Stories from Responsible Riders and Backcountry UsersJoin others from across the country and post your story today! "My wife and I are avid ATV riders. We try to get out as much as we can to enjoy the trails and the great outdoors. During our rides (almost 3,000 miles) we have encountered many responsible riders. They pull over for others, keep it slow, enjoy the wildlife, and practice good safe ethics. We have also encountered the renegades. A large amount of them are riding high performance race machines. These machines belong on controlled tracks and trails where competition is allowed - not in the mountains. Many blame the youth for tearing up our country. I blame the adults who are just as bad as their kids. They drive under the influence and fail to teach their children courtesy and trail ethics. I have seen ponds, marshes and hills torn up by these riders. I agree with those who want to make it a law that a ATV rider should have a license along with a certificate of completion in a "Tread Lightly" course. I also strongly believe that good ethical riders should police their riding areas and take a strong active position on turning riders in to the authorities. We have to take action or suffer the plight of the dinosaur: "EXTINCTION."
- Mark B., Butte, MT
 "From my observation and participation on the trails and having ridden over 2000 miles on various trails in the last 2 years, it is obvious that..."tread lightly" is not being followed by some of the ATV riders and hardley ANY OF THE "DIRT BIKE" groups. The responsible riding is totaly ignored and it is infecting the environment and trails as well as public opinion of the riders.. Industry advertising is also contributing to the image. Just watch some of the ATV and Dirt bike ads and see what they show: NOT TREADING LIGHTLY... at all. I do not have a solution, only that if this sport don't clean up their act, we'll all loose out."
- Jerry C., Beavercreek, OH
 "I was working in the woods during a rifle elk season. Two guys came by on ATVs and passed barely 10 yards from me. I had just came out of a stand of trees and was out in the wide open with an orange vest and white hardhat. I waved but neither of them saw me. I later saw them in camp and stopped to say hello. They went on a rant about how there were no elk in the area, and blamed it on cougars. The truth is, I saw several groups of elk that day about a half mile off the road. These guys could not see a full grown man wearing orange in the wide open, so how could they possibly see an elk? I laughed, but it really is a sad testament to the kinds of "hunters" that are in the woods these days."
- Mark P., La Grande, OR
"My 1st hunting trip upon my retirement from the Navy after 29 years in Montana in 2006. I had been looking forward to this for years needless to say. I obtained my license and permission slip to hunt Elk on the Bair Ranch east of Checkerboard. I left camp at 0330 and drove to a parking spot and walked back approximately 5 miles and set myself up. 10 minutes prior to legal shooting time 4 hunters on ATVs started driving through the woods following the game trail I had just traversed. I watched for an hour with disgust as these "hunters" drove aimlessly through the woods hollering at each other over the roar of their engines commenting on the absence of any game. The absent game [4 bulls and 7 cows] had hightailed it over the top at the 1st sound of their engines. Knowing my chances of a shot in this area was doomed I left my spot and walked back down the trail after 5 minutes one of them finally spotted me and drove up to ask if I had seen any "sign." I looked at this "Hunter" and told him to look at the ground, there's signs all over trodden over by him and his partners' tracks. I ran into this same bunch every day doing the same thing for a week trying to get a shot from the back of their ATVs. They had no concept of walking in to a spot as this was how they "were taught" to hunt from their fathers. It's sad to see but Hunting is a lost art form in Montana, if the "hunters can't get a shot from their 4x4 or ATV they are not going to get one. ATV's should be banned except for possibly the post harvesting of game and for the handicaped. Otherwise shanksmare is the only acceptable form of hunting transportation.
- Michael K., Billings, MT  "Quite a bit during the summer I camp in the Red Feathers Lake area just north of Fort Collins, CO. I continually hear campers, and more so, off-roaders complain that gates are closed later in the summer. It seems that more often than not, this specific group of off-roaders riding their ATVs, Quads and dirt bikes are the ones I see tearing up the landscape. I too, am an off roader, however, my wife and I own a Jeep and use it predominantly for exploration of ghost towns. We don't tear up the landscape because we enjoy seeing these ghost towns, the trails that lead to them and the beautiful Colorado scenery. I am usually scoffed at when I preach to other off-roaders about saving the land. It is a pity they are so ignorant. "
- Peter K., Loveland, CO
"Several years ago and buddy of mine and I were hunting the Desolation Wilderness area, archery hunting for elk. We walked in about 2 miles below our camp off the main road. We got a bull to answer our calls and proceeded to move in on him. After about 5 minutes of calling he shut up. Needless to say we were suprised because he was fired up big time. Shortly after, we heard what we thought may have been an ATV. We thought, "no way". Sure enough, he/she (?) road right past us on an old narrow skid road/trail. We were disgusted to say the least. We walked the trail out and saw where someone had been clearing a trail off the main road a ways. Anyway, we stopped hunting shortly after that experience."
- Joel E., Umatilla County, OR "I am the President of our local four wheel drive club Continental 4 Wheel Drive Association and Vice President of Montana 4X4 Assosiation and a member of the Volunteer Trail Patrol United Four Wheel Drive Association. The only solution to the ongoing problem is for us to police our fellow riders. Being a Volunteer Trail Patrolman you have the power to report trail violaters by taking down their discription,and license number. I have only had to do so on one instance and it was in city limits. It was an out of state four wheel drive truck that had gotten stuck attempting to cut acrossed a swampy field. The swampy feild just happened to be in between the Greenway Walking Trail and an elderly widow's house. The woman's deceased husband was an avid jeeper and had owned a 4 wheel drive shop in town for years. Having mud thrown all over the road in front of her house made me extreemly angry. I stopped my CJ7 Jeep, jumped out and asked what the hell he thought he was doing four wheeling in town on private property. He took a step back away from me, gave me a dumb look and said I don't know. My face must have been red and the veins in my neck popping out because he turned and ran to his buddies rig that was parked up on the road. This was not someone that had slid of the road by accident, if that were the case I would have pulled him out myself. He intentionally thought it was just fine to go offroading in this area. I called the Sheriff and had the vehicle towed off and put in inpound. If this is how this guy acts in town just imagine how he drives in our back country. NO, I for one will not permit this sort of behavier on my watch."
- Don A., Butte, MT "I think all off road vehicles should be banned. I am 80 (today!) and sincerely believe that if you can't walk it... don't do it! We have to be vigilant about this invasion of lazy people... NO excuses."
- Barbara F., Littleton, CO
 "I ride motorcycles and do my best not to bother others or their property. I only ride on the hard surface these days, due to age. I do feel however feel that riders have a right to ride on public land just as hikers and campers have the right to use it. Everyone should respect the land. Bikes do cause some damage and that can not be helped. That is the nature of the beast. However they still have a perfect right to use the land."
- Bill C., Johnson City, TN
"I do a lot of hiking on the rural BLM lands adjacent to my home. A few years ago, I became alarmed when I began seeing OHV riders with brush-cutting tools and chainsaws strapped onto their motorcycles as they passed by me on my hikes. I became suspicious, and soon I discovered that several local riders were systematically creating a huge network of illegal trails on BLM lands, cutting all the trees and brush that barred their way. I then personally showed a BLM Enforcement Officer on-site evidence of several of these trails; but two years later, no action has been taken to close these trails, or to catch the perpetrators. The BLM claims that budgetary restrictions keep them from tracking all the damage being caused by OHV riders, so enforcement on the lands administered by them is currently not taking place at all in this part of Southern Oregon. Meanwhile, these user-created trails continue to multiply."
- Rhonda H., Selma, OR "I spend a considerable amount of time hiking and hunting on state and national forest lands in and around central Oregon. On numerous occassions, particularly around major Holiday weekends such as the 4th of July and Labor day, I encounter ATV's riding off approved roads. Some times they are miles away from the nearest road randomly riding through the forest. Its fairly common to find the tracks and trails they've left behind. Three times over the last two years I have reported specific instances to the local BLM and forest service office. I asked for follow-up and volunteered my time and materials to post signs, install gates, etc. No one from either office has ever followed up or returned my calls when I left messages. As someone who likes the quiet and solitude of the outdoors, I believe irresponsible ATV off-road use is seriously jeopardizing this experience as well as having a negative impact on the wildlife and plant life in these areas."
- Ron P., Prineville, OR  "My family and I are responsible riders and fear we are losing our rights because of reckless riders. We want to do what we can to protect the lands.. "
- Christa R., Gallup, NM
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