Grouse Hunting from ATVs

[DanH]

A common theme from the walking hunter is that the ATV’s change their experience in the woods. No ATV riders have said that a walking hunter changes their ATV riding/hunting experience.

The impact of the ATV hunter on a walking hunter is greater than the impact that the walking hunter has on the ATV hunter. That’s the difference. It's not a condemnation or a criticism. It's just the way it is.

Quite woods are getting a little smaller and further away each passing decade. The ATV is simply a contributing factor to the shrinking of the quiet woods.

[sportfishgl]

Well said sportfishgl! Too many people see things in black and white and don't realize the many shades of gray when if comes to the outdoors.

Actually, Bear it is grEy not grAy. A true linguist would use the proper spelling.....

Just kidding, of course but it does illustrate how insane petty argurments can become! I actually know a few folks who, in their heart-of hearts would believe they are better for spelling Grey with a "e"! Keep those egos in check, and we will all be better off.

As an avid great lakes fisherman for the last 20+ years, I can say that we are lucky ATV'er and Walkers dont carry VHF radios and loud-hailers! Some really obnoxious stuff goes on when you have 200 boats covering 1 square mile of water trolling in the dark! This is actually a pretty civil debate compared to the foolishness that occurs on Lake Michigan at 3:30am!

[Bear55]

Thanks for the tip sportfishgl, a linguist I am not! In fact without spell checker I would have been thrown out of college.

[sportfishgl]

A common theme from the walking hunter is that the ATV’s change their experience in the woods. No ATV riders have said that a walking hunter changes their ATV riding/hunting experience.

The impact of the ATV hunter on a walking hunter is greater than the impact that the walking hunter has on the ATV hunter. That’s the difference. It's not a condemnation or a criticism. It's just the way it is.

Quite woods are getting a little smaller and further away each passing decade. The ATV is simply a contributing factor to the shrinking of the quiet woods.

Dan,

I really have no dog in this hunt (pardon the pun), but if I may play Devil's advocate; I think the ATV'er would reply that actively persuing the closing of trails, and lumping even responsible users together with irresponsible users- does indeed affect their experience.

I personaly would robustly support some "quiet woods" areas, possibly opening something similar to a mini-BWCA within some of the larger public lands.

I have supported X-ctry ski trails as well as my beloved snowmobile trails. It is important to support all users, and keep distinct groups seperate. I do understand that the skier dosent want to hear the scream of a snomobile as much as the snowmobiler dosent want to come up on a group of skiers filling the trail around a blind corner.

It is also true, that as a user group, you have a responsibility as a steward. ATV groups should, and I am sure many do, maintain the trails they are given. When I have gone Jeep riding on public lands out west, they have huge jamborees where users and clubs gather to repair, clean and upgrade the trails. We routinely run across hikers using these trails and give them wide berth. When we have talked to the hikers they usally thank the guys for fixing some bridge, or keeping it clean etc. proving these two diverse user groups can get along!

You final comment is the most telling. We ALL lament the shrinking outdoors, quiet user or not. That is why it is so important to secure public lands, and then work together to make them work for each other. With the states hard up for $ it is real easy to sell public lands. If we are constantly bickering to the DNR about different users, they may decide to sell, or close off an area entirely. Believe me, for every Walking hunter that wants to close down an ATV trail, there are 3 anti-hunters that want the whole thing shut down!

[BobT]

Quote:

Actually, Bear it is grEy not grAy. A true linguist would use the proper spelling.....

Sorry, had to bite.

According to Merriam-Webster

GrAy is the appropriate spelling whereas GrEy is a variant of Gray.

In other words, either spelling is acceptable.

[sportfishgl]

Quote:

Actually, Bear it is grEy not grAy. A true linguist would use the proper spelling.....

Sorry, had to bite.

According to Merriam-Webster

GrAy is the appropriate spelling whereas GrEy is a variant of Gray.

In other words, either spelling is acceptable.

Merriam-Webster? That is a 'redneck' dictonary. My English Prof. at Cambridge says grEy!

Good catch! BobT. It does add some colour to the argument though, you must agree!

[Bear55]

So does that mean I am a "road" scholar?

[BobT]

So where does one go for the "official" judgement?

Here's what I found at Cambridge dictionaries online.

Quote:

gray was found in the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary at the entries listed below.

•gray adjective

•gray adjective, at grey (adjective) COLOUR

•gray adjective, at grey (adjective) BORING

•gray noun, at grey (noun)

•the gray dollar noun, at the grey pound (noun)

Quote:

grey was found in the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary at the entries listed below.

•grey adjective COLOUR

•grey adjective BORING

•grey noun

•dove-grey adjective

•grey area noun

•grey eminence noun

•grey matter noun

•the grey pound noun

•grey water noun

•gunmetal grey adjective

•steel grey adjective/noun

•grey eminence noun, at éminence grise (noun)

•shades of grey

I'll let you draw your own conclusions. Remember, professors are just people too.

[sportfishgl]

Bear,

If you are for "Road" hunting, then yes.

If you are like me, and can drop an anchor with great skill then you are a "Rode" scholar.

I will let you make your own pun for that which defines a "Rhode(s)" scholar, Post Clinton.

BobT,

I will leave it up to you to look up Erin Gray/Grey and find out the final answer on this. Google "Buck Rogers 70's series" You should find her there!

[BobT]

This isn't important enough to waste any more of my time.

[Chef]

It is a great way to segue away from the original topic, however.

[sportfishgl]

I agreee, we should move on!

Good Luck if you all get out this weekend!

[Bear55]

Back on topic, I really hate those guys who walk down trails! I have to slow down my big ATV before I buzz right by them to shoot all the grouse futher down the trail. Their dogs [PoorWordUsage] all over and it gets on my tires. Worst of all they pick up all my beer cans so I can't find my way home at the end of the day.

Just having some fun, totally kidding guys.

[Musky Buck]

Sorry but a little salt in my wound on ATV use is really from deer season and how they had certain hours they could be used and very few around where I deer hunted abided by the time frame. Meaning once you've had bad experiences with something it's hard to get on board for anyone with any issue. My grouse/atv beef is when you park your truck at an entrance, sure the ATV's don't know how long you've been there but you get back a half mile or further and then get overtaken by them coming up the trail you basically just started walking, like the guy in the article stated your hunt is ruined, the last thing I want to hear is a motorized machine way the heck back in grouse alley, yes I have an ATV and I won't ever hunt from it or use it to drag out deer, but my grouse days are over, it's not worth the drive to possibly have that happen again and I'm pretty much a weekend warrior so it's done. Good luck hunting and enjoy those little tasty stinky to clean chickens. I'm not mad a bit, it's just done.

[muc33]

Guys, thank you for keeping this topic civil, yet debatable for so long. I appreciate your input and I must say it has been quite a read, and we all have our opinions and I think we all got to say them. I am going to now take the liberty to lock this thread and leave it here for the read. I think it has been well discussed and all angles have been spoken, as we had some fun at the end and now we will lay this to rest.

Again, thank you for staying civil, that is how it is supposed to work!!!

On another note, sportfishgl, welcome to FM and thank you for a little humor to end the subject! Keep posting, I have a feeling I could enjoy your input!

Safe huntin crew!

Chad