Electric bicycles for hunting?

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Legality, I'd say probably not. They could cause worse and deeper ruts than an ATV. I've thought about getting one for my place, but my ATV ain't THAT loud. :D I've been riding and racing motorcycles all my life, though I've ended my racing career. I don't think riding one of these would bother me, but if you don't have a lot of 2 wheeled experience, be prepared to crash a bit until you get used to mud or sand and dodging ruts. :D
 
An electric motor is still a motor.

In our Frank Church Wilderness one cannot have anything with a wheel, so even a pull cart or wheelbarrow is forbidden.

I have been in the Frank Church wilderness. Is there anyplace where a wheeled vehicle could even be used if legal? Everything I saw was up & down with rocks and vegetation everywhere. Even horses would have problems in some of those areas.
 
An electric motor is still a motor.



I have been in the Frank Church wilderness. Is there anyplace where a wheeled vehicle could even be used if legal? Everything I saw was up & down with rocks and vegetation everywhere. Even horses would have problems in some of those areas.

Used to be fire/logging roads through the Frank Church until we got our freedoms stripped away. There's still a landing strip back in there that a mail service runs to.
 
I've been watching Rad Power Bikes for a few years but haven't pulled the trigger. They have a cargo version and a mountain version (among others). The mountain version would be good for scouting and the cargo version for hauling meat and firewood, etc. The only problem I see is recharging them from a hunting camp. If you have a cabin or other base camp with electricity, then an extra charger and a couple extra batteries and you're good to go. Another point is that they keep improving models each year and sometimes the new models take different batteries than the older models.

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https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radwagon-electric-cargo-bike

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https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radrover-electric-fat-bike
 
Well, I only considered the electric bikes because of my lack of physical prowess anymore. I used to jog to the back of my place. Now, I do good to walk to the kitchen without stopping to catch my breath. :(.
I am 1.25 miles from my back door to my blind.
....too far to walk, too close to drive.
Actually I am thinking that the electric bike would work out good on the farm too.
 
I think that would depend on how the state classifies them.
Definitely a state-by-state issue, and lots of grey areas. For example, my state (NY) divides them into pedal-assist and throttle-operated. If you have to be turning the pedals to get power, then it's not a motor vehicle. If you can stop pedaling once you get moving and just maintain your speed with a throttle, then it's a motor vehicle. The problem is that a motor vehicle in this state needs turn signals and brake lights, and most of the electro-bikes don't have those. So technically, throttle-operated electric bikes aren't legal in NY State.

From talking to people that have them, I've heard that cops won't stop you no matter what you have, as long as you make sure to keep pedaling whenever they're eyeballing you. I know that makes no sense. This is NY -- what to you expect?
 
Are they legal in wilderness areas where motorized vehicles are prohibited?

Anything with wheels is illegal in designated wilderness areas. Even a wheelbarrow. I'm not sure about National Forest. Bicycles are legal on designated trails, and not all of them. I'm not sure how an electric bike would fit in there. Probably OK on gated roads, but not trails, but that is just a SWAG.
 
They are interesting, and seem like a good idea if the route is passable with one of these contraptions- but I think it would be problematic to haul out anything bigger than a turkey on a bicycle.
 
My oldest son was considering one seriously for use on a large parcel of public land that almost butts up against his property. Found out it is only legal on designated bike trails, otherwise it falls under the category of a motorized vehicle. I know my state and the BLM considers them motorized vehicles. Probably due to their newness and low interest. If interest rises significantly and folks push for their usage, it may change.
 
In CO, no, they can not be used in a wilderness area.
I thought it would be a no-go.
They are interesting, and seem like a good idea if the route is passable with one of these contraptions- but I think it would be problematic to haul out anything bigger than a turkey on a bicycle.
That's true.
It's hard to beat the Honda atv and trailer for that job. I should post a pic of my (mrs farmers) ATV trailer. It's an awesome game hauler. Polar brand.
 
When I shoot a pig too big to lift up on the rack of my Arctic Cat, I just drag the thing out. But, you can't drag a deer very far without something protecting it or you'll drag through the skin. Pigs have tough skin. :D I have a cheap trailer, though, one of those dump trailers Tractor Supply sells. I've used it mostly for hauling mulch and such, but before I got the ATV, I did haul game out with it a few times behind my Cub Cadet. :D I had to take the mower deck off to have clearance, not mowing in winter anyway, and it is NO atv when it gets wet around here. My ATV has been a Godsend to me, though. I used it yesterday just to haul groceries from the truck to the back door. That thing gets used nearly every day for SOMEthing. I'm not sure how I lived out here without it. :D I did use my dirt bikes to haul (or drag) stuff into and out of the woods, but my anemia issues due to my bone marrow cancer make riding motorcycles a chore for me to do such things. I never thought I needed to spend the money on an ATV, but I'm sure glad I did! It is my experience with dirt bikes and this disease I have that I've kinda ruled out anything two wheeled, but just to get back to my blind in silence is pretty enticing. I don't wanna buy a golf cart, though. My buddy has one on his farm and loves it. We tour the farm in that thing every dove season I go up there. :D
 
Oh, an expensive silent option is the "Bad Boy" atv. The guy I bought my used ATV from sells 'em at his Arctic Cat dealership in Waco. He and my dove hunting buddy are friends and they came down here for a goose hunting weekend a couple of years ago. He brought a 4 seater Bad Boy. That thing was AWESOME, would run 40 mph down our dirt road and he negotiated some WICKED mud that weekend in a rice field we were hunting. It was so quiet, they wanted to see the "neighborhood" (small tracts of land with a few permanent residents like me). We saw ALL SORTS of pigs and deer running down the road in silence that we'd never seen in the truck. :D I was totally impressed, but I'm not real impressed with the price on those things.

Can't do this with a golf cart......

 
Oh, an expensive silent option is the "Bad Boy" atv. The guy I bought my used ATV from sells 'em at his Arctic Cat dealership in Waco. He and my dove hunting buddy are friends and they came down here for a goose hunting weekend a couple of years ago. He brought a 4 seater Bad Boy. That thing was AWESOME, would run 40 mph down our dirt road and he negotiated some WICKED mud that weekend in a rice field we were hunting. It was so quiet, they wanted to see the "neighborhood" (small tracts of land with a few permanent residents like me). We saw ALL SORTS of pigs and deer running down the road in silence that we'd never seen in the truck. :D I was totally impressed, but I'm not real impressed with the price on those things.

Can't do this with a golf cart......


Dont write off a carts capability...mine is lifted. If I had better tires it would go pretty well. Not an ATV by any means....but pretty good.
It is better around the farm and garden than the ATV. Just sit down and push the go pedal.
I would trade my cart and ATV for a bad boy buggy.
 

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But, you can't drag a deer very far without something protecting it or you'll drag through the skin.

OH.....I dunno. I've drug 'em a half mile or so when I used to hunt the big woods. While there wasn't much hair left on the side the deer was drug, I never came close to wearin' thru the skin.
 
I take one of these. Typically the Big Reds. 20190403_151914.jpg I'll even take my '72 Polaris 530 sled if there's snow on the ground. Never had an issue with gas smell or me being found out. I'll usually park a little away from my stand. Ive witnessed one time a buck snort at a machine and stroll on past it.

I get out very early. By sunrise, my machines haven't made a sound in over an hour.

I've heard of a technique where a guy towed a broke down pickup by his stand and left it there all year. Then when whitetail season came, he removed it and would park in its place.
 
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