Great read!! Make sure you do your research before you go ride.

[MrSled]

From Snow Tech Magazine:



Off Trail Snowmobile Trespassing: “The Devil Made Me Do It”
https://www.snowtechmagazine.com/off-trail-snowmobile-trespassing-the-devil-made-me-do-it/

 

[RAMSOMAIR]

Very good article. We had all better heed these warnings. idiots will shut down our beloved sport long ahead of climate change.

 

[kviper]

Thanks for posting this Tom! As an active member of our local snowmobile club for 40 years I can say the most irritating thing I have had to do is apologize for someone running down newly planted trees near one of our trail's and literally beg to keep the trail open. Not to mention the cost to the club! This kind of selfish activity travels fast among land owners and creates problems getting trails through everywhere. We all need to police this as much as possible to protect our future riding! Don't be afraid to stop someone or get numbers and turn them in.

 

[MrSled]

Thanks for posting this Tom! As an active member of our local snowmobile club for 40 years I can say the most irritating thing I have had to do is apologize for someone running down newly planted trees near one of our trail's and literally beg to keep the trail open. Not to mention the cost to the club! This kind of selfish activity travels fast among land owners and creates problems getting trails through everywhere. We all need to police this as much as possible to protect our future riding! Don't be afraid to stop someone or get numbers and turn them in.

I agree, this year was more frustrating then most for out club. Its getting worse and not sure how to stop them unless we all come together and educate more snowmobilers on what is going on.

 

[74Nitro]

I can't figure out why some people don't care about disrespecting the property of others, like running over trees for example.
I have hunters hunt mine and mine fathers fathers farms as well as sometimes ride across them on snowmobiles. I have no idea who most of them are but as long they act responsibly I don't care.
But it just takes one or two people to screw it up, it seems sometimes.

 

[20/80]

It happens here also more often then we think, there is a lot of blueberry land and Christmas tree lots that clubs get permission to have groomed trails go through to connect to other trails, These Chicken Fu#kers like to tear up these fields and run over Christmas tree's cat walking their machines thinking its funny, and it is not for the lack of signs or education, we now put camera's up in sensitive area's and we have nailed quit a few of them which are fined and banned from our trails, so this is working for us for now, but sadly its hard to get them all, I feel for a club having to explain to the land owners what caused the damage, most are good to deal with others are at the end of their rope.

 

[MrSled]

I can't figure out why some people don't care about disrespecting the property of others, like running over trees for example.
I have hunters hunt mine and mine fathers fathers farms as well as sometimes ride across them on snowmobiles. I have no idea who most of them are but as long they act responsibly I don't care.
But it just takes one or two people to screw it up, it seems sometimes.

Exactly. even worse now with those that feel entitled.

 

[Carbide]

I shake my head every time I see tracks that blast right past signs and out into an open area that say "stay on trial!"

 

[kviper]

One thing I've seen over the years is people's attitudes change drastically after belonging to a club and putting some of there own time and effort into trail setup and maintenance. You always respect things more when you have a personal investment in it. Our club has a spring banquet with all land owners invited. It seems the better personal relationship we have with them the easier it is to make it right when there's a problem.

 

[sideshowBob]

In our area I would just like to see more riders that actually buy a Trail Permit!!! I live close to an OFSC main trail and when I am out plowing my driveway I observe the sleds going by and I estimate maybe 10% of the sleds that go by have a permit displayed. In our area they quit the trail warden program a few years back and it has been abused ever since. The worst offenders are the 2 stroke "Racer Boy Wannabees" that are blasting down the trails late at night with their open can power loss exhausts.
If I had my way there would be gates on the private property trails that required a key card to access.
I have been a OFSC trail permit holder since they have existed and IMO they have severe issues that will eventually kill the trail network.

 

[ateick]

Lack of enforcement seems to be the issue in the OFSC system. I put on +2000 miles this year and didn't get checked once (I always purchase a permit). Only saw OPP once in Midland checking reg stickers on a lake. If these offenders got pulled over on the regular and the fines were decent (I actually don't know what they are now) it would end alot of abuse and land damage.

 

[BOUNTYHUNTER]

Great Read..............This has been a on going growing problem for years and it so sad that people just don't have any respect for other peoples property, fences, gates, equipment and livestock. .

Of course they will sing the blues when its gone as they seem to think they can go anywhere and do anything with no regard to anything or anyone. How the times have changed in the Sledding World

 

[blueironranger]

I'm lucky to live in an area that has lots of legal off-trail areas and many lakes to play on. Minnesota has "Stay on the Trail" even if it's not posted "No Trespassing", No riding Agricultural land, and Ditch bombing is allowed everywhere except the Metro. I was surprised my first trip to the UP where your allowed to leave the trail unless it's specifically posted no trespassing or a tree farm, blew my mine is there wasn't strictly a "Stay on the Trail" law. My parents are having a ton of issues with people ripping up a 120+ acre hay field in recent years and you can see exactly were people whipped powder donuts all summer long as it stunts the growth from deeper frost. Might be time to something similar to what they did with ATV's here, get caught ripping up wetlands with a wheeler and you have to take an ATV training course besides paying a decent fine.

 

[greatwhite89]

My belief is social media isn't doing the sport any favors, with every single person taking a picture of tracks off trail and basically wanting to crucify people at the stake. From an outsiders perspective, it probably puts us (snowmobilers) in a very bad light. I think there has always been people who have not obeyed signs, but social media has definitely made more note of it. I think it may be in the best interest of local snowmobile clubs to focus on the positive aspects of what is going on in their clubs and not focus on the negative. Pictures and rants regarding the reckless few really hurts the majority of snowmobilers who do indeed follow the rules. Continuing to educate younger riders and lead by example will go much farther than punishment. Some snowmobile publications and social media web pages also are to blame as they promote "off trail " "boon docking " "crossover" etc. The younger gneration is attracted to the flashy one piece snowmobile suits and guys jumping off mountains, not understanding that type of riding is such a small percentage of riders overall. They then apply this thinking to the private landowners field down the road. A mountain sled has no purpose in the Midwest or East and if lawmakers are to do anything, those types of sleds should only be allowed to be registered in western states.

 

[03RX1-ER-LE]

In our area I would just like to see more riders that actually buy a Trail Permit!!! I live close to an OFSC main trail and when I am out plowing my driveway I observe the sleds going by and I estimate maybe 10% of the sleds that go by have a permit displayed. In our area they quit the trail warden program a few years back and it has been abused ever since. The worst offenders are the 2 stroke "Racer Boy Wannabees" that are blasting down the trails late at night with their open can power loss exhausts.
If I had my way there would be gates on the private property trails that required a key card to access.
I have been a OFSC trail permit holder since they have existed and IMO they have severe issues that will eventually kill the trail network.

In Michigan it is a $150.00 fine, and personally seen the Sheriff and DNR pulling people over and issuing the fine. $48 don't seem so bad considering all that the money does for us. (Grooming, payment to land owners to cross their land) The illegal off trail and loud can 2s riders are going to cause us to loose trails for sure.