So I got to thinking and some of the conservative areas I hunt have real nice roads big enough for a truck but they wont let you drive down them. I got to thinking wby couldn't I ride my trail bike down and back to save some time and to be able to get way back of the road?
Anyone else tried this before? They even make little bike trailers to haul in your gear.
A friend of mine used to do it all the time when deer hunting.
they make fat tire bikes with gun and bow holders just for hunters.. It work alot of level places not sure steep hills would be any easier to bike than walk but if I had 2+ miles of mildly level ground and clear tote roads you could get back in a lot faster on a bike thats for sure.
I'll be honest I've jogged to get into spots in time or get out for work when im hunting in deep.
I've done it before. It definitely saves time and you can get to places most people won't walk too. Just throw a bike in the back of the truck and unload when you get to your hunting spot and off you go.
Depending on the terrain, I could see them being a big help.
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Catman ..who is on this forum rides a bike all the time and he has fix a way to pull a game cart behind his bike .. I've seen video of him hunting WMA and riding his bike killing a deer and ride out with it behind the bike and on the cart..
I hunt off of a bicycle all the time in spring turkey season! it works out great for me, as I can get way back in where other are not willing to go. Last year I was hunting in the Allegheny National Forest one day and on my way out of the woods around 11 am, I almost hit a black bear cub while riding down a long downgrade! :o :o
Know of several that used to use bikes. Personally I am a walker. I can move through the woods pretty fast so getting away from people in the morning. Course I slow way down when I get where I am going.
I am considering this myself...the problem I see with it in my area is I hunt ag fields and in the spring they can be muddy a lot of the times.
I do have some that are long walks in...the bike would be a good way to speed things up...especially if I wanted to sneak in a hunt before work.
A few years back we had the state open up an old strip mine for hunting,bike and foot travel only. I have not owned a bike since I was 14 so I borrowed one from a buddy. I get on it and put my feet in these stirrup things and take off. Less than 5 minutes my butt hurts so bad,the seat is like sitting on a anvil ,the pointy end ! I ride a little bit and a bug hits me in the eye and I try to rub them but I need a double hand eye rub for this. I slow down and cant get my feet out of these stirrups BAM ! I hit the ground. By now Im hot,worn out,my butt hurts ,and I just fell on the ground. I had a screaming kicking cussing fit ,hoping no one would see me. I end up ditching the bike and walking ,because it was safer. On the way home I stopped and got a XXXL wide seat and took those !*&^%#%&@ foot straps off. He called later and ask how the bike worked out and I told him the story and his response was,You need to wear bike shorts with the padding in the butt...............I said I dont own any of those and Im ashamed that you do.....and hung up on him !
Several years back, I hunted off one for a couple years. They are super quite, if you keep the chain greased. You can coast along and here a turkey gobble, while you can't always do that walking. I have ridden up mighty close on turkeys that were out in the road and around the bend. They just kinda looked like "what the heck is that" and just slowly ambled off. You can flat out cover some ground on one that's for sure!
It's all good til you get a flat, now we gotta carry tire repair stuff in our vests. I have no qualms walking anywhere. As I get older I just allot more time. God bless the guys that do it
If anyone has a picture of their bike setup post it up.
Think it's a great idea!
Done it deer hunting a few times even hitched the deer cart and hauled a doe out of a gas line back to the camp. Have yet to use it turkey hunting, I like to pack very light when I turkey hunt.
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Quote from: SinGin on April 19, 2016, 06:20:57 PM
If anyone has a picture of their bike setup post it up.
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/cb8a3d882317454c2a8a972778d49b50.jpg)
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160419/6d5761adc5c6ae1634b2a37b65d73cc4.jpg)
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I have used a bike a lot for waterfowl hunting. Flat terrain (and not too muddy) a bike covers a lot of ground quickly... At some of the duck hunting refuges it can look like the Tour de France, with everyone racing to their spots.
For up and down country, it could be more work to ride the bike than it would be to walk.
A couple pieces of advice if you use a bike. Have a vest with a gamebag or some plan of action to carry that bird back on your bike. Take a GPS and mark your bike, and use a lock with the bike. Even if you just lock the tire to the frame, you will make it much more of a pain for someone to haul the bike out of there, and I usually stash mine in the bushes.
A GPS will make it easier to find your bike and give you the shortest distance back to your bike in confusing terrain. Plus, if you did hide it in the brush, it is a lot easier to find with the GPS...
Quote from: ilbucksndux on April 19, 2016, 05:17:05 PM
A few years back we had the state open up an old strip mine for hunting,bike and foot travel only. I have not owned a bike since I was 14 so I borrowed one from a buddy. I get on it and put my feet in these stirrup things and take off. Less than 5 minutes my butt hurts so bad,the seat is like sitting on a anvil ,the pointy end ! I ride a little bit and a bug hits me in the eye and I try to rub them but I need a double hand eye rub for this. I slow down and cant get my feet out of these stirrups BAM ! I hit the ground. By now Im hot,worn out,my butt hurts ,and I just fell on the ground. I had a screaming kicking cussing fit ,hoping no one would see me. I end up ditching the bike and walking ,because it was safer. On the way home I stopped and got a XXXL wide seat and took those !*&^%#%&@ foot straps off. He called later and ask how the bike worked out and I told him the story and his response was,You need to wear bike shorts with the padding in the butt...............I said I dont own any of those and Im ashamed that you do.....and hung up on him !
My buddy used to bike that same area. How he did it with a Summit Viper on his back is beyond me.
Hunt off a mountain bike a lot on the Appalachian ridges. There are some logging or gas well roads that are too steep to ride so I hike those. But the bike opens a lot of hunting spots when you got large tracts of public ground.
Instead of burning 45 minutes off the clock to walk in and wait for sunrise, and then 45 back out to go somewhere else, I can cover that same ground in less than 1/4 the time on the bike.
Couple items to make you better prepared - I carry a spare tube strapped to the bike, plus a chain repair kit and bike-specific multi-tool. Mud flaps are a great add-on, keeps you dry. water bottle cage is a must. A carry rack off the seat post to haul a bird out of the woods. Wireless odometer to note mileage back from a gate, things don't look the same in the dark. Flat pedals and make sure the bike frame fits you.
:bike2:
Speaking of wrecks... My father in law is a huge bicyclist. Talking 30- 50 miles a day at least 3 days a week. Just last summer he and his friend were coasting down one of our steeper mountains at a high rate of speed and a fawn runs out in front of his buddy. The results were nothing short of catastrophic. A dead fawn and a fellow that looked like he had been attacked by a jaguar. Guess he slid on his stomach and face for about thirty feet beyond the point of impact. No permanent damage to him though. And yes I laughed as soon as I knew he was ok.
Nope
I've spent a lot of time on a bike and if you're anywhere that's not flat forget about using a trailer...unless you're a beast. I think it's a great idea and I've often wanted to do it. I frequently mountain bike into backcountry trout waters. You could just use a rear rack as a mud flap and to carry a bird out. I'd suggest rubber or plasti dipping the washers or parts that will jiggle to silence them. Would also suggest a backpack with storage for a water bladder like a camelback.
I have often thought of doing that myself, but the place I hunt is small enough to walk and has good roads. There is another WMA right down the road that is huge compared to the one I hunt, but it is so rapped up with other hunters I like right where I am.
I use my bike all the time on national forest roads that are closed. I love it. I can get deep fast to gobblers that haven't seen many hunters. I usually stash the bike and then go on foot when I hear a bird. Here's one of my favorite pictures of a Merriam's from southwest Colorado in 2013. The bike is an 18 year old mountain bike that I only use hunting now. Planning on using it this weekend in the Black Hills.
(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n248/tjnelson6/photobucket-1803-1366568133881.jpg)
My Walmart special. $100 for an aluminum frame, 21 speed, fat tires and shock absorbers. I did the camo job myself with camo duct tape that's held up very well. Then I added on a nice fat, cushy gel seat, and gun racks to the handlebars. I'm probably going to add a basket to it to help haul stuff in and gobblers out. It helps me put the distance between myself and other hunters on FLA WMA's, and let's me get around quietly on my hunting lease. I've used it successfully for years!! :icon_thumright:
Here's some of the pics.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Hunting%20Pics/2013%20Lk%20Tracy%20H_zpsfaxvkp76.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RutnNStrutn/media/Hunting%20Pics/2013%20Lk%20Tracy%20H_zpsfaxvkp76.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Hunting%20Pics/SCturk2010c.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RutnNStrutn/media/Hunting%20Pics/SCturk2010c.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Hunting%20Pics/P4270005.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RutnNStrutn/media/Hunting%20Pics/P4270005.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Hunting%20Pics/082ndTurka.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RutnNStrutn/media/Hunting%20Pics/082ndTurka.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Hunting%20Pics/08turk2.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RutnNStrutn/media/Hunting%20Pics/08turk2.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Hunting%20Pics/07turk3.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RutnNStrutn/media/Hunting%20Pics/07turk3.jpg.html)
Nice job RutnNStrutn. Don't forget your bell for the handle bar :-)
Quote from: mlisandro on April 20, 2016, 06:43:16 PM
Nice job RutnNStrutn. Don't forget your bell for the handle bar :-)
Ha!!
I use one myself. Problem is I usually have others hunting with me so it stays home.
Quote from: perrytrails on April 20, 2016, 08:03:04 PM
Quote from: mlisandro on April 20, 2016, 06:43:16 PM
Nice job RutnNStrutn. Don't forget your bell for the handle bar :-)
Ha!!
I use one myself. Problem is I usually have others hunting with me so it stays home.
Tandem bike???
Lol no I'll pass : )
Quote from: johnplesh on April 20, 2016, 09:49:47 PM
Quote from: perrytrails on April 20, 2016, 08:03:04 PM
Quote from: mlisandro on April 20, 2016, 06:43:16 PM
Nice job RutnNStrutn. Don't forget your bell for the handle bar :-)
Ha!!
I use one myself. Problem is I usually have others hunting with me so it stays home.
Tandem bike???
Lmao.
I used a bike about 22 years ago in the Winn Ranger District of the Kisatchie National Forest. Worked out great....until I rode into a herd of wild pigs and actually bumped one of them with my front tire in the dark while on a scouting trip.
I use one but I took the gun rack off. It makes for some spectacular spills if you catch one end of your gun on a vine in the dark. Now I use the sling and carry my shotgun on my back. It's not as comfortable but it doesn't body slam me either.
I don't have any pictures but I camo'd my mountain bike with camo spray paint. It has a gun rack on it and a crate on the back for decoys or gear. I will warn you that flying down a rocky, wash-out decline in the dark can be very adventurous.
Could certainly be a useful tool in the right situation. One caution I'd throw out; most of us are already pretty bad about taking a step too far when coming up on a field, opening or around a bend on a dirt road or trail. Some of the hunters I've witnessed on bikes blundered through turkeys on a regular basis just because they were moving faster than they should.
OH YEAH!!--- Just yesterday, I had picked up my mountain bike afters some repairs. I use it perhaps on 30% of my Spring hunts as I also love to hike.
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160421/1a9e20aadd53a3a0f44027042417f144.jpg)
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The above pic was last fall in MO on public land. Shot two birds with one shot when there heads lined up.
Do it all the time. I was also referred to as "that d#%n public land Hunter" while hunting some private land they saw my bike rack on my truck
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Well I tried out the bike this morning. A few things I need to do before next time
1 Get a wider seat
2 Get in better shape
3 Loose some weight
4 take a good look at what I really need to take with me
5 Get a wider seat
I think once I get the kinks worked out it will work pretty well
I was able to cut about 30 minutes on my way in and out
Quote from: renegade19 on April 19, 2016, 07:01:16 PM
Quote from: ilbucksndux on April 19, 2016, 05:17:05 PM
A few years back we had the state open up an old strip mine for hunting,bike and foot travel only. I have not owned a bike since I was 14 so I borrowed one from a buddy. I get on it and put my feet in these stirrup things and take off. Less than 5 minutes my butt hurts so bad,the seat is like sitting on a anvil ,the pointy end ! I ride a little bit and a bug hits me in the eye and I try to rub them but I need a double hand eye rub for this. I slow down and cant get my feet out of these stirrups BAM ! I hit the ground. By now Im hot,worn out,my butt hurts ,and I just fell on the ground. I had a screaming kicking cussing fit ,hoping no one would see me. I end up ditching the bike and walking ,because it was safer. On the way home I stopped and got a XXXL wide seat and took those !*&^%#%&@ foot straps off. He called later and ask how the bike worked out and I told him the story and his response was,You need to wear bike shorts with the padding in the butt...............I said I dont own any of those and Im ashamed that you do.....and hung up on him !
My buddy used to bike that same area. How he did it with a Summit Viper on his back is beyond me.
I got good at it. I put a gun rack on the handle bars for my bow and my stand went on my back. I rigged up a hitch for the deer cart and it worked out great.
Electric bike with pedals had it for about 9 years now. Before that I used a regular mountain bike with a rack on the back to carry a deerstand. I'm able to cover a bunch of ground in a short time.
If you hook up a cart to a rack it makes the front of the bike light. This was Thanksgiving day. I also have a scabbard that carries bow or gun. Bow is in a case to keep the mud off.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171224/a9c53331bc879fbd0c63b4df6fbd60a9.jpg)
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Fallout what brand bike is yours? I used to have a Trek 850 that worked great on flat roads that weren't to muddy, I am in two new places to hunt this coming year that are four wheeler trails only, might get a bike to try but neither are flat but I don't want to ride a wheeler in there and there are some long walks in!
Years ago me and my turkey hunting buddy gave bikes a try. The area that we were hunting was fairly steep but had a nice wide trail that was gated. About 8:30am we decided to move further down the mountain. My buddy took off. When I caught up to him he was laying in a small ditch on the side of the trail. A big yellow phase rattlesnake was laying across the trail as he came around a curve.He bailed out to miss the snake and slid into the ditch. He was all cut up, it took nearly two hours to get him and his busted up bike back to the gate. Never bike hunted again.
This Sir, is Awesome!
Quote from: RutnNStrutn on April 20, 2016, 05:53:13 PM
My Walmart special. $100 for an aluminum frame, 21 speed, fat tires and shock absorbers. I did the camo job myself with camo duct tape that's held up very well. Then I added on a nice fat, cushy gel seat, and gun racks to the handlebars. I'm probably going to add a basket to it to help haul stuff in and gobblers out. It helps me put the distance between myself and other hunters on FLA WMA's, and let's me get around quietly on my hunting lease. I've used it successfully for years!! :icon_thumright:
Here's some of the pics.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Hunting%20Pics/2013%20Lk%20Tracy%20H_zpsfaxvkp76.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RutnNStrutn/media/Hunting%20Pics/2013%20Lk%20Tracy%20H_zpsfaxvkp76.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Hunting%20Pics/SCturk2010c.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RutnNStrutn/media/Hunting%20Pics/SCturk2010c.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Hunting%20Pics/P4270005.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RutnNStrutn/media/Hunting%20Pics/P4270005.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Hunting%20Pics/082ndTurka.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RutnNStrutn/media/Hunting%20Pics/082ndTurka.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Hunting%20Pics/08turk2.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RutnNStrutn/media/Hunting%20Pics/08turk2.jpg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Hunting%20Pics/07turk3.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/RutnNStrutn/media/Hunting%20Pics/07turk3.jpg.html)
I agree I great post!
Quote from: 3bailey3 on December 23, 2017, 09:21:55 PM
Fallout what brand bike is yours? I used to have a Trek 850 that worked great on flat roads that weren't to muddy, I am in two new places to hunt this coming year that are four wheeler trails only, might get a bike to try but neither are flat but I don't want to ride a wheeler in there and there are some long walks in!
Specialized Fatboy
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I used to hunt a farm, where one of the rules was you had to park at the barn. I hunted alot on my mt bike, heard many on my way in. The trick was always coming back on the bike with the bird. Mike
This is a great post!! I alternate with hiking in and biking in.There are a number of Spring turkey hunters that use bikes on one huge chunk of public land. I have a Ranger mountain bike. I may have to use it in a bit to bike to work today as my 2004 Jetta won't start. 16 degrees here in NY.
I have in the past the one thing I didn't like was the times I ended up chasing gobblers that ended up closer to the truck and I had to hike back to my bike instead of just walking out