Designated walking trails?

[wdgold]

I know this issue has somewhat been addressed on another post dealing with atvs but there are so many posts there I wanted to make sure this post got maximum exposure. Our family has been hunting grouse in the same area since 1958 when my dad first hunted in an area in Pine county. I have watched this area over the years become overrun with ATV’s and other recreational vehicles. All the trails seem to have signs catering to these machines. All the trails we used to walk are now designated atv trails. Where are the trails designated strictly for walking and prohibiting these machines from entering, there is hardly an area up there that caters to the hunter who wants to walk instead of ride. Do I need to find other areas of the state that have designated walking trails that prohibit motorized machines, it just seems that this area where I hunt has been forgotten as far as the traditional grouse hunter is concerned. I realize ATV riders have just as much right as I do to be in the woods, I am just asking for an equal proportion of the trails strictly designated for foot traffic.

[glenn57]

we have that also up in itasca county, seems every little trail is marked as an atv trail even as short as .1 mile.

[SledNeck]

Lots of designated walking trails up here in Superior National Forest. Infact I was on 2 of em this morning!

[BobT]

I'm more inclined to believe the opposite is true, especially in MN where ATVs are not very welcome.

There's a walking trail that cuts right across my land now. It was once a railroad and is now the Lake Wobegon trail, which connects to the Central Lakes trail about 1-1/2 miles northwest of me. The two trails combined stretch from Fergus Falls to St. Cloud with the Soo Line branch extending north to past Holdingford. It seems everywhere you go there are trails marked "No Motorized Vehicles." I know you can find plenty north of Virginia.

[Riverratpete]

Same problem up in Crow Wing and southern Cass, seems a lobbyist from Polaris or Artic Cat or some other manufacturer got ahold of some of the local politicians and did some horse trading to get them trails all cut and signed up..kind of a pity actually..next thing you'll be seeing them golf cart looking things in the middle of nowhere...times thay are a changin. sad

[CRAZYEYES]

I think the best thing you can do is get a map of all the snowmobile trails. Most of the snowmobile trails do not allow atv's and most of them go a long ways so you can really get away from the crouds if you don't mind putting in the time going for a long hike. Also in the national forests there are a lot of trails that do not allow atv travel. No matter what the sighns say though a lot of 4 wheeler guys dont follow the rules and i see them in spots they are not supposed to be and lot of tracks going right around gates. I just about lost it on a guy that was on the arrowhead trail a couple weeks back even though the sighns are pretty clear that they are not supposed to be there. He tried to tell me that he knew the local game warden and that the game warden " don't care " that he is on the trail.

[wdgold]

I think the best thing you can do is get a map of all the snowmobile trails. Most of the snowmobile trails do not allow atv's and most of them go a long ways so you can really get away from the crouds if you don't mind putting in the time going for a long hike. Also in the national forests there are a lot of trails that do not allow atv travel. No matter what the sighns say though a lot of 4 wheeler guys dont follow the rules and i see them in spots they are not supposed to be and lot of tracks going right around gates. I just about lost it on a guy that was on the arrowhead trail a couple weeks back even though the sighns are pretty clear that they are not supposed to be there. He tried to tell me that he knew the local game warden and that the game warden " don't care " that he is on the trail.

These are the type of ATV idiots that give the rest of them a bad name.

[BucksnDucks]

Not sure exactly where in Crow or Cass your referring to, but from what ive observed in that area, there have been many more trails in the last few years even that have went to "non motorized travel welcome". Trails that used to welcome atvs are now off limits. Not to psss on ur parade, but if trails welcome atv's does anyone gripe when they almost wipe out a guy walking on a trail that is designated for the atvs??

[CRAZYEYES]

Not all atv guys are bad guys. I have some friends that are big atv guys and very respectful but they love to grouse hunt on their atv's and follow the sighns and the rules. I've tried it with them and I enjoy riding but i just prefer fair chase hunting. I just have seen a lot of poor behavior and lack of common courtesy which really rubs me wrong. As for someone wiping out a walker on a trail that welcomes atv's just remember that its just like any street, pedestrians always have the right of way.

[matthothand]

There are plenty of trails for walking only. It's a bummer for you but things change. Especially since 1958.

[SledNeck]

I think the best thing you can do is get a map of all the snowmobile trails. Most of the snowmobile trails do not allow atv's and most of them go a long ways so you can really get away from the crouds if you don't mind putting in the time going for a long hike. Also in the national forests there are a lot of trails that do not allow atv travel. No matter what the sighns say though a lot of 4 wheeler guys dont follow the rules and i see them in spots they are not supposed to be and lot of tracks going right around gates. I just about lost it on a guy that was on the arrowhead trail a couple weeks back even though the sighns are pretty clear that they are not supposed to be there. He tried to tell me that he knew the local game warden and that the game warden " don't care " that he is on the trail.

Yeah, the snowmobile trails say no ATVS. But LOGGING TRUCKS and atvs still drive down them all day long. The rule of no atvs on the sled trails around here is not enforced at all. The snowmobile club even drives ATVS on the trails in summer when doing trail work.

[fishroger]

The DNR now has on their HSOforum, hunting walking trails and there is quite a few of them in the northern tier of the state. GO to site and click on recreation and then hunting. You should see hunting trails, click that. You can get the trail on google earth and actually see the terrain.

[Riverratpete]

Unfortunately I see this as an issue that no one is going to probably agree on, there will always be the morons that don't follow the rules or don't care, etc etc and there will always be the purist that want the pristine Disney/marketing wildlife experience. Times they are a changing.....I quess.

[BucksnDucks]

As for someone wiping out a walker on a trail that welcomes atv's just remember that its just like any street, pedestrians always have the right of way.

Isnt that why tho atv's are not allowed on streets? I hope to god they dont start grouping atv travel along with cars and trucks that travel on streets! Last I checked you werent allowed to walk down a street with a shotgun in your hands!!

[SledNeck]

you can walk down the streets with a shotgun here. Have done it many times. Even waved to cops as they drove by.

[kobear]

The trails I'm walking have less ATV trespass than last year. Of course DNR did have loggers pile slash over most of the trails every 100 yards or so. I assume they will be working their way around the state forest trails plugging up the walking only ones.

The loggers pull that slash out in minutes when they want in to log over winter and put it back after.

[BucksnDucks]

you can walk down the streets with a shotgun here. Have done it many times. Even waved to cops as they drove by.

Lol I guess the wild west is spreading towards the east! Either way cool in my book, now if only the police seen it that way around here!