What's the difference between using an Ebike, a horse or hiking in with boots on the ground - on a horse/walking trail?
If the argument is "Which one leaves a more permanent footprint"?
The Horse does.
If the argument is which footprint causes more emotional "shock and awe" response of disgust, the Ebike does, but why?
If the argument is based on keeping it hard-core and old school - it falls flat.
Here's why....
When the old school- hard core hiker/hunter punches their elk tag, 15 miles deep, and then hires a horse packer to help retrieve it, the argument leaves hard core perception and turns to convenience or meat preservation opportunity. How is a horse convenience or meat preservation opportunity at this point, any different than using an Ebike?
So now the debate is keeping it old school.
But this comes from a guy using a long-range rifle/scope, or $1500 archery set up, after glassing an elk 5 miles away with a Swarovski spotter and marking waypoints using Onx hunt app on his I-phone.
It's at this point his old school argument loses it's validity -especially when he's standing there in $2000 of specialized hunting clothing, backpack equipment he bought after watching 40 hrs of elk hunting videos on youtube, with folded arms in disgust scolding an Ebike rider cause he isn't keeping it hard core or old school.
The truth of this debate is simple- New appearance violating old appearance mixed with hypocritical cancel culture emotions.
Old convenience hates new convenience, just because it's new.
The system believes somehow only allowing horses keeps the forests pristine and natural. While I agree the horse does this, I do not believe the hunter with new school, modern equipment does.
Yet this same Government system that believes E cars and Emotors help preserve the natural environment over gas powered engines and farting cows somehow changes its opinion in the woods?
There's no valid argument Ebikes cause more environmental damage on or off marked trails. It's the "horror shock" of seeing a bike's tire print from a few days prior on the trail or meadow.
"How dare they".
Yet seeing a horse or cattle print from last year still visible, is just part of the accepted scene.
Ebikes do less damage than wildlife as far as footprints on ground.
The biggest issue with Ebikes isn't the bikes themselves- it's the perception of change they bring because of the idiots who leave trail systems and drive across meadows or unmarked trail systems. These are usually the idiots who used UTV's and dirt bikes. Which are more environmentally damaging.
Ebikes designed for hunting (Not Suron type) don't have the torque to do any more damage than a shoed horse, elk calf, mule deer or moo cow.
