Off trail riding, legal or not

[03RX1-ER-LE]

So just curious how many will admit to doing off trail riding in areas where they are not 100% sure if allowed?
This is seen all over when I am riding down a trail and then you see someone decided to climb the hill along the trail or zoom through an open field or maybe even think this trails is getting bumpy how about I will just ride outside the trail markers to avoid bumps or get in front of my buddy.
I have seen this year DNR/sheriffs sitting by these areas watching out, the land owners are really up in arms about this and a very wide spread problem and endangering our trails.
I will admit when younger did these silly things, was not sure if legal where I did it on not, then I grew/wised up and just do not do it anymore anywhere.
How much more can we educate riders on this and save trails from being closed?
A Booklet handed over and signed that you are aware of this off trail riding on private land and will adhere to the rules when getting a trail permit?

 

[blueironranger]

In Minnesota Its clearly in the rulebook. NO leaving the trail, simple as that. When it comes to ditch bombing the rules are you can enter property if it's Not Posted or Not an Agriculturally used field. You must leave open gates open and if you travel through a gate that was closed you must close it behind you. The rule book when I was out in the UP only said you can't go on Posted Property or Tree plantations, there was no specifics that you stay on the trail at all times. My Parents quit posting their 120 acre field because they found most people stayed off it UNTIL they posted it, then everyone was playing on it.

 

[clarkman]

Mostly depends how and who maintains the trails. Grew up in the green bay wi area. East side. Had a lot of plowed fields and 6-8 inches on the ground, you were riding. Sometimes you would have to sneak just off the trail around the markers. The dirt chunks sticking out of the snow would rattle your bars bad. Did your best to be respectful of the property owners.... but you know.
If its mai tained

 

[clarkman]

If its maintained by a club... stay on trail. If its state run, you can mess around unless its posted or private land.

 

[STAIN]

This is becoming a huge problem out here with land owners and timber companies. Trails are getting shut down. When you buy a trail pass you enter into an agreement with the land owner to stay on marked trails. Some of these clowns will argue over the fact that they don't think it hurts anything. The only thing they need to know is--its NOT your land!! Stay on marked trails unless otherwise posted so!!

 

[03RX1-ER-LE]

This is becoming a huge problem out here with land owners and timber companies. Trails are getting shut down. When you buy a trail pass you enter into an agreement with the land owner to stay on marked trails. Some of these clowns will argue over the fact that they don't think it hurts anything. The only thing they need to know is--its NOT your land!! Stay on marked trails unless otherwise posted so!!

Michigan DNR is working hard to enforce not only the off trail riding also the loud exhaust/can that is got the land owners and locals up in arms.
We have lost trails and possibly loosing more and also curfews imposed to keep from waking people up that live near the trail.
This needs to followed or more trails are going to be going away!

 

[Deeppow16]

I will admit when I was young just getting into the sport that I would go off trail a bit. Now that I'm older I realize that I was a dumb #*$&@ for doing that. I don't ride many trails anymore since I go ride in the mountains but I do wish I had an older sled to go for a quick rip around home when we actually get snow like we have now.

 

[T-Bone]

As the tracks got longer with deeper lugs and crossover sleds became more popular, you see a lot more of this. Ten or fifteen years ago when riding in Quebec, you rarely saw sled tracks leaving the trails. There were some play areas but mostly groomed trails, and people stayed on them. The last few years people leave the trails all the time riding along side them in deeper snow crossing over from one side of the trail to the other. I don't know that its not allowed but it sure does mess the groomed trail upbeat I'm sure they paid for the trail permit the same as I did.

 

[20/80]

We don't have a big groom trail network in this area just a utility sled pulling a drag which does a pretty good job so a lot of trails are not groomed but we still need permission from land owners to cross their land, at club meetings land owners are invited to voice their concerns so as a club we can work together and keep our trails, the landowners are up in arms with these cans on sleds and deep lug long track clowns ripping around their property off trail in the middle of the night, a lot of land owners here own Christmas tree lots that our trails pass through and these out of town idiots and some locals that don't care are running over the land owners tree's thinking he's cool, this never happened before, it just seems like the older generation has respect and had to work very hard to own a sled, some of these younger generation kids seems to not care about the effort volunteers have went through to have these trails, it sure shows at club meetings, there is nobody under 45 wanting to get involved and help.