REWARD: Information on ILLEGAL OHV Use

[tbrass]

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Have you had an elk hunt ruined by illegal OHV use?

[CrazyElkHunter]

I had this happen this year on a very good ridge that elk cross in Colorado. There was a 6x7 non typical hanging out on this ridge until this guy drove it. Very frustrating to walk a few miles in and find a quad parked right in the middle of prime hunting area. We left the guy a note, letting him know we had his CID # from his OHV permit and was going to notify CDOW. A few days later he just happened to drive into a friends camp down the road from ours, and told them some guy left him a nasty note and then said " this is public land and he could hunt where ever he wants. He's right, he can hunt where ever he wants, but not drive on closed roads for OHV's. This was a horse and foot traffic road only and a lazy hunter. The note we left was by no means nasty, just told him we were reporting him. I never ran into this guy, and my friends told me they had a good laugh after he drove out of there camp because they knew we left the note and the guy pretended to be so innocent.

[ElkNut1]

We've never had issues with ATV use in our areas. But the country we hunt is way to rough for one to negotiate! We like it that way!! I would not be pleased though if they were being used illegally though!

ElkNut1

[Vanish]

Elk, Mule Deer and Pronghorn hunts in CO this year. We've seen illegal OHV use on every single one of them. Hard to call the game warden when you are out of cell range, and hard to get a photo when you're watching them from on top of a mountain.

Every day I would throw logs over the trail the ATV guys had made right around the closed gate, and every morning they would spend 5 minutes moving them back out of the way. Talk about not taking the hint. Could never get a photo of their ATV though. Top it off they were riding around with their bows in hand.

Pronghorn was the worst though. We hunted a walk-in access and three times had bucks run off by different trucks driving all willy nilly over the ridge or through the middle of the fields.

[Lefty]

I am an avid ATV rider. And hate the ATV abuse of so many. I don’t use a ATV to hunt in generalTake a photo and sent it to your local CO
I had a 5x5 29 inch mulie every day he came over a wide ridge then worked his way past the tree I had a stand in,.. Opening day a local drove up the ridge, spooked the buck ,.. and not to be seen until he came out of the mts.

I had a herd of over 50 head bedded down 160 yards away. the wind was perfectI 11:30 AM, I have all day .

untill 3 guys driving their ATV's with open pipes to rally elk,.. I was mad

[Lefty]

I am an avid ATV rider. And hate the ATV abuse of so many. I don’t use a ATV to hunt in generalTake a photo and sent it to your local CO
I had a 5x5 29 inch mulie every day he came over a wide ridge then worked his way past the tree I had a stand in,.. Opening day a local drove up the ridge, spooked the buck ,.. and not to be seen until he came out of the mts.

[Lefty]

I am an avid ATV rider. And hate the ATV abuse of so many. I don’t use a ATV to hunt in generalTake a photo and sent it to your local CO
I had a 5x5 29 inch mulie every day he came over a wide ridge then worked his way past the tree I had a stand in,.. Opening day a local drove up the ridge, spooked the buck ,.. and not to be seen until he came out of the mts.

[pointysticks]

my brother and i were on a mountain top..working our way up, working a herd bull. we had him convinced we were coming for his cows.

i turn and look downhill, i see guys scrambling to unload a quad. i dont know if they saw our bull, or heard us. either way they were about to come up some "walk only" hills. they were waaaaayyy down there!! i pulled out my brightest flashlight and set it on strobe and aimed it at them. my brother glassed them and said.."hahhah..even from way up here, you can see the disappointment on their faces" they retied their loads and drove away.. we had that mountain to ourselves..

pulled two pulls off it that year..our rookie bulls. i would have cried if those fat turds rode up a hill we clawed up.

[tbrass]

The stories seem all too common - if possible make sure to get a picture, ID # and location and turn these guys in. Just as its largely up to us hunters to turn in poachers, its up to us to turn in illegal OHV users. Let's not let the irresponsible few taint hunter's namesake.

[Vanish]

I'd love to turn them in, but I have no idea how you'd get a number from 100+ yards away. Maybe once they finally park. Its not like someone who is breaking the rules is going to let you walk up to say hi, please turn me in!

[pointysticks]

most people still feel it is horrible to snitch. (i think)

i have never had the opportunity. if those guys had busted our hunt..i would have hiked down and taken pics. their trucks were legal, but coming up a trail would have been the no-no.

[LckyTylr]

Anybody think it might be wise of Fish & Game to set up some Game Cameras at the illegal trails that skirt the gates that close off these trails? I think that would be within their budget to buy 10 or 15 of these and put them at heavily used areas. I wouldn't mind walking past a game camera every morning to give Fish & Game a funny smile on my way to hunt, especially if it means that closed areas remain protected.

Note: I utilize a dirtbike for hunting, but only on authorized trails, and I still hike a long way from any motorized trail to hunt. The dirtbike helps me get away from the road hunters, my boots help me get away from the dirtbike-trail-hunters.