Public UTV ATV trails
Contributors to this thread:Wisconsin
From: Pasquinell
28-Feb-24
I hunt in the Antigo area and noticing the human desire for bigger and faster every year. Are there any regulations pertaining to engine size or speeds for UTVs or ATVs? Is it just me or are these machines looking more and more like sand rails or dune buggies? The "trails" are now highways and when water holes are concerned, they get wider and wider with people trying to avoid the swimming pools that man has created. Is drinking alcohol allowed while operating these or governed much like a boat is?
From: Hoot
28-Feb-24
Pasq - there is width and weight limit on state funded trails. You can be cited if over the limit (DUI). We had signs on our property that read stay on trails or stay home.
From: Drop Tine
28-Feb-24
65” or less in width and 3000 lbs are the limits. Substance intake is the same as an automobile. No speed limits unless otherwise posted. Speeds were never an issue until clubs started grooming trails and filling in the ruts turning trails into gravel roads.
Actually the trend now is over landing and boondock camping thus the newer machines with full cabs, HVAC, and storage room for camping gear. There will always be those that like the wind in their face but like everything trends change.
From: Pasquinell
28-Feb-24
My buddy bought a machine called a Grasshopper and it reminds me of the sand rails that ran in the Lucerne Desert in CA when i was there. Oh well... that ship has sailed too.
From: GoJakesGo
28-Feb-24
Speed limits are either posted or are the same as the road being traveled.
From: Pasquinell
28-Feb-24
What about trails in the woods? There aren't speed limit signs there or I didn't see them and guys were flying or at least they flew by me as I was walking. Like I said that ship has probably sailed but still think they should have restrictions. I know I know but who will enforce
From: SHEDHUNTER
28-Feb-24
Getting out of control. Nobody enforces and once couple roads are open they think they can go anywhere. Most of the trails you can't even walk or bike anymore. Nothing but boulders and ruts. Just love listening to them roar 70 mph down the highway past my house on summer nights. Them knobby tires are louder than logging truck.
From: Drop Tine
28-Feb-24
With the prices of vehicles now days even used. You will see more and more of them being used as daily drivers.
From: Grub
28-Feb-24
People also figured out that getting a dui on one is better than in a car. Some goofy law that needs to be changed. Saturday’s in my neighborhood are just a continuous stream of people going from one bar to the next.
From: retro
28-Feb-24
Funnier than hell watching a convoy of them going down a dirt road. Except for the guy in the front, the rest of the riders must be covered in dust and dirt from head to toe. Lol....
From: RutnStrut
28-Feb-24
Just like snowmobile trails they run from bar to bar. That is essentially what trail riding in WI is all about. I have absolutely no problem with people drinking responsibly. But from all of my snowmobiling years I know how much people drink in excess and then hot rod on their machines. It's no different with ATV's. You can't really blame people for drinking while out on an atv ride. Trail riding atv's is one of the most boring things, ever.
From: Grouch
29-Feb-24
off trail atvs have ruined 3 bowhunts for me over the years, running right through the woods, chasing bucks away that i put a lot of time into getting to pattern, a holes ! I also had an atv,r run right over my turkey decoy on a closed logging road, Idiot
From: retro
29-Feb-24
The public land area I hunt went from being some of the wildest country the county had to nothing but a giant UTV race track...Roads were built to allow access for logging and once the logging was complete the gates were left open. In todays genius world, public land is considered "inaccessible" if you have to walk...
From: MjF
29-Feb-24
Public where I hunt is not bad, the atvs & utvs stick mostly to the designated trails even though you can mostly drive where ever you want. The loggers or should I say Feds in the last few years are good at berming up the trails and logging roads when done, there is one hound group that will re-open them up because the laws and rules don’t apply to them, most other groups respect the laws. There are still plenty of areas to hunt in northern Bayfield County and not be bothered but with super low deer numbers it doesn’t really matter at this point.
From: Drop Tine
29-Feb-24
The commotion from them might bother you but it doesn’t the deer. If it did the farm communities would be devoid of deer and they would never get hit on the roads. They get accustomed to the noise and traffic. If it’s some one trespassing with a ATV in a normally quiet woods might have some temporary effect. The wife and I ride and and we have a ton of fun doing it. We see wildlife all the time from chippers to bear. Like I say, the commotion affects the person more than the critters. In everything we do as humans there will always be irresponsible people that will mess it up for all others.
From: Hoot
29-Feb-24
DT - This reminds me of a friend around Birchwood. I helped him set up a bear bait, but he kept telling me it was too close to the ATV trail (maybe 50 to 75 yards away. You couldn't see the trail but you could really hear the ATV/UTV's. He said it'll never get hit. Well he and and his family got bears off this bait.
From: Grouch
29-Feb-24
10 point buck, small oak ridge surrounded by lowlands and swamps, saw buck late last year, set up for him for the fall during winter, late october. wind perfect, snuck into stand, 20 minutes swhooting light left, buck coming in crosswind, 35 yards and coming, NEXT, vroom vroom vroom, atv coming thru forest, buck gone, atv still riding around until dark, No atv trail withing 3/4 mile !!! want more ???
From: Drop Tine
29-Feb-24
Grumpy, read my post slower so you comprehend everything.
From: MjF
29-Feb-24
Grouch… yes I want more… what did you do about it?
From: Pasquinell
29-Feb-24
I looked it up but too much info to post. Best thing I read was it was okay to be drinking or have an open container, just don't be legally drunk. Supposed 10 mph when riding past someone on foot blah blah blah. The trail map showing riding trails looked like a Crayola crayon accident to me.
Drop tine had the best line: "In everything we do as humans there will always be irresponsible people that will mess it up for all others." We ruin almost everything we touch.
From: retro
29-Feb-24
"We ruin almost everything we touch."
Pasq, Remember it's called "progress" here on Planet of the Apes...
From: LTL JimBow
29-Feb-24
The UTV is the crossbow , period . When I see a UTV or a Crossbow I don't know if I should cry , or laugh . Fascinating to me -The sound of a crossbow , that dull thud it makes, also not being able to see the bolt in flight is the sound of a UTV on a trail or road . All of this has a offensive toixc smell that should not be on public lands .
From: Drop Tine
29-Feb-24
You must be Greta of Bowsite. Talk about over the top!
From: Pasquinell
01-Mar-24
Jimbow - unfortunately much like the crossbow, that ship has sailed. It's time you embrace progression and technology. Do you drive a vehicle or ride a horse still? Our future will be amazing for our kids and grandkids! Skies the limit...
From: Pasquinell
01-Mar-24
Retro- I'm offended by what you typed. Along with the Cat and the Hat, Mary Poppins etc. that movie should be banned! Lol
From: Hoot
01-Mar-24
Pasq )What about trails in the woods? There aren't speed limit signs there or I didn't see them and guys were flying or at least they flew by me as I was walking. Like I said that ship has probably sailed but still think they should have restrictions. I know I know but who will enforce). Where I lived, Washburn sheriff's dept. has an officer out on the trails along with DNR wardens enforcing the law.
From: Pasquinell
01-Mar-24
I am glad to hear that Jim. I hope they make or made an impact while enforcing the law.
From: Drop Tine
01-Mar-24
Trees have a way of slowing people down when they ride beyond their limits or the limit of the trail. Like I said, a lot of the issues of speed come from the clubs filling in ruts and grading trails into gravel roads.
From: MjF
01-Mar-24
ATVs & UTVs bring thousands of tourism dollars into communities that can use it. Most that complain are the ones that don’t own one, I do not own one at this time but have in the past. My advice, don’t walk or hunt near those trails unless you are aware of the potential frustrations.
From: Pasquinell
01-Mar-24
MJF I get it and understand but doesnt make it right. Whats the solution? Good luck.
My point was to see what regulations there are for the size of these machines. They get bigger and faster every year in the quest for money.
I would like to take a top fuel dragster to work every day to cut down transit time but the signs and laws says I can't. So I leave early enough and abide by the speeds posted. The majority I share the road with don't.
From: MjF
01-Mar-24
One thing about problems, there will always be problems.
From: retro
01-Mar-24
MJF, I've changed locations repeatedly based on new roads being opened every year. It's getting harder and harder to find solitude in the big woods. I understand it's an economic thing for communities but I certainly don't agree with the idea if something makes alot of money, that's reason enough to allow it. That's the road we're on and I think it would be hard to argue that we've already done alot of unrepairable damage to the sports of hunting and fishing. This morning I did some scouting in a new area ( looking for solitude) and I found a promising area with mature buck sign. Not an easy thing to find anymore in the big woods. Now as long as somebody doesn't build a Walmart or Kwiktrip back in there before next bow season, :>) I should have a nice place worthy of spending some time there...
From: Hoot
01-Mar-24
Pasq - They've made an impact, but some never learn.
From: Pasquinell
01-Mar-24
Ya know Hoot, until we can police ourselves to some degree and think of others as well as ourselves this will remain the same. People suck! Ha!
From: MjF
01-Mar-24
A couple days ago Bayfield County just rejected to open all roads to ATVs & UTVs
From: Pasquinell
01-Mar-24
Nice!!! Although the use of a machine is alot nicer to drag a deer with than by hand! But I'll drag by hand to preserve the woods I hunt anytime.
From: Hoot
01-Mar-24
Pasq - I policed the trail that was in front of our place. I don't know how many times I called in, but in the long run things got better.
From: Live2Hunt
04-Mar-24
You mean your opposed to an older person using them to get back into a trail to retrieve a deer or hunt an area?
