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Hunters driving trucks and ATVs on public land.

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Cleancut

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
While off-roading on WMAs and other public land has been a problem for a while, I have seen more and more hunters illegaly using their vehicles to drive deep into these lands to hunt. For years Ive walked deep into WMAs to get away from the crowds of road hunters to find game. This has meant getting up earlier walking farther to and from my hunting spots and when I do get a deer (or bear) hours of dragging (many times alone) back to my truck, leaving me exhausted after sometimes a nearly 3 mile drag! This kind of hunting takes alot out of me physically but leaves me with the satisfaction of hard earned trophy on land that is open to all.Because of this, when I butcher and cape out an animal Im carefull not to waste any scrap of my hard earned prize.

Therefore it annoys me ,to say the least, to walk an hour or more into the woods only to see or hear a vehicle approach. That is bad enough,but when its another hunter it positively enrages me!

I have confronted these "hunters" and have heard their excuses, "I can't walk that far", "I have been driving back here for years and no ones said nothing",other people do it, so why not me?", and their hostility, "Mind your own God damm business!" and I don't see a badge so F-off!".

I have called Fish and Game and even 911 after having my life threatend one!Some have been caught, while others have gotten away.Has anyone here had some bad experience with "hunters" no, poachers riding on public lands and what should be done to prevent it and punish people who are caught?

I believe in manditory fines of $1000 plus on top of confiscation of their vehicle.
 
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#2 ·
My old club property bordered a WMA in Sussex County. They would drive deep into the WMA and park next to our property. I called once only to have the CO say "where not gonna drive all the way out there over a parking space". I was pissed to say the least. Just another example of NJ slob hunters. I hunted with a guy with one leg and he never made excuses about "it's too far to walk, so I'll just drive in". SLOBS!
 
#4 ·
Open all state land to insured and registered atvs!!!!
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[eyeroll]That is probably the worst thing that you could ever do here in NJ. The public lands that are big enough to have limited motorized vehicle use already allow it via established roads. The rest of the public land is just way too small and atvs are way to destructive. It would ruin the experience for all users.

You think you have problems with other hunters on public land now, imagine if you had atv access[eyeroll]

God gave you two legs and the complimentary muscles to make those legs work....use them:)
 
#5 ·
I have confronted these "hunters" and ...
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First mistake! If you don't have a badge, then keep your mouth shut. The only thing that the confrontation is going to get you is a hurt...or worse; it ain't worth it. They are all over my one spot in 23 and they're tearing up the woods, but the COs can't be everywhere all of the time, so I accept the fact that they are going to be there and hope that the PROPER authorities catch them.
 
#6 ·
It's just a matter of our population continuing to become too lazy to do pretty much anything as well as feeling entitled to do whatever they want regardless of laws. That certainly does not go for all of us hunters, but it does for an ever increasing number of our ranks. I also hate seeing quads and trucks all over our public lands, tearing it up and displaying laziness in the process by driving right up to the stand.

Unfortunately, hunters are not immune to laziness or to feeling entitled to drive in "because everyone else is doing it".
 
#7 ·
Illegal, yes. But to say that anyone who uses a quad to hunt is a lazy slob is just silly. Im sure Ishi would say the same thing about compound bows, sights, and releases. That modern smokeless powder and rifled shotgun barrels make things pretty easy too. I dont hunt with a quad, but would love the opportuntiy to try it.
But if its against the law, you have no business doing it.
 
#8 ·
You think you have problems with other hunters on public land now, imagine if you had atv access

God gave you two legs and the complimentary muscles to make those legs work....use them
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[up][up] I agree. I have hunts ruined by illegal ATV riders and Horse riders with no visible permits. Their gone by the time I get to the lot.[sad] Someday I'll get there info. It usually happens during Bow season, other wise a loud shot would make the horses and riders $hit more than they do in the paths already.[hihi]
 
#10 ·
I had ATV problems last year on a WMA during permit bow, right before the 6 day firearm season. Guys were building their stands (permanent wood stands) on the day before the season opened. Crazy I tell you.

I actually met a cop in teh parking lot this year once (said he likes to pull in and watch the deer come through - translation: took a nap). He says he actually hunts with the guys who have "all the ATV trails over there" (those trails are all private land...no problem there).

I told him, "Good. Then you can tell them all to stay off the public land with the ATV's because next time I see it I am calling the cops." His response was to laugh at me and then he said it wasnt the local cops (he worked for a neighboring town) job to enforce that.

You can't win in this state.
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
First mistake! If you don't have a badge, then keep your mouth shut. The only thing that the confrontation is going to get you is a hurt...or worse; it ain't worth it. They are all over my one spot in 23 and they're tearing up the woods, but the COs can't be everywhere all of the time, so I accept the fact that they are going to be there and hope that the PROPER authorities catch them.
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If YOU want to "keep your mouth shut" fine. But damm you if you think IM gonna let people walk all over me. First I tell them their breaking the law and if they don't seem to care, then I call the cops.

And yes I could "get hurt or worse" but that never stopped me from doing whats right. I abide by the rules and wont stand by while scum-bag Poachers break the law and ruin my hunting areas.

As for "eccepting the fact their there", bulls#$t!! I will do what I can to help law enforcement catch these SOBs. If you want to tuck your tail between your legs, you just go ahead. Im not!
 
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Discussion starter · #12 ·
Illegal, yes. But to say that anyone who uses a quad to hunt is a lazy slob is just silly.
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I never said that. I said that what their doing is wrong because riding on a public land is an unfair advantage compared to those who follow the law.What you do on private land you own or lease is another thing. For example: You can nail-up a permanent treestand on private property because you don't want to carry a stand in and out and that is fine (as long as you have permision to do so), but do the same thing on public land and not only is it illegal but its fundamentaly unfair to everyone else who lawfully hunts there.

Should fishermen look the over way if someone is fishing with bait and spinning rod in a fly only stretch of river?
 
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#14 ·
Ok new hunter here. School me. Where I plan to deer hunt is in wharton. There are dirt roads that I thought were unpaved roads. I was planning on driving down and parking there and then walking in. I believe the dirt road shows up as a road on google, tom tom etc. is that fine or am i an ass? What about in wma? They have the main dirt roads(winslow). Is that fine?
 
#15 ·
I use my jeep to get back into the woods for years. I ran into CO's a few times they never said a thing to me. I got tired of walking/sweating. I needed to get away from the deer drivers. If it is a established road whats the problem. I also don't recall passing any walking hunters going in or out. If I did I would have offered a lift just like a gut did for me when I used to walk. Now I do have some issues with the atv's.
 
#16 ·
The problem with vehicles in WMAs, State ground, etc,is the way people operate them. Now I know none of the guys on this site would spin tires going thru the woods or the dedicated roads, creating run off problems, mud pits, etc. But some folks do. I think there should be an exception to let handicapped (missing limbs, etc, not the handicaps that alot of folk use to scam the government such as anger management, etc) to get permits allowing them to use vehicles.

I won't allow 4 wheelers on our Pennsy property by members because of the things they do with them.
 
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#17 ·
Where I plan to deer hunt is in wharton. There are dirt roads that I thought were unpaved roads. I was planning on driving down and parking there and then walking in.
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You can park on the roads (as long as you leave enough room for others to pass). I think the issue might be more of taking the 4-wheelers actually into the woods (off road). No one is going to give you a hard time for driving on established roads in the woods.
 
#18 ·
No one is going to give you a hard time for driving on established roads in the woods.
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I know that in Colliers Mills at least, "established road" is a relative term. There are roads back there wide enough for two fullsize pickups to pass each other with no problem, and roads that are so grown in that a Suzuki Samurai would have to fold the mirrors in on.
 
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#19 ·
there are no excuses for use of ATV's. It's just plain illegal. But for licensed and registered motorvehicles the issue isn't so clear cut. Ultimately, its the State's fault as the state has absolutely no maps to indicate which roads are "ok" to use and which are "not ok". I hunt in Allamuchy alot, and there are several dirt roads in there that I used to drive my mini-van down all the time. I was never given a problem by anyone. Those roads are not on any maps of the park, and they aren't on google/mapquest either. However, I've driven at least a mile back, parked and got out to hunt, and know that both CO's and the local PD have drivenm by my car and neither law enforcement agency had an issue with it.

Now if there's a road and its marked with a "no-motorized vehicles beyond this point" sign-I'll be happy to park and walk, but when hunting a mile back-why put myself through hell when I don't have to? No sign?? I'm driving it
 
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#20 ·
Ultimately, its the State's fault as the state has absolutely no maps to indicate which roads are "ok" to use and which are "not ok".
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I get what you're saying, but on a lot of WMAs (Like Colliers) it would be a huge task. They barely have enough COs to patrol these areas-I doubt they have the resources to find all the roads, classify them, and sign them. Just in this part of the Mills here there are probably a dozen small roads only big enough for a Jeep (if you don't mind a little "woods pinstriping")-so what do you do with them? I'm with MTH-If my Toyota mini-truck can fit down the road and there's no sign I'm going.
 
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