OHV Use Requires Common Courtesy and Common Sense

By Holger Jensen

Off-highway vehicles (OHVs) can be a blessing or a curse to hunters.  

They help disabled or handicapped hunters reach areas they couldn’t hunt before. They help able-bodied hunters travel further afield than they could on foot. And they make it easier to carry out game. They can also scare game, ruin the backcountry and destroy the serenity of an outdoor experience for those seeking to get away from motorized civilization.  

The best thing OHV users can do to alleviate hostility to their sputtering machines is follow the rules governing their use and go beyond that to minimize their impact on other hunters. It boils down to common courtesy and common sense.   An OHV is any motorized, wheeled, or tracked vehicle designated for use off a public highway. That includes motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) quads, jeeps and other four-wheelers. They are allowed on many designated roads and trails with route markers but must obey all motor vehicles laws and other restrictions set by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management or any other agencies governing the use of public land.  

Most of these regulations are designed to protect the ecosystem and minimize damage to trails, campgrounds and riparian habitat. The Division of Wildlife also has hunting regulations governing firearms carried on OHVs and Colorado State Parks issues registrations.  

OHV users must have a Colorado registration or valid registration or license from another state. Out-of-state registrations are valid in Colorado for 30 consecutive days, after which a nonresident permit is required. A Colorado OHV permit is $15.25 a year. You can register at State Parks regional offices and most OHV dealers. 

Hunters who plan to use OHVs this fall should remember that they are simply a means of transportation; not a method of hunting or herding game. They cannot be used in wilderness areas and can be driven off roads and trails only where allowed by the governing land management agency.  

It is illegal to shoot from or use a motor vehicle, motorcycle, all terrain vehicle, snowmobile or aircraft to hunt, chase, harass, or drive wildlife. It is also illegal for hunters to carry a loaded firearm (chamber or magazine), except for a handgun, on an OHV. Firearms and bows must be fully enclosed in a hard or soft case. Scabbards or cases with an open end or side are prohibited.

Other do’s and don’ts: .

— Know the OHV regulations for the area in which you are hunting and don’t ride into remote or undesignated areas.

— Stay on designated trails and roads. Avoid sensitive areas like streambanks, meadows, sand dunes and alpine areas and don’t take shortcuts or create new trails

— Use an OHV to ride from camp to a hunting spot or carry out game but don’t scout or track game from an OHV and don’t ride an OHV during prime hunting hours. Game moves in the early morning and evening and operating OHVs at those times scares animals and disturbs other hunters.

— Stay clear of game animals to avoid stressing them and don’t scare game when someone else is stalking or on a stand.  

— Pull to the trailside and shut off your engine to let horses, hikers and bikers pass. Don’t hog the right-of-way simply because you are louder or faster than they are.

— Honor gates, fences and other barriers erected to protect livestock and don’t disturb the stock with OHVs.

— Wear blaze orange, a helmet and other safety gear on an OHV.    

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