Hunting With OHVs: Do You Know the Rules?

By Jennifer Jackson - Idaho Department of Fish and Game This is the time of year when any given day greets hunters with cool crisp mornings, landscapes dotted with changing colors, and opportunities to pursue a variety of game. With some big game hunts already under way and general deer season just around the corner, now is a good time to remind hunters what the rules are for hunting with off-highway vehicles and why these rules are in place. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission adopted rules regulating the use of motorized vehicles by hunters in some big game units throughout the state, most recently adding units 66A and 76, the Diamond Creek Zone. The rules are in response to concerns expressed by many hunters. Even the recent mule deer hunter survey completed in 2007 indicated that most hunters, including those who use OHVs, are concerned about how the use of off-road vehicles can disrupt hunts and disturb hunters. Other concerns include maintaining the "fair chase" ethic of hunting. Besides the social aspect to the OHV rule, there is the biological component. For Fish and Game wildlife managers, the increase in the vulnerability of game that hunters introduce when they use off-highway vehicles, including full-sized four-wheel drives, is of particular concern. The reality is that with the advent of OHV recreation, especially as an aid to hunting, hunters can quickly and easily reach areas that they once could reach only by foot or horseback. New technology, in the form of modern OHVs, has made remote havens for wildlife more rare and access to these areas quicker, easier and more frequent. The result is a dramatic change in the hunting experience for all hunters and increased vulnerability of deer and elk to hunters. Researchers at eastern Oregon's U.S. Forest Service/Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Starkey Research Project studied the effects of removing big game security cover from a large area and then opening the area to motorized access. That research found that hunter success increased from 22 percent before timber removal to 35 percent success following timber removal, to 54 percent success after opening the area to motorized hunters. The quick, easy access and increased effectiveness that OHVs provide motorized hunters has resulted in a sharp decline in general hunter satisfaction with the hunting experience and with declining numbers of mule deer bucks. Because of these conflicts between OHV assisted hunting, hunter satisfaction, and the desire of hunters to maintain hunting opportunity, the OHV hunting rule has become an important tool to manage this hunting quality and satisfaction challenge. Make no mistake; this commission rule regarding the use of OHVs as an aid to hunting is not an "ATV regulation." It is a hunting regulation - no different than the hunting regulations that restrict the amount of let-off on a bow, that permit the use of certain weaponry in a particular hunt, or that set the length of a season. Does that mean owners of OHVs have to leave them parked at home when they go hunting? Absolutely not. Remember, Fish and Game restricts the use of OHVs as an aid to hunting in only some of Idaho's units. So hunters in a unit that does not have these restrictions just have to follow the travel rules of the land manager of that area, whether it be a private landowner or an agency such as the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service. If the hunt unit does have restrictions on the use of an OHV as an aid to hunting, hunters may be asking: "What does that mean?" In a nutshell, it means the hunter and the OHV can go where full-sized vehicles are legally allowed, but they can't go on any off-road trails as an aid to hunting efforts. Using a motorized vehicle to travel off-road to and from hunting spots, to transport hunters or hunting equipment, or to hunt are some examples of aids to hunting. However, hunters may be surprised to find that there are exceptions to the OHV rule. An OHV may be used to pack in and pack out a camp, retrieve a downed animal if allowed by the land manager travel rules (no cross-country travel), or even used in the act of hunting if the operator is a holder of a valid Handicapped Persons Motor Vehicle Hunting Permit. Just be sure that the trails are actually open to travel. To be sure, check with land management agency travel plans. Pay attention to trail signs and printed travel maps available from the Forest Service or BLM. Never take an OHV on a closed trail or pioneer new trails. Another exception to the motorized vehicle restriction rule is the use of an OHV on private property. It is allowed, even as an aid to hunting, with permission from the landowner. Hunters are allowed to transport weapons on their OHVs while conducting legal activities, such as carrying camping gear in and out, or retrieving a downed game animal. For a complete description of Fish and Game's motorized vehicle rules as well as answers to frequently asked questions, please pick up the latest version of the Motorized Vehicle Rules for Hunters brochure at any Fish and Game Office. This information is also on Fish and Game's Website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/atv/. Have a safe and happy hunting season. Jennifer Jackson is the regional conservation educator for the Southeast Region.