Tell us what you think about E-bikes for hunting??

[Wyobohunter]

Here is an example pulled from Avenza. These roads and trails close to all motorized vehicles for rifle season. They are open to varying types of motor vehicles through the summer and archery season. I avoid these areas during archery and hunt them during rifle season. These are the specific areas I spoke with the forest service about, motorized bicycles will not be given a special exception. Motorized is motorized. The USFS employees said that there would be no meaningful change anywhere in the district. The meaning of “only open during certain portions of the year” is in reference to motorized vehicles. They are open all year to hikers/horsemen etc.
Many areas are closed year round to all motorized vehicles. Some open to human powered bicycles and some not (wilderness). Understanding this could save you a $500 fine. No need to thank me.

 

[JoeDirt]

You can’t legally take it anywhere you can take a peddle mountain bike. You can legally ride a non-motorized bicycle down the gated road where I hunt on USFS. You can’t use any motorized vehicles. I agree, there are places where you can ride it alongside mountain bikes. Not many of those places aren’t open to most motorized (50” or less).

Ohh but you can!

The way most laws are written, any Ebikes under a certain wattage are not considered "motorized"
In Oregon its 1000w with no throttle (pedal assist) , in Idaho is 500w with no throttle (pedal assist). On federal forest lands is 750w with no throttle (pedal assist) unless otherwise noted.

These are general rules, each city, county, state, blm, forest service, wilderness all have their own rules.

 

[Wyobohunter]

Ohh but you can!

The way most laws are written, any Ebikes under a certain wattage are not considered "motorized"
In Oregon its 1000w with no throttle (pedal assist) , in Idaho is 500w with no throttle (pedal assist). On federal forest lands is 750w with no throttle (pedal assist) unless otherwise noted.

These are general rules, each city, county, state, blm, forest service, wilderness all have their own rules.

Can you post some links or supply something for reference? Those are not the rules where I hunt. See above post with pics. I clarified with the local ranger district. Any motor = motorized.

 

[hunting1]

All mechanical devices are illegal in NM wilderness areas, so as long as they stay on FR and designated bike trails cool!

 

[Wyobohunter]

All mechanical devices are illegal in NM wilderness areas, so as long as they stay on FR and designated bike trails cool!

That is the case for all wilderness areas nationwide.

 

[JoeDirt]

Can you post some links or supply something for reference? Those are not the rules where I hunt. See above post with pics. I clarified with the local ranger district. Any motor = motorized.

Where do you hunt? Like i said everywhere is different I cannot post links to every situation.

 

[Wyobohunter]

Where do you hunt? Like i said everywhere is different I cannot post links to every situation.

Oh.., you know, right out there in the mountains.
I meant links/references to the USFS rules you were speaking of. Though I can understand the apprehension if it’d give away your honey hole. I redacted the pics I put up for that reason.

So we understand each other. I’m not a Luddite. I ride my motorcycle on USFS land. I just stick to where it’s legal. I even ride single track where allowed, though my 800cc “dirt bike” wears me out. After picking it up for the 3rd time I need a cookie and a nap

 

[JoeDirt]

BLM rules

Oh.., you know, right out there in the mountains.
I meant links/references to the USFS rules you were speaking of. Though I can understand the apprehension if it’d give away your honey hole. I redacted the pics I put up for that reason.

So we understand each other. I’m not a Luddite. I ride my motorcycle on USFS land. I just stick to where it’s legal. I even ride single track where allowed, though my 800cc “dirt bike” wears me out. After picking it up for the 3rd time I need a cookie and a nap

Its all good conversation!

Some of the nuances of ebikes ive learned:

Wilderness is usually "foot traffic only" (thats easy enough)

US forest service now has travel management plans this ebike language (ebikes could be excluded in some areas per TMP)

BLM is still the wild west.

Fish and wildlife departments (in my areas) consider an ebike to be and ATV so hunting off of one i need to follow the same rules and any ATV hunter.

State lands, its all different. As long as you can ride a mountain bike im good here in Oregon/Idaho

 

[xsn10s]

Personally I'd rather not see motorized vehicles or even bicycles out off trails. The only caveat would be for those who have mobility issues such as the"physical handicap". The reason being is I'm seeing wilderness areas being opened up to bike trails thus compromising hunting areas. And there isn't really a clear law seperating each activity into seasons. I see this creating some safety and "sharing" the land issues.

 

[Wyobohunter]

The only caveat would be for those who have mobility issues such as the"physical handicap". The reason being is I'm seeing wilderness areas being opened up to bike trails thus compromising hunting areas.

- There are specific provisions for mobility devices.

Law, Regulation and Policy
for Wheelchair/Mobility Device Use
in Federally Designated Wilderness
(1) IN GENERAL – Congress reaffirms that nothing in the Wilderness Act prohibits wheelchair use in a wilderness area by an individual whose disability requires its use. The Wilderness Act requires no agency to provide any form of special treatment or accommodation or to construct any facilities or modify any conditions of lands within a wilderness area to facilitate such use.
(2) Definition – for the purposes of paragraph (1), the term wheelchair means a device designed solely for use by a mobility impaired person for locomotion, that is suitable for use in an indoor pedestrian area.”

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd528866.pdf

- Bicycles are not allowed in any federally designated wilderness area.

Mountain Biking​

---

Stay on open forest roads​

Some roads could be closed temporarily or permanently to protect against further damage to wetland and aquatic resources and halt damage to soil, water and vegetation resources. The intent of road closures is to balance popular public use with the sustainability of natural resources.

• Closed roads will be posted. Not all bicycle trails are open to off-highway vehicle use. Go to your forest or grassland website for a map of bike trails.
• Wilderness areas are off-limits to all vehicles, including bicycles.

Mountain Biking | US Forest Service

Stay on open forest roads Some roads could be closed temporarily or permanently to protect against further damage to wetland and aquatic resources and halt damage to soil, water and vegetation resources. The intent of road closures is to balance popular public use with the sustainability of...

www.fs.usda.gov

 

[Kleos]

I hope they make a rule against them.

Hiking deep into the country is the only way I can get away from people and hunt, add E-bikes into the picture and now everyone's going to get to the spots that I use to get away from them. If you don't enjoy the suck of hiking miles in and out to get to the sweet spots, then you don't deserve them .

But I can appreciate aspects of e-bikes. It would be cool to cover 10x more ground, but then you got everyone else doing the same thing. I think the cons outweigh the pro's in my opinion.

 

[xsn10s]

You still see them out there. And there's a push in Central Oregon to create more mountain biking areas on public lands. I've seen them out off trail in the areas I used to hunt. In this current climate no one is out there to stop them.

 

[JoeDirt]

Owning an Ebike I agree that they need to stay "on trail"

Now that most state and federal governments have Ebike language and definitions we will start seeing more "on trail" regulation

 

[UpTop]

4- If electric motorcycles wouldn’t make it easier to access difficult to reach places why are you advocating for it?

Im advocating for it because I can see through the BS! I don’t even own one. And I’m not looking for an easier way. 99% of the places I hunt a horse or Ebike isn’t going to help. I’m just calling it like I see it. And you can save me the horses don’t make it easier POV. I’ve been around them my whole life. Horses absolutely make it easier. ALOT easier! How many outfitters are getting they’re giant camps back in without horses? None of them. That’s how many. If I had my choice between horse camps all over the backcountry vs a handful of guys on a 750w ebike I’ll take the silent ebikes every day. But yes, you are correct in your assessment that things are likely not changing anytime soon. But they should…

 

[UpTop]

They seem to be taking that to the extreme. Maybe a jumping horse coming down on one hoof with a shoe on and calculating the impact force across the surface area of the shoe.
But yes, horses trash trails, pastures, ect..

Yeah but I’m seeing the same extremism on the other end of the argument. Like there’s going to be an army of people paying thousands of dollars for a silent electric bike to get into the back country. It’s equally ridiculous.

 

[CoStick]

Yeah but I’m seeing the same extremism on the other end of the argument. Like there’s going to be an army of people paying thousands of dollars for a silent electric bike to get into the back country. It’s equally ridiculous.

They will just rent them.

 

[UpTop]

They will just rent them.

Yep, armies of ebikes getting everywhere you go! lol SURE!

 

[CoStick]

Yep, armies of ebikes getting everywhere you go! lol SURE!

I live in Colorado and ride basically year round. Yes, they will be everywhere. They are already everywhere in places currently legal and increasing in areas they are not allowed. Their sales increase was over 150% year over year, that was before the “green” rebates being offered I believe up to $1500 on a purchase. Plus people in mountain states don’t really blink at items that cost thousands.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

The whole horse thing is simple whataboutism and kind of funny. Electric motorcycle owners are sad that they don’t have free rein (pun intended) so are attacking user groups that do.

Go ahead and rail about it. At least it keeps you busy.

The people here proclaiming that E-bikes should be allowed wherever horses are don't understand the complex history and relationship of horses on our public landscape. To federal land managers and agencies, horses are considered a primitive form of "foot" travel and a dwindling aspect of Western heritage. This is why at times they can appear as a user group that is catered to by the Forest Service and BLM.

A fat guy on an e-bike has no historical context or western culture meaningfulness. Hate horses if you want, but E-bikes are a not a good comparison when discussing wilderness access.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Done

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