelmed with traffic it’s not even worth going in my opinion
I’ve been hunting for 50 years and am at the point in my life where it would be darn nice to use it.
Open the darn forest roads for them at least
Not talking about behind gates just nf roads statewide open to motor vehicles
My 2 cents
Post by: buglebrush on July 23, 2019, 11:28:35 PM
I hope he went back and got that ATV tire
Forest service guy got it. He gave him coordinates.