Ebikes ..... are they really useful for hunting anymore?

[repins05]

Seems like Ebikes have been pretty much restricted to motorized vehicle roads where I hunt. There are a few areas that I can get into where a truck can't but for the most part it seems like these areas are limited. Maybe it's the areas that I hunt? But the more I read the more it looks like Ebikes are restricted everywhere. Are they really useful for hunting anymore?

 

[Rich M]

Only if you just use them and don’t worry about the exact rules. Ride where you need to go vs the motorized vehicle stuff.

Is it a bike you have or an electric motorcycle?

 

[repins05]

I have a Bike. I used it to take past the gates etc. But now bikes are considered motorized vehicles and cannot be used past gates where I used to take it. I have decided to follow the rules. It seems like the regulations are becoming more restrictive in all the western states.

 

[Big_wals]

I’ve never seen the appeal to them, unless you don’t mind breaking/bending the rules. They have been illegal behind gates in Idaho for as long as I can remember, I actually had an argument with a salesman in a sporting goods store probably ten years ago and had to walk to the front, grab a copy of the regs, amd show him. No motorized vehicles, including electric. I’ve heard tho that as long as you don’t get caught USING the electric motor, you can’t get fined for just having it behind the the gate. I’ve literally heard guys say they just pedal for the last couple hundred yards coming out. That way if a warden is at the gate, they won’t get a ticket.

 

[displacedtexan]

Crazy that a wheeled thing with a motor is considered a motorized vehicle.

 

[Whitefox82]

They can be useful depending upon where you’re hunting. I hunted a small Colorado ranch a few years ago with a few friends that go yearly. They all use e-bikes as the property works well for it to get into areas quickly and quiet. I was able to borrow a bike from a guy that typically hunts with them but didn’t that year. This ranch was about 1200 acres but connected to public national forest on the back side and because of the size it’s best to hunt it from stands or blinds almost like whitetail. Aggressive hunting and/or calling would almost guarantee pushing any elk from the property. E-bikes were definitely the way to go there.

 

[Bubblehide]

I’ve never seen the appeal to them, unless you don’t mind breaking/bending the rules. They have been illegal behind gates in Idaho for as long as I can remember, I actually had an argument with a salesman in a sporting goods store probably ten years ago and had to walk to the front, grab a copy of the regs, amd show him. No motorized vehicles, including electric. I’ve heard tho that as long as you don’t get caught USING the electric motor, you can’t get fined for just having it behind the the gate. I’ve literally heard guys say they just pedal for the last couple hundred yards coming out. That way if a warden is at the gate, they won’t get a ticket.

Here where I am, per the regulations, you could leave the battery at home and still get cited, because the bike has a motor. Here, if it has a motor, it is motorized, whether it is working or not, and therefore illegal.

 

[JasonT]

I really like using them for midwestern whitetail hunting on private ground. It's so nice being able to get near your stand/blind quickly and quietly (without sweating), not to mention the ease of hauling a deer out with it.

 

[LongWayAround]

Ebikes piss me off. I hope they keep banning them.

 

[Radford]

I don’t like them either. If you can’t walk to your hunting spot then pick a new spot. Really upsetting spending time burning leather then get overtaken by guys on motorized bikes. Pretty lame really. Takes away from hunting in my opinion and fallows most trends nowadays of taking the easy way out, instant gratification, lack of patience, inability to put in hard work, etc.

 

[RocketRob16]

I bought one this year to try out. So far its been a fun toy/tool to have. I wanted to try it on private land for whitetail hunting but mostly turkey hunting which I do on both public and private. For me, it mostly shines for pre-season turkey scouting. I can zip down roads and trails much faster and still pretty quietly to maximize the time I'm listening for birds while they're talking. I could do the same thing in a truck or ATV but it would be a lot more disturbance. Problem is, in my state, there are goobers racing to duck holes on ebikes and horses so it looks like there's some more restrictions coming on the horizon.

I will say, I didn't personally get one to be lazy or take the easy way out or cut someone off to a game animal. If I was getting cut off by guys on ebikes or seeing them driven through the middle of the woods off trails, that would put a bad taste in my mouth pretty fast. I still love putting on boot miles and exploring. If I use it during season on public, its to get in deep away from main roads and people quickly and quietly. I still put on the same amount of boot miles at the end of the day, I was just further in when I started.

We'll see how it goes for deer season. I wouldn't consider bringing it out west for a hunt though. I don't think mine is powerful enough to pull those hills, strong enough to pack me out with a packed load of meat well, or worth the hassle of carrying across the country.