Written by: Jim
Slinsky
For as long as man has hunted he has sought ways to
be more efficient. Hunting is a physically demanding
activity. So much so that studies reveal that after 55
years of age participation begins to decline. Over the
centuries hunters have incorporated the help of dogs,
horses, mules, donkeys, wagons, carts, bush-beaters and
anything or anyone willing to help find game and get it out
after it is down. This is human nature at work.
Consequently, it should come as no surprise that
ATV’s have become increasingly popular with hunters across
this great nation. There is a clamoring for places to ride
and a demand to utilize them on state and federal land. You
can probably tell me a horror story about a personal
experience with an ATV that has turned you sour. You must
be careful when painting with a broad brush. There are more
than a few horror stories about the use of firearms that can
come right back at us.
With one of my two children still in college, I
do not own an ATV. No ATV manufacturer advertises with my
radio program. I have nothing to gain from speaking frankly
about ATV’s. I have used them many times on hunts. ATV’s
are an invaluable hunting tool. With the continuous closure
of vehicle access roads and the creation of large blocks of
unbroken land by state and federal agencies, ATV’s are
becoming a necessity as a method of getting “back in” and
getting game out.
To approach this fairly, you must understand
there are two types of ATV’s. First, there are the sport
vehicles. These are usually 300cc or smaller and
two-wheel drive. Kids buy these and rip around doing jumps
and give all ATV’s a negative image when they wander on
state or private land. Next, there are utility vehicles,
usually 350cc and up with four-wheel drive. These are used
around farms for work, plow snow, put in food plots for deer
and are incredibly “hunter friendly” in big, rough terrain.
It is the latter that I support as a legitimate hunting
tool. Use an ATV once on a hunting trip and you will be
hooked for life.
Economically, ATV’s are a financial windfall for
any state. Not only do you pay sales tax when you buy one,
you pay fuel tax as you use it. Furthermore, those weekend
trips to go riding and scouting generate almost as much
revenue as hunting. Put ATV’s together with hunters and you
have a financial boom for our small mountain hamlets that
are currently starving to death because of the lack of
deer. For the current administration to say they want
tourism and do nothing to support ATV usage is an
absurdity. We have already established that if elk are
supposed to be the northcentral’s salvation, those rural
hamlets are destined to become ghost towns.
So who is fighting the use and spread of ATV’s
as a hunting and tourism tool in our great Commonwealth?
It’s simple, the environmentalists within DCNR and the PGC
law enforcement culture.
PGC’s law enforcement knows ATV’s will make
catching violators more difficult. In a flash a game
violator can be back at his truck and on his way home before
they even arrive at the scene. The PGC may even have to buy
ATV’s to effectively patrol areas, which takes them out of
their warm vehicles in the dead of winter. Don’t buy that
soil erosion excuse. It is easily overcome.
However, the core government hatred for ATV’s
originates within DCNR. Unfortunately, DCNR has fostered an
incestuous relationship with special interests, the
conservancies and environmental groups. Those who flip land
to the DCNR want those lands maintained in the idealistic
“pristine state”. The thought of an ATV trail traversing
the land and humans using the land is heresy in the
environmentalist’s mind. Environmentalists want to collect
land and block human access, not facilitate usage. Frankly,
DCNR has lost sight of its true mission and we need
legislative hearings to get them back on track. State
Forest Lands are multi-use lands and we need to make certain
DCNR gets that message.
DCNR has complained that hunters aren’t killing
enough deer. We are being criticized for not getting back
far enough. The solution is simple. Cut ATV trails into
our largest tracks and let hunters go back.
Actually, the entire ATV debate is silly. It is
the 21st century and many things have changed.
Hunting has not. Hunters still seek help to get back in and
get game out.
ATV’s are merely our
modern-day horse with an engine.
Jim
Slinsky is the host and producer of the “Sportsman’s
Connection”, a nationally syndicated, outdoor-talk radio
program. For a station near you or to contact Jim, visit
his website at
www.outdoortalknetwork.com
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