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

[CBB15]

They are a great tool for a S/E turkey killer.

 

[HunterGatherer]

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.

So you hate guys on horses too ? Seems like a lot of guys just hate whatever they don’t use themselves. You’re also assuming people who use them are lazy. After I ride my bike in several miles, I still put between 8-14 miles a day on my boots. Hardly “the easy way out”…

Also, for the record, there are e-bikes that are like electric motorcycles and there are also Class 1 e-bikes that only provide some assistance when you actually pedal. I don’t see why anyone has a problem with that

After initially outlawing e-bikes , many areas are starting to allow Class 1s as they have come to understand the differences and because the idea of keeping them off non-motorized trails doesn’t really make any sense. It’s just a bike after all.

 

[Green-Up]

An easier method has arrived and folks refuse to accept it.

Why must we always be searching to make things easier?

 

[Jethro]

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.

Always refreshing to see there are still some old school guys sticking to the work harder not smarter mentality.

I don’t own an e-bike either.

 

[mtnbiker208]

just put a tikka sticker on them, and rokslide will approve!

 

[Pacific_Fork]

I’m in the they are lame in general camp. There are bad apples in every group, e-bikes are motorized and I’ve seen them used off road illegally enough to piss me off.

Comparing them to horses is ridiculous. Anyone with money and soft hands can buy and ride an ebike tomorrow into the woods. Pack stock takes years of skill and hard work thus the barrier to entry to very difficult.

 

[LongWayAround]

So you hate guys on horses too ? Seems like a lot of guys just hate whatever they don’t use themselves. You’re also assuming people who use them are lazy. After I ride my bike in several miles, I still put between 8-14 miles a day on my boots. Hardly “the easy way out”…

Also, for the record, there are e-bikes that are like electric motorcycles and there are also Class 1 e-bikes that only provide some assistance when you actually pedal. I don’t see why anyone has a problem with that

After initially outlawing e-bikes , many areas are starting to allow Class 1s as they have come to understand the differences and because the idea of keeping them off non-motorized trails doesn’t really make any sense. It’s just a bike after all.

If it was "just a bike" people would be pedaling their regular bike.

Yea, it's frustrating when a fat guy who is barely pedaling passes you going uphill on a non-motorized trail.

It's not even in the same universe as a horse.

They have drastically reduced the quality of the hunting in one of my favorite areas by allowing every dude with an electric motorcycle to buzz into a spot that he previously wouldn't have walked.

If it is providing any assistance at all via a motor, it's not "just a bike." That seems pretty obvious. Bikes don't provide additional assistance beyond the gears when they don't have motors.

 

[oregelkhntr]

Super annoying to get miles back on a road closed to motorized vehicles and then someone passes you on an e-bike. Pretty sure they are considered motorized.

 

[HunterGatherer]

I’m in the they are lame in general camp. There are bad apples in every group, e-bikes are motorized and I’ve seen them used off road illegally enough to piss me off.

Comparing them to horses is ridiculous. Anyone with money and soft hands can buy and ride an ebike tomorrow into the woods. Pack stock takes years of skill and hard work thus the barrier to entry to very difficult.

If we’re categorizing travel methods by ease, to say that e-bike users are more lazy, or put in less work than horse guys is a big stretch, at best. A horse takes less effort to ride than an e-bike. I would challenge anyone with money and soft hands to join me on a typical ride. Most guys I’ve done it with just end up getting off the bike and walking it or ditching it somewhere because it’s often easier just to walk. You can also rent or borrow a horse without all the “years of hard work “. Your butt might be sore by the end of a 20 mile day in steep country but try the same day on a bike and then tell me it’s easier. I’m not calling horse guys lazy - just pointing out that people who don’t ride e-bikes really have no concept of how much of a “cheat” it actually isn’t

 

[Rich M]

Why must we always be searching to make things easier?

You do what you do and let others do what they do. It is so simple. If you want to do things the hard way, that's your call. I'm sure you only use stick & string archery and an old flintlock rifle if you are serious about it. The fun aspect of all this is that there are other options.

But now we gotta throw the competition aspect in. He got there before me cause of a bike, horse, helicopter, whatever - and it pisses me off.

The ebike vs horse argument is because when they decided against allowing "machines" they chose to allow horses. A horse is nothing more than and ATV that chits and needs to get fed & brushed.

If it really was about making people walk, then horses would not be allowed. That's my whole argument there. I have nothing against horses or ebikes. I'd rather have an ebike cause it is just easier all the way aorund.

 

[IdahoBeav]

The problem is that the clowns that ride them think they have access privileges that are not extended to a dirt bike.

 

[IdahoBeav]

I was going to say the same thing. Much nicer than someone ripping a 2 stroke in the woods. There is probably a middle ground where they fit in.

No, there isn't. The animals aren't bothered by dirt bikes, people are. With that said, I fully agree with having non-motorized trails, but that needs to be limited to hiking, livestock, and bicycles.

 

[180ls1]

No, there isn't. The animals aren't bothered by dirt bikes, people are. With that said, I fully agree with having non-motorized trails, but that needs to be limited to hiking, livestock, and bicycles.

Some states already do this and it appears to be working well. Why do you think it does not?

 

[JasonT]

Sounds more like a people issue (not following regs) and not so much an e-bikes issue

 

[307]

Much prefer ebike to a noisy ICE engine. I'm actually hoping that they'll soon have their own classification to be allowed more places than ICE bikes/quad/side by side. They're so much quieter and don't stink with exhaust.

 

[IdahoBeav]

Some states already do this and it appears to be working well. Why do you think it does not?

What is the measure of success? And wouldn't this only be limited to state lands? BLM and NFS state on their websites that e-bikes are not permitted on non-motorized trails.

 

[Radford]

Struck a nerve haha. Toughen up boys.

 

[IdahoBeav]

Didn't SCOTUS just the other day make a ruling that upheld e-bikes being banned from non-motorized trails?

 

[Whitefox82]

If you’re not peddling your batteries will be wiped out quickly in the mountains. It’s definitely harder than most believe. Again, I don’t own one but would much rather see an e-bike than a dirt bike cruise past me while hunting. And horses definitely get you deeper than an e-bike can unless your packing multiple heavy batteries and solar chargers.

 

[HunterGatherer]

Moab is an example of where they are using a more nuanced MVUM (or travel management plan) to allow certain (class 1) e-bikes on non-motorized trails. Because the Feds didn’t want to develop a comprehensive plan for them, all e-bikes were banned on non-motorized trails nationwide shortly after they came to market . Since then, the federal agencies have allowed individual ranger districts to set their own rules regarding e-bikes.

This is the way, IMO