Off-Highway Vehicles and hunting is an extremely contentious topic, though it is not entirely clear why. It has been reported that more than half of all licensed Idaho hunters use OHVs in some manner during the activity of hunting.
As a recreational professional and an avid hunter, I find myself discussing the topic often. It’s become enough of an issue in Idaho, that Idaho Department of Fish and Game regulations have been altered to address how OHVs are used by hunters.
One observation is that those in opposition to the use of OHVs while hunting are passionately opposed. Reasons seem to vary. Noise, riding on illegal trails, scaring game, riding cross country and riding on non-motorized routes, are the primary reasons voiced. While I wouldn’t claim that these problems never occur, the vast majority occur illegally. Illegal activity doesn’t warrant eliminating responsible OHV use. My guess is these same OHV critics wouldn’t support the elimination of hunting because some people poach or shoot after legal hunting hours. Unfortunately, when discussing the use of ATVs and hunting, elimination of their use seems to be where the discussion often leads.
We are extremely fortunate in Idaho. There are a variety of different experiences to choose from when planning a hunting excursion. There are about 18,000 miles of trails on USFS lands, two-thirds of which exclude motorized travel. Idaho has more non-motorized Wilderness opportunities than 47 other states in the union. This alone provides hunters unwilling to share the woods with OHVs an enormous range of options.
Realizing that not everyone has the means or the desire to hunt in the Wilderness, let me point out additional opportunities for folks choosing to hunt where OHVs are forbidden to roam. Our national forests and BLM rangelands are composed of vast tracts of public land that exist outside of Wilderness boundaries. Sitting down with a land manager and a map will quickly reveal seemingly endless opportunities for the hunter seeking a non-motorized experience.
So where does this leave the hunter who wants to incorporate the use of an OHV on his hunt? There are approximately 5,400 miles of trail open to dirt bikes and OHVs in Idaho. There is also a vast network of secondary roads on public land in Idaho. While most of these roads are legally open to full-size vehicles, they are often more suitable for OHVs. Hunters in Idaho have a lot of different options to choose from that provide motorized access into productive hunting areas on designated motorized routes.
When I boil down the reasons for opposition to OHV use, I’ve come to a conclusion. Often the frustration stems from hunters making poor choices in where they hunt. I have heard many stories of the non-motorized hunter being extremely angry after hiking a thousand vertical feet in the dark, only to realize someone else beat them to their destination with an ATV, or worse yet, passed them in the dark on their trip up the mountain. The person who made the choice to hike to an area accessible to OHVs never seems to be the focus of the blame. The angry hunter’s solution is often to pursue elimination of OHV use due to this negative encounter.
Other times, the OHV hunter chooses to hunt in an area with very limited OHV opportunities and fails to follow the travel restrictions. Again, a poor choice about where to hunt contributes to anti-OHV hunting sentiment. Choosing an area with limited motorized trail opportunities can result in a negative encounter with other hunters who are following the rules. Riding on closed routes is a sure-fire method of creating life-long OHV opponents out of hunters who might otherwise be supportive or indifferent to OHV recreation.
The solution is twofold. First, it is the responsibility of hunters using OHVs to choose a hunting area conducive to OHV use and to follow the travel rules. Second, non-motorized hunters need to start being tolerant and understanding of OHV use, if they make the choice to hunt in areas open to OHV use. Motorized enthusiasts have far fewer options when deciding where they can hunt with OHVs.
As in all endeavors that end in success, planning and making good decisions will result in a favorable outcome. Remember that both hunting and riding OHVs on public land are privileges. Sharing public lands respectfully with one another will go a long way toward protecting those privileges.
