Hunter thoughts on off-road vehicle penalties

Eastmans’ Hunting Journal recently posted a poll to their readers about ATV violations and penalties.  While it’s not a scientific poll, and they didn’t list how many people responded to the poll, the hunters who did respond overwhelmingly supported stronger penalties for ATV violations.  The results were released in the February/March 2010 issue of the journal.

Here are just a few of the quotes from respondents that Eastmans highlighted:

"I am a responsible ATV owner and voted D [see below]. I have seen some of my favorite areas destroyed. Just because you own an ATV doesn’t give you the right to ride wherever you want."  

"ATVs are the single biggest reason why we don’t have big mule deer anymore. Something serious needs to be done to keep violators in check."

The thing that ranked highest:  “Option D) Sock it to ‘em. Confiscate the entire ATV, and loss of hunting privileges for a year. Problem solved. (37.7%).”  (To see all poll results, click here.)  Option D echoes recommendations in Wildlands CPR’s off-road vehicle enforcement report, Six Strategies for Success, which encourages states to adopt tougher penalties and consequences for ATV violations.

It turns out that the state of Missouri, for example, includes the revocation of state hunting and fishing privileges (for one year or longer) as one possible penalty for unlawful use of an off-road vehicle in a stream (see page 36 of Six Strategies for Success - 2009 update).  And because Missouri is one of 30 states that participate in the Interstate Wildlife Violator's Compact, anyone who loses hunting/fishing privileges in MO because of ORV violations may lose those same privileges in 30 other states.

Other states have also recently been considering or adopting new legislation to increase off-road vehicle penalties, ranging from Massachusetts and New Jersey to New Mexico.  Hopefully these efforts will result in more effective enforcement and less trespass over time.