BLM Closes Motorized access West of Moab

[Poser]

I don’t have a particularly informed opinion on this matter. I follow some off-road groups because there is good info on road/“trail” conditions. I will say the motorized user groups bickers and infights at least as much as hunters. Also, I hate SxSs, hate the user group, so there’s that.

As a far as I can tell, the ORV community as a whole has way more negative things going for it than positive. Though, it’s not difficult to look at it as a whole and recognize the similarities between sub user group infighting and the sub user groups of hunters.

Anyway, the ORVs really crapped the bed in Moab over the last 20 years. Anyone with any degree of self awareness who has spent anytime there knows exactly what I’m talking about. Talk about using a town as a “whipping boy” for your personal pleasure in terms of motorized recreation. The town voted to ban SxSs on the roads, but the state stepped in and shot that ban down. Looks like the BLM has closed over 300 miles of roads (I have a hard time calling 2 tracks “trails”) west of Moab. The ORV community is predictably blaming sun user groups. The sub user group in question blames a “few bad apples.” From my perspective, this particular sub user group are like locusts. Living in proximity to Silverton, Lake City, & Ouray, you get a strong side of what this sub user group brings to the table. That being said, the Jeep vs Toyota fights can be just as intense at times.

Anyway, what’s the takeaway here from a hunting perspective?

 

[Geewhiz]

Not really sure how I feel about this.

Seams like shutting down motorized use trails would be a big hit to the economy of Moab.

I wouldnt be entirely upset if 80% of motorized use roads/trails were closed around my area.

 

[Poser]

Not really sure how I feel about this.

Seams like shutting down motorized use trails would be a big hit to the economy of Moab.

I wouldnt be entirely upset if 80% of motorized use roads/trails were closed around my area.

It’s 300 miles of road/“trails” of thousands of miles. I can’t imagine it would affect the overall tourism one bit. In fact, reduced motorized traffic may increase non motorized tourism.

 

[Baddog]

Some people can’t stand other people having fun. The same people that love shutting down roads and trails don’t want you hunting there either.

 

[dtrkyman]

Sounds like maybe they took advantage of the open trails?

I would be on board for closing some roads here in NM. during hunting season, but I am sure most would be pissd!

 

[Poser]

Sounds like maybe they took advantage of the open trails?

I would be on board for closing some roads here in NM. during hunting season, but I am sure most would be pissd!

If you’ve never been to Moab, it’s pretty much a Mad Max movie…. except everyone in the cast is obese.

 

[Phaseolus]

Bravo on closing these trails. If you’ve been going to Moab for 40 years you’d understand. It’s out of control being driven by people who could care less.

 

[SwiftShot]

Since I bowhunt and must walk in almost everywhere. Maybe people needed to do some policing of the bad apples. This might hit some economies.

 

[MarlinMark]

Just like hunters should do some "policing" of poachers? Sounds illegal.

 

[def90]

Not surprising. Haven’t been to MOAB since the invention of SxS’s but based on what they have done to trails and forest service roads around here I can only imagine.

 

[4rcgoat]

I love hearing this stuff,I'm sure it gets the hard-core sxs crowds upset,I couldn't care less. People take advantage of everything under the sun and ruin it for the people who have some courtesy and respect for others recreating.
Been seeing some electric dirt bike riders on the mountain bike trails too,just a matter of time before those jerkoffs ruin all that too.

 

[Weldor]

I've seen it here, went from state trust land for all uses. Now due to special interest groups (mountain bikers, hikers) it is now closed to hunting . The excuse is there are riders out there and it would not be prudent to have any type of shooting. Bla,bla, bla. All I can say is : Be careful what you wish for.

 

[tony]

We stayed a few days in Moab city. Off road vehicles of all shapes and sorts were everywhere. And you could rent anything with big tires.
People staying next to us had a side by side that was as big as the truck pulling it and probably cost more.

 

[Gutshotem]

Does anyone really think the out of staters who filed the suit are all done now? Content with their work? You think they're packing up their office supplies and going home? Like something else isn't going to be next?

Have they filed any lawsuits over the filth and utter destruction on the southern boarder? How about all of the drug and disease infested tent cities in urban parks from coast to coast?

These are nothing more than cultural attacks acting at the behest of their wealthy donors. If these trails were filled with a bunch of Biden bros they would never be bothered.

Cheer it on but if you think your favorite hunting, fishing, 4wheeling or whatever area isn't somewhere down the list because you wear a "public land owner" tee shirt, you're an idiot.

 

[def90]

Does anyone really think the left wing out of staters who filed the suit are all done now? Content with their work? You think they're packing up their office supplies and going home? Like something else isn't going to be next?

Have they filed any lawsuits over the filth and utter destruction on the southern boarder? How about all of the drug and disease infested tent cities in urban parks from coast to coast?

These are nothing more than cultural attacks by liberal organizations, acting at the behest of their donors. If these trails were filled with a bunch of Biden bros sharing a SXS with their wife's boyfriend, they would never be bothered.

Cheer it on but if you think your favorite hunting, fishing, 4wheeling or whatever area isn't somewhere down the list because you wear a "public land owner" tee shirt, you're an idiot.

Sure.. but it doesn't help when you are riding your dirtbike on a local usfs service road that is popular with SxS's where there are also a couple outfits that rent them on this road and you see the tracks of a SxS veer off the road right next to the sign saying to stay on the road and follow the tracks as they drive over the fence that was blown down by a SxS driver the summer before and continue on in to the meadow and right through the wallow out in the middle followed by a couple donuts and back to the road again.

 

[JohnB]

I got to watch a favorite hiking trail turn into an illegal 4 wheeler trail and then finding a stuck SxS on it. Those things suck. This was a less than 2 mile trail to a cool lake.

 

[Poser]

Results of the ballot initiative to allow SxSs back into Silverton. They did a 5 year experiment with them, once that expired, the town voted to reject allowing them back in the city limits. A couple of years lapsed and some local business owners got this back in place for a vote. Allowing SxS in the city limits allows them to complete the famous Alpine Loop without backtracking. It also brings SxSs into town for food, fuel etc.

Many SxSs users have been actively boycotting the town since disallowing ORVs on city streets, claiming that their boycott will cause the town to go bankrupt. (Sound familiar?) seems to be a consistent trend that user groups often lack the ability to perceive that many other user groups also shop and eat.

 

[sodaksooner]

I really don't know how to feel. I hate the damn side by sides, but am a Jeep guy. Although I probably would never make it to Moab anyway, sounds like a lot of the "Best stuff" is still open. I also hate that access is being removed, but love it at the same time. To say I am conflicted about it is an understatement, but in the grand scheme of things I have bigger fish to fry too. I will say that where I grew up there were some off road trails in BLM that were well used. They were shut down in the 70's and you can still see the scars of where they were doing hill climbs 40+ years later, and this is in a grassland. I was riding my mtb on designated trails (in some pretty good bowhunting only land as well ) there this summer and saw fresh s x s tracks in a clearly marked no offroad vehicle use area. The black hills trail systems are well on the way to being ruined by them also.

 

[406flyfish]

Heading to Moab next week. They already reduced 40% of OHV trails in 2008, now they’re reducing another 40%…

Curious how the locals actually feel about this..

 

[Poser]

Heading to Moab next week. They already reduced 40% of OHV trails in 2008, now they’re reducing another 40%…

Curious how the locals actually feel about this..

Depends on which locals you talk to. Some own businesses renting and guiding SxSs. Others completely resent how their town has changed due to becoming a ORV destination