ATV

[Passin Thru]

Has anyone ever had an ATV messed with while hunting? I've never heard of it happening, just that they get left in the weirdest places. Stupid locking plastic cases keep honest people honest and Long Johns dry!

[ElkNut1]

Nope. I've used them in the past where legal & never had an issue with vandalism.

ElkNut1

[elkstalker]

I haven't ever had an issue, but have always pulled the key and don't leave anything valuable with them.

[Vanish]

Just don't drive it beyond a closed road and park it. That's when you ask for trouble.

I know it seems obvious but I see it happen every year.

[Passin Thru]

Oh Yah! I was raised in NM and have cousins in S Co and they talk about someone getting theirs towed all the time. Make sure you look at the maps this year. I was going over GMU 68 and almost all the access roads are closed to ORV-ATV. Strange but probably overuse. Have had to shift my strategy when they do that. I am very conservative minded and don't go off trails, shut it off if I met a horse and rider and keep mine up. I lose my respect for hunters who ask to borrow 5 gal of gas too, will give them some but I'm not happy. Never be in too much hurry to offer help even if the guy doesn't need it. He may be on your SAR team someday. My wife and I did SAR for a few years. What fun that was!

[Lefty]

Ive always left the keys in my ATV And other than survival gear valuables are in my pack.

Ive felt comfortable leaving keys if someone really needs my ATV they can take it. That was sort of the "policy" on the trailhead where we camped/hunted 25 years ago and I still do that.
There are so many better things to stea l,.. like rustling a truck load of cows,.. for some reason it seems as if thieves know better than to "barrow" items or cows from ranchers and hunters with guns. This year were leaving our Elk camp up: Expecting things to be safe

Ive also heard the "don't drive off road in areas ATV's don't belong. One range in Mt a couple guys stated brakes get released and the ATV pointed down hill. Their comments yeas back I park my ATV where down hill would be difficult without driving the ATV

[_rj_]

Just don't drive it beyond a closed road and park it. That's when you ask for trouble.

I know it seems obvious but I see it happen every year.

X1,000

The extreme fire danger has now subsided since we've received a fair amount of moisture. But the first week of season people were driving everywhere they weren't supposed to in tall grass. And that's how fires get started. It happened last year from a hunter who felt he could drive on a closed road and the grass in the middle of the road caught fire and took off immediately.

I also wish people would stop driving them through the woods, like off-roading. Then they complain they don't see any critters... I have 2 UTV's and they can be a great tool. Especially during the winter checking trap lines. But if people keep misusing them then we're going to lose the privilege.

Sorry for the rant. It seems people just use their head for a hat rack instead of thinking. But no I've never had anything taken.

[powderhogg01]

I watched a warden nab a few dirt bikers this last week who were riding around on game trails.. in an obvisouly closed to motorized travel area. from my vantage it looked like he took their bikes and they went to jail.. or at least in the back of his truck. if colorado takes one thing very serious its their big horn sheep, the forest service has done a lot to increase and inprove their habitat here, its really going to benefit all the game in the area.. as long as we can still access it.. but morons like this may very well loose that priviledge for sure

[chiledog]

Don't have or use an ATV but I am ok with those that do as long as they keep them in authorized areas.
Nothing worse in my mind that hiking in 5 miles on a closed road just to find some ATV parked off on another closed connecting road.
Happened this Labor day - AGAIN!