The SCOURGE of Off-Roading - This is Why Land and Trails Get Closed

[wayoflife]

Sucks to here about the trespassers, people in general have little disregard for other peoples property, I have had several run ins with people that felt they had the right to hunt on our property with out asking(we have good fences and a lot of no trespassing signs). A few years back I found a fairly expensive treestand on my place. I took it down and cut it up into many small pieces and left it in a pile with a note to call me, I never received a call.

Ive owned SxS's for years do the farm and hunting places we have, in the past year since we have started offroading our jeeps I am shocked at how little respect most of those guys have.

Sucks that you have to deal with that. It's gotta be tough in Texas being that everything is owned and there are always going to be guys who want access anyway. Out here, there are TONS of wide open public land and right next to me. I just want people to stay there.

My neighbors actually got some SxS's a couple years ago and talked about how awesome they were. They tried convincing me that I should sell the jeep and get one. Now one of them is thinking about selling his rzr and getting another jeep . Maybe the fad will calm down before all the trails are closed.

LOL - one can hope.

Eddie, I would buy some inexpensive trail cams and hide them around your property. These guys or others like them will continue to trespass. At least they do around here. Deer hunters love to sneak in on the back side of my place every year. They all suffer from extremely blurry vision when it comes to property lines. When I spot a hidden vehicle or a neighbor calls and reports them, I always confront them and always armed. Many neighbor farmers are prosecuting. I've been told first offense is $350.00 plus court cost.
And.... the bad part is, if they would come to me and ask, there would be a good chance I would give them permission. You have to be clear even then because I've had one guy get permission then that turns into him and three friends.

A trail cam is definitely on my to do list.

 

[wayoflife]

Game cameras are an excellent idea.

If nothing else you might get a photo of a Yeti!

LOL - and that would be worth it alone.

That is so frustrating but I have to say I'm not surprised. Though I know a few with SXS that are good people, I have to say the majority are extremely rude with little to no trail etiquette. And I think you nailed it, anyone with a credit card and go buy one.

Yup, I know of good people who run SXS. Can't say they're all bad. But as mentioned, every time I see guys ripping up the landscape just because it looks fun or going way off trail just so that they can get past a group of rigs, it's always a douchebag in an SXS.

 

[Mike Pierson]

Trail Cams: my niece’s husband has a few trail cams that have the ability to send the pics via cellular. If your interested I can get the make and model for you.

 

[DZRTJP]

Amazing how some of these people get it in their heads they can go anywhere they want. And insisting land they're crossing is public Never makes them right. I've seen pieces of trails & whole trails in kali, Nevada, & Arizona closed off because off these people. Some were due to 4 wheelers abuse, but most have been due to these ATVs and side by sides. Idiots seem to come in all forms & even the guy trying to smooth things over showed his ignorance while talking with you.
I've been caught in situations similar to you & others Eddie, politeness & respect go a long ways, even with someone initially pissed off at you.

 

[-AINOKEA-]

Wow that sucks…

some places here require going through ranch gates to reach the destination. Fortunately the ranchers are okay with it, as long as you close gates behind you or whatever they have posted. However, if they suddenly had enough of it or sold the propriety and posted a “private property” or “no trespassing” sign, I’d turn around and head back out. Just because you’ve been going somewhere for years doesn’t make it your road.

Shortly after I bought my JK, I took a trip up to Mana Road, which is an old ranch road that is public access and now owned by the county. It’s one of the few places without any restrictions on vehicle types and speed. Anyway, a couple of UTVs pulled up behind us so I pulled off to the side and let them pass. As soon as he got right next to me, he floored it and peppered my brand new JKU with rocks, chipping paint all over the cowl and hood. I was beyond pissed and hoped I would catch up to them at a mud pit they usually hand out at. Lucky for them, they weren’t there. F those guys. End rant.

 

[GP NOIR]

Growing up, we spent may weekends camping in the Mojave Desert. One of our favorite trails was going up to McIver Cabin, which we did many times in Dad's old 48 Willys. When I started taking my sons up there in our XJ in the 90s, it'd been adopted by one of the 4x4 clubs from (if I recall) the Ojai area. They kept The Cabin (as we always called it) in good repair and installed a one holer outhouse. The trail to The Cabin Was moderately difficult, but doable in a stock solid axle Jeep.

I left California in 2001 and hadn't been back to the cabin for quite awhile. About three years ago, I attended Robinson School in California and during the weekend, a friend and I went up to The Cabin in my XJ. The trail had changed. Instead of being a neat 4x4 trail meandering through the trees, it had been take over by the SxS crowd and the turns were "bowled out" with high banks. When we got to The Cabin, it was in a sad state of disrepair and the outhouse was gone. It seems that sometime in the intervening years, the 4x4 club stopped sponsoring McIver's Cabin.

The SxS crowd that zoomed around us were there and the looks they gave us when we arrived made it clear we weren't welcome. It was heartbreaking to discover another fond childhood memory had been so callously disrespected.

 

[Undertheradar]

That’s terrible, I too have been dealing with this for years. I have a property abutting BLM land. It’s on a dead end private road clearly marked as a dead end and private property. But Google took an aerial photo and thought my neighbors drive way was a road connecting to BLM land. It clearly isn’t a road and when they cant get through they try my driveway. It’s pretty unbelievable that folks think they can drive over acres of land with a home on it to take a short cut. Just like in your situation, folks won’t stop when you try to stop them, they speed up. I’ve turned my dogs loose on some of these folks, you’ve never seen anyone try to open a gate so fast in your life

 

[EazyE]

SxS riders are the worst in my area. The closest trails to me are all public roads but are being blocked off by the private land owners due to the SxS riders coming through all hours of the night wreaking havoc.

 

[Macarena Man]

Your property looks beautiful. A month ago, a SxS flew off the entry shear of a one lane logging bridge, 360 in the air, and landed 26'down in the river. Man and wife were air-vac'd to hospital. Wife won't walk again. Speed and an air of invincibility. Hope you get your situation resolved.

 

[wayoflife]

Just thought I'd post an update regarding the SxS problem we were having and I'm happy to say that things are much better. I spent a LOT of time repairing our fence line, locking up the gates and putting up signs and so far, that's been keeping people out. I have seen a few SxS pull up to the top of the hill, especially on 4th of July weekend but it's been getting less and less and to the point where we didn't see a single one all Labor Day weekend.

That said, Cindy and I decided to go for a morning hike out across the BLM land beyond our ranch. And, this is what we saw...

This is NOT a road but rather, a fresh set of SxS tracks tearing up the pristine hillside. Why are they there? Well, to get around our ranch.

 

[AZVAJKU]

That sucks.

You need a couple of game cameras hidden around.

Maybe some of these too.

 

[wayoflife]

That sucks.

You need a couple of game cameras hidden around.

Maybe some of these too.

View attachment 379123


View attachment 379122

View attachment 379124

LOL - well, fortunately they've been staying out of our property. Just sucks that they're tearing up the hill and creating new tracks behind us now. There's a reason why land get's closed off. You would think these morons would understand that.

 

[DaJudge]

Fucking

Just thought I'd post an update regarding the SxS problem we were having and I'm happy to say that things are much better. I spent a LOT of time repairing our fence line, locking up the gates and putting up signs and so far, that's been keeping people out. I have seen a few SxS pull up to the top of the hill, especially on 4th of July weekend but it's been getting less and less and to the point where we didn't see a single one all Labor Day weekend.

That said, Cindy and I decided to go for a morning hike out across the BLM land beyond our ranch. And, this is what we saw...

This is NOT a road but rather, a fresh set of SxS tracks tearing up the pristine hillside. Why are they there? Well, to get around our ranch.

Assholes! This is exactly the kind a crap the BLM points to when they want to close trails!

 

[wayoflife]

So, the good news is, since making this post back in June, things have gotten a lot better for us or at least, in terms of douchebag side by sides trespassing on our property. The bad news is, the douchebag side by side guys have been going WAY OFF TRAIL and tearing up the hillside up with new track up and all around us! I mean, these guys couldn't give two fucks about anyone or anything or what kind of impact they're making on the landscape let alone their ability to use the land at all in the future!

Went for a hike today and saw these fresh new tracks going up the hillside.


Following them, they went everywhere as they tried finding a new route up and over the hill.


The guys were throttling they way through the turns, ripping up the grasses that hold the ground in place.


Of course, the tracks go up to our fence line and fortunately, around it.


These are tracks are on the other side of the hill and they appeared right after we closed off our fence line. As you can see, they go up a steep face and, at the risk of sounding like a treehugger, ripped up the vegetation holding the ground in place. Of course, the heavy moonsoon rains we got this year made sure to use the new destruction to cut deep ruts through them and to the point where the douchebags no longer use the new route.


These side by side types really are the scourge of off-roading and I'm starting to think that unless people on the corporate side of things, the ones who make these vehicles and sell them and accessories for it get involved in TEACHING these dumbasses how to be more responsible, they won't have a reason to make or sell vehicles and accessories.

 

[bobfriesenhahn]

So, the good news is, since making this post back in June, things have gotten a lot better for us or at least, in terms of douchebag side by sides trespassing on our property. The bad news is, the douchebag side by side guys have been going WAY OFF TRAIL and tearing up the hillside up with new track up and all around us! I mean, these guys couldn't give two fucks about anyone or anything or what kind of impact they're making on the landscape let alone their ability to use the land at all in the future!

Went for a hike today and saw these fresh new tracks going up the hillside.
View attachment 380452

Following them, they went everywhere as they tried finding a new route up and over the hill.
View attachment 380453

The guys were throttling they way through the turns, ripping up the grasses that hold the ground in place.
View attachment 380454

Of course, the tracks go up to our fence line and fortunately, around it.
View attachment 380455

These are tracks are on the other side of the hill and they appeared right after we closed off our fence line. As you can see, they go up a steep face and, at the risk of sounding like a treehugger, ripped up the vegetation holding the ground in place. Of course, the heavy moonsoon rains we got this year made sure to use the new destruction to cut deep ruts through them and to the point where the douchebags no longer use the new route.
View attachment 380456

These side by side types really are the scourge of off-roading and I'm starting to think that unless people on the corporate side of things, the ones who make these vehicles and sell them and accessories for it get involved in TEACHING these dumbasses how to be more responsible, they won't have a reason to make or sell vehicles and accessories.

There is a side-by-side culture which is all about going fast and making noise. In Pine, Arizona, it is all totally quiet during the week but on the weekends (especially 3-day weekends) they feel compelled to drive all of the town streets (mostly dirt or gravel). They make a lot of noise and annoy the wildlife. They were using my driveway as a turn-around until the road was improved enough that they felt they should go further.

I am not sure why they do that given that there are over 1000 miles of open forest roads nearby.

A couple of years ago, one of these drove at high speed off a 700 foot cliff. Mentally challenged.

 

[Ddays]

So, the good news is, since making this post back in June, things have gotten a lot better for us or at least, in terms of douchebag side by sides trespassing on our property. The bad news is, the douchebag side by side guys have been going WAY OFF TRAIL and tearing up the hillside up with new track up and all around us! I mean, these guys couldn't give two fucks about anyone or anything or what kind of impact they're making on the landscape let alone their ability to use the land at all in the future!

Went for a hike today and saw these fresh new tracks going up the hillside.
View attachment 380452

Following them, they went everywhere as they tried finding a new route up and over the hill.
View attachment 380453

The guys were throttling they way through the turns, ripping up the grasses that hold the ground in place.
View attachment 380454

Of course, the tracks go up to our fence line and fortunately, around it.
View attachment 380455

These are tracks are on the other side of the hill and they appeared right after we closed off our fence line. As you can see, they go up a steep face and, at the risk of sounding like a treehugger, ripped up the vegetation holding the ground in place. Of course, the heavy moonsoon rains we got this year made sure to use the new destruction to cut deep ruts through them and to the point where the douchebags no longer use the new route.
View attachment 380456

These side by side types really are the scourge of off-roading and I'm starting to think that unless people on the corporate side of things, the ones who make these vehicles and sell them and accessories for it get involved in TEACHING these dumbasses how to be more responsible, they won't have a reason to make or sell vehicles and accessories.

I just picked up a Kawasaki KRX a month ago but sometimes feel dirty having done so. The SXS crowd leaves a lot to be desired. At an offroad park, go ahead and rip it up. That's what they're for. But outside of that type of area these things can be obnoxious. I'm trying to find a QUIETER exhaust because the damn things just too loud for me. No luck so far. And the dumbasses with goddam stadium size speakers in the back blasting music on the trails are another thing. Don't get me wrong, it's a blast, but people just don't exercise caution or use common sense.
Unfortunately these are often a gateway vehicle for people that have never driven anything offroad, and they just don't know how to behave. They think ripping it up is normal. And then there's the immature crowd that just doesn't give a damn.

 

[RJV]

SxS people are the jet skis of the terra cotta.

 

[benatc1]

It’s funny to me, but can’t say in surprised, that some people have no concept of land preservation or why an actual trail exists. But hey, I’m sure those guys are the same guys that leave their trash in the trail, feel like that own the place because it’s murica, and are paying 15% for 10 years on those things.

 

[jesse3638]

That really sucks that those assholes acted that way. Glad you sealed things up just sucks what people do. Having worked for that agency I've seen some serious Mismanagement on their end too. It leads to more destruction and then closed trails and areas.

 

[wayoflife]

It’s funny to me, but can’t say in surprised, that some people have no concept of land preservation or why an actual trail exists. But hey, I’m sure those guys are the same guys that leave their trash in the trail, feel like that own the place because it’s murica, and are paying 15% for 10 years on those things.

Man, you said it!