# Dirt bikes on state land



## Getaway (Jan 17, 2001)

I'm not much into ATV's so I'll apologize in advance for my ignorance. I hunt a little piece of state land that is about 400 yards wide and 1/2 mile deep surrounded by private property. There is a two track that goes up the middle of the property with a turn around at the end. Last Saturday, I got in my stand, expecting another nice evening of hunting when all of the sudden the forest erupted with sounds of mulitple dirt bikes and 4 wheelers.

These guys were using the trail as a drag strip, the turn around as a circle track and they were off the trails and climbing nearby hills. This completely ruined the hunt that night and quite frankly I was extremely ticked !

My question, is this activity legal? I know for a fact that the road is not a designated ORV trail. 

Thanks in advance,
Bob


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

> I know for a fact that the road is not a designated ORV trail


Then it is not legal if it's in the LP.


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## RIP (Jun 4, 2002)

If you knew for a fact that it was legal would you still have been ticked? Honest answer appreciated.


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## Getaway (Jan 17, 2001)

ticked......yup. But, not AS ticked.


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## ArrowHawk (Apr 1, 2003)

You would have no reason to be ticked if it were legal. It would be your fault for sitting there.
But it is ilegal down here for any motorized machine to be on state land.
I have the same problem and have done everything I can, except the three S's and I just cannot do that.

So move your stand somewhere else if the DNR won't do anything.
They usally don't.


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## Bucktail Butch (Jan 5, 2003)

> So move your stand somewhere else if the DNR won't do anything.
> They usally don't. [/B]


They can't, if you don't call them and calling them doesn't guarantee automatic results; in most cases a misdemeaner must be observed by the investigating officer. The RAP Hotline is 1-800-292-7800. And remember, our CO's are stretched pretty thin (and they need time off, too) and yours may not be the only complaint they have to work. The department may not be perfect but they are the best we have and, believe it or not, they're on our side. Lighten up. Slammin' them don't help!!!

There are 83 counties in Michigan, and just for the sake of argument...excuse me, discussion...there is an average of three CO's per county (I'm being generous, it's less than that), 83x3= 249 field CO's to patrol and enforce the laws of this state. We currently have 6109 members on this site. That works out to one CO for every 24.5 of us. But , wait a minute, there are a lot more sportspeople out there than our members (who, I like to think, are pretty much a law abiding bunch) and a lot of those others don't have the ethics and respect for the law and our resources that we do. Our CO's have much more work than they have time for and they do a damn fine job, whether you agree or not. 

I'm not trying to start a pi$$ing match over this, but I was a VCO for seven years and I know first-hand what these guys and ladies are faced with. If you ever think you have a thankless job, you should try doing theirs.

Now I'm done venting !!!! Thanks,
Butch


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## predatordave (Feb 24, 2003)

just an idea here but what you can do to help the officer maybe is take an instant or digital camera and take a picture of them riding along the trails and take a cell phone and report them and take their picture. hopefully it would be enough to get some tickets handed out.

later, dave


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## ArrowHawk (Apr 1, 2003)

Bucktail Butch sorry I should have used the word "cannot" instead of "don't".

I'm alittle bitter to this subject of illegal acts going on on state land. I know the DNR have there hands full but it just pi$$es me off because I have done what I can and ***** still goes on at least on the state lands I have hunted. I have found out though no matter what area of state lands you hunt you still have the same problems.

I wish there was more that the average hunter could do legally to help out these problems.


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## Getaway (Jan 17, 2001)

Arrowhawk-




> So move your stand somewhere else if the DNR won't do anything.





> I have found out though no matter what area of state lands you hunt you still have the same problems.


Don't rag on me and then contridict yourself. You and I have both been through this crap. I chose this little area to get away from the masses of hunters and atv riders. For the past 3 years, I have had no problems and I think this was an isolated incident.




> But it is ilegal down here for any motorized machine to be on state land.


If this is true, then I am at fault for parking my truck off the fire trail. I pull about 50 ft off the main road and into a little clear spot next to the fire trail. I thought about calling the DNR, but first of all, I'm sure they have plenty to deal with already, and I needed to do some research on this subject first.

So, am I illegal for parking next to the fire trail?


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## trout (Jan 17, 2000)

Make the call the DNR will go out and check it out.
They caught 6 people near me last year and guess what? They were all from complaints.
Make the call then you have a chance at protecting your resources.


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## ArrowHawk (Apr 1, 2003)

Bucktail Butch how is saying sorry ragging on you, please explain.

Also how is telling him to move his stand being contridicting?
He may find a spot without the problems.


Anyways sorry for ragging on you by saying I was sorry


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## rb1 (Jun 24, 2002)

I didn't know we had 3 co's per county! Boy thats more than I throught we had I just considered just having one was good.RB1


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

We don't. I have 9 counties in my District. At this time I have 4 counties with two CO's and 5 counties with just one CO. I have one sergeant for each three counties. By the first of the year one of my two man counties will likely be reduced further to one CO in that county and it possible that by the end of the November one of my one man counties may have no CO's. Tack on furlough days that CO's will be required to take, they will be out there less. It's impossible for us (CO's) to have 24/7 coverage, heck it's impossible to have 8 hours 7 days a week coverage statewide.

Other staements in this thread I will not comment.


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## rb1 (Jun 24, 2002)

Thank you Ray for setting things straight; but I didn't know it was quite that bad. I think its about time people started calling the sheriff or the state police to take care of some problems.
I believe they have the right to enforce DNR laws because they are STATE of Michigan laws. If they did it would sure take a lot of the load off the CO's. RB1


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## Bucktail Butch (Jan 5, 2003)

Arrowhawk,
Please check again, it wasn't me that accused you of "ragging" on anyone. It also wasn't me that made any statements regarding moving the stand. 


rb1 and boehr
I know that the average is much below three CO's per county (I only know for sure of one county with three, most with only two, one or none). I was being generous while trying to show how thinly the officers are stretched. I guess I should have indicated that in my post. The fact remains, they do a hell of a job, all things considered and I, for one, am grateful.

Leonard "Bucktail Butch" Thompson


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## ArrowHawk (Apr 1, 2003)

Truely sorry Bucktail Butch I copy and pasted the wrong name.
Your name must have still been on my copy from the last post.

Still would like to know what I said wrong to Getaway to indicate I was ragging on him, whatever it was it wasn't meant to be that way. Just trying to get the DNR out there for the vechicals on state land is hard, they have bigger problems then that. So I was just saying try moving your stand away from their area of riding.


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