Thoughts on ebikes

[WV Flopper]

 I spoke with a guy in Florida about his, he has used his for a couple years. It was a Rad bike I believe.

He used it on the roads throughout the club we were on and said it did well in the sand and tried going around the three foot deep mud puddles. He could cover a lot of ground but one battery did not last all day. He was lucky and by mistake had an extra battery. He also commented on game not being scared of the bike as a vehicle or ATV.

I have checked into them as I have a couple places "private"  that would be great for the ebike. At least in my mind a better option the an ATV or UTV. It drives me nuts to hear the guys riding around half the morning on ATV's or while your hunting out an old road they drive up on you on the ATV's.

They are not cheap, some of the lesser names run around 2k with a Rambo I just looked at around 5-7K. So really not something you want just setting in the building to use 2-3 times a year IMO. At least not on my budget.

I hear in WV they are not enforcing the use of on NF. But, all signs in the NF say "No motorized vehicles beyond this point" so not sure about these areas. I personally have not talked to any of the local wardens regarding the subject.

[LI Outdoorsman]

What would be a good bike / brand for steeper grades ?
Anyone have experience?

[joey46]

E Bikes will ruin all the formely "walk in" areas.  They are MOTORIZED vehicles that have no business on foot trails in NF or public lands. Lazy lazy lazy.

[WV Flopper]

 Joey, I 100% agree with your statement.

[WV Flopper]

 Something to think about.

About 15 years ago there was a timber operation on a piece of NF in Virginia I was hunting. It had the gate in the middle of the property locked. This put all of the men in half the normal area,"IT WAS PACKED"! So, I went to Wally world and bought a $169 Schwinn bike. Worked great, I peddled in, and smoked a nice gobbler.

Two weeks later I decided to make a big hunt in WV if NF. I parked my bike over the hill across from a fire trail coming off the mountain. I went up the road 3-4 miles and started in on a forest raid with the anticipation of hunting through to my bike and riding back to my truck. While in in my hunt a guy came in and we talked. I left the area, "went deeper" and came out beyond my bike by 3-4 miles.

Luckily for me, two guys from PA picked me up to give me a ride to my truck. When we past where I had hid my bike I could t see it. I did hide it.

When I returned, it was obvious I did not hide it well enough and should have used a lock around a tree.

$169 made me mad for many years. Couldn't imagine if it were 3, 4, 5+ thousand dollars. Use a good lock! Hide the bike! Someone will steal it.

[Duckdogdad]

I have a Bakcou Mule 750 with mid size battery and a Bakcou Flatlander. Mule is an awesome bike...Flatlander is ok. I own an L shaped 550 acres surrounded by several thousand acres of National Forest. I use mine to get to birds which are gobbling a mile or more away. I do lots of walking, but the bike is a great tool when needed. I am almost 72 and I will probably transition to an electric side by side within a few years. My two 15 year old grandson are pushing for that now.

[Spurs]

E Bikes will ruin all the formely "walk in" areas.  They are MOTORIZED vehicles that have no business on foot trails in NF or public lands. Lazy lazy lazy.

This this and this!!!  They have already ruined a few small areas that I hunt in AR.  Anyone other than someone who gets a handicap pass or disabled vets should be ashamed to utilize one IMO.

[Hook hanger]

E Bikes will ruin all the formely "walk in" areas.  They are MOTORIZED vehicles that have no business on foot trails in NF or public lands. Lazy lazy lazy.

This this and this!!!  They have already ruined a few small areas that I hunt in AR.  Anyone other than someone who gets a handicap pass or disabled vets should be ashamed to utilize one IMO.

I'm with this all the way! Whats next allowing electric cars to drive around on public ground.

[grayfox]

My wife bought one last summer after seeing our neighbor's. I found myself riding hers more than she was so I bought me one. They are fun to ride & great for older folks like me & my wife. To my surprise they are a lot of younger folks riding them. I haven't used mine for hunting but if you do be sure & get you an alarm & some type of locking device to help keep trashbags from stealing it. I understand people's concerns about it ruining turkey hunting & it may have some negative affects on it but it hadn't been that long ago we all thought decoys, fanning & such was gonna ruin it.

[TauntoHawk]

I can't imagine leaving a $5000 item on public land and running off the chase a turkey hoping to get back to it hours later.

I also think they are illegal in more places than people think.

There are a few niche places where they are legal, they would work well, and after having a really long day of hiking I certainly thought boy that would come in handy.

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[strut]

I've had a Felt Outfitter for a few years. It's 750 watt. 4" fat tires.,  You pedal it assists. You stop pedaling , it coasts. 5 levels. The higher assist, the faster the battery runs down. This is the type that is considered non motorized, and allowed on most biking areas. Except those specifically designated typically. I have a few friends that have the same model. They aren't turkey hunters. Mostly elk and Chukar partridge. They are great for driving down sandy beaches to access duck marshes.
We don't road hunt with them. They allow us to go further to start a hunt and separate from a crowd. Sometimes 6 miles in before starting. They help w hauling out elk too.
I don't understand the negative thoughts to them. I don't believe they are different than a regular bicycle. Awesome for anyone, but especially for people getting older. They are growing hugely out west.
These help reduce over crowded areas JMO

[austinc]

I bought an M2S bike back in august and used it all fall deer hunting here in AR. Best investment I've made in years... I'll be using it this spring for turkeys as well. I carry a good lock, and the motor on the bike is locked by a 4 digit code. If you dont know the code it won't turn on, and you're not going to push an ebike very far...

[Gobble!]

E Bikes will ruin all the formely "walk in" areas.  They are MOTORIZED vehicles that have no business on foot trails in NF or public lands. Lazy lazy lazy.

X2

[Spitten and drummen]

I have a Rambo and love it. I use it some , mostly on private . Its quieter than a 4 wheeler or atv 10fold. It does not spook game and if you dont pass someone, they dont even know you are there, but most of the time I dont like the hassel of dealing with unloading if , having to lock it to a tree and other small things. So Imostly walk. I do like having it if I come across places that I want to scout that is several miles back . I like the fact that I have a option at times if I choose it. Its nice sometimes when you are running late and need to make up time. Some haters gonna hate mainly because they dont have it in their budget to own one or dont really want to spend the money on a un needed piece of equiptment. Some feel its just not fair to ride one when they have to walk. As far as foot travel only , sad part is , we ALL own federal land through taxes. If you are using something that tears up trails , disturbs game or other people , is noisy and interferes with others hunts , then yes , they should not be allowed. A ebike does none of the above. If they are legal and you choose not to use one , that is your choice. In reality they are not much different than a mountain bike. It boils down to some people think its not fair but life aint fair. Ride your bike , walk , run or do whatever you want to do. In the end , just be happy we are still able to hunt and enjoy Gods creations. Let the haters pile on.
And to the guys who say lazy lazy lazy , kind of generalizing things huh? I can walk plenty but not like when I was 18. Years of jumping out of airplanes and humping 120 pound Ranger rucks kindsa catches up to you. As far as ruining turkey hunting. All I can do is laugh. Turkey hunting went down when people started using decoys and fans. Reminds me when old recurve bowhunters said the compound bow was ruining bowhunting. Compound bowhunters say the same about crossbows. Muzzle loader hunters said that when in line muzzle loaders came on the scene, that was ruining the sport. Face it guys , life is all about change and if you live long enough , you will realize NOTHING is forever and a constant state of change will continue after we are all dead and gone. Sorry for the long winded reply.

[Remturkey]

I agree with Spittin & Drummen completely on this.  I took the plunge and bought a mid drive ebike from a guy close to me that builds his own to your specs.  I didn't get it until early November and put around 40 miles on it around home at some places I hunt.  I think some people are confused in thinking that you jump on them and hit the throttle and zoom off into the wilderness up and down mountains for miles on end with no physical effort line riding a dirt bike.  This is not at all true from my experience, trying them out and researching a lot of different companies and models.  Yes, depending on the make, model, type of drive and battery, the range they will travel varies, but they don't go and go forever. Don't forget though...you are still riding a bike, not a plush side by side or ATV. A bike that beats the snot out of you and your joints over rough terrain and almost all of them require you to peddle to use the battery assistance. I know there are a few that don't. One thing I like about mine is that I can reach down and turn off the battery and peddle it o natural with a standard mountain bikes 18 speeds and derailer if I'm in an area that doesn't allow Ebikes. 

I think a big part is also like many things in life, how the user uses it.  If you use common sense and etiquette to other hunters, i just have a hard time seeing where someone using one is going to ruin public hunting.  It's a tool that if you so choose can help you enjoy the outdoors more like so many other tools that we as hunters use everyday. But that's just my take on it, and that sure don't mean much.  And one things for sure, I can't wait to use mine this turkey season!!!!