If you want to talk about getting your facts straight, you should reevaluate calling me a tree hugger who never goes into the forest. I go jeep riding, four wheeler riding, hiking, hunting, USED to go to Lake Glendale twice a week and sometimes somewhere else in Shawnee usually once a week but I haven't been able to enjoy Glendale in almost a year, just like dozens of other people. If you're one of the responsible users, then I have no problem with you whatsoever so keep that in mind. I see ATV usage all over the place in Shawnee and I have no problem that they're out there, just with the people who are tearing the place up. One of the most used area is a place just northeast of Metropolis called Mill Springs, and yes there was a huge ATV bust back there, but quite honestly it was stupid, those trails were nicely groomed and there was no serious damage on a regular basis. I have no problem with that whatsoever, even though this place was swarming with ATV's.

As far as getting my facts straight regarding ATV usage and handicapped access, all I can say is that I know my facts, I have copies of all of the rulings and forest usage guidelines and everything. I am active in all the ranger meetings and stuff but don't take that the wrong way, I'm trying to fight for a designated off-road area in Shawnee for legal Jeep access. I know some rangers up there, personal friend of a friend type of thing so I've heard some inside stories. First of all, yes, it is a misdemeanor, no it's not a felony, and I'm just asking, not accusing. Back probably in what, 1994, a judge ruled that handicapped people can use ATV's on certain designated trails for transportation purposes, and there was little detail beyond that. So basically, with it being very vague and no further detail, other judges have had a hard time interpreting it. Basically they started out thinking that they would be nice and let some conservative handicapped people use ATV's to ride wide trails that often have gravel or other rocks on them such as the River to River trail, and they did say that the handicapped person can bring along one other person on one other ATV. They did NOT mean that a handicapped person can bring all the buddies he wants and blaze new trails and take existing very narrow trails and turn them into their personal mud pit and ride through campgrounds in the middle of the night and throw beer cans everywhere while spinning their tires literally everywhere. Unfortunately, due to the vague rulings, you have some of the plainclothes horseback rangers that if they see anybody in a group with handicapped sticker, they're free to go, no matter what. But then you have the other end where they want to stake out stuff at night and issue $1,000 fines and a misdemeanor and possibly ATV confiscation or however you spell it. Right now I think it's only like a $300 fine, but yes, some of the rangers are getting rather pissed. They are mostly only mad about the wilderness areas and a few places by Carbondale though, but I haven't seen any of that damage so I don't know what's going on. If I hear about serious damage, I try to just go somewhere else and not even bother.

Luckily for the ATV users, they are only concentrating on the wilderness areas. If you go into one of those, you could get in trouble pretty quick just for being there with an ATV, just as a fair warning. As for everywhere else, well, there just isn't much manpower. There are only a few rangers who can do anything about ATV's and you're talking about 1,000 miles of trail. The only times that they really do anything is that if they get intelligence reports and they know that there is going to be a big party or whatever and then they have to coordinate with the state police and use their helicopters.

As far as me stopping you or anybody else on an ATV, holy crap, do you think I'm that stupid? I really don't want to get shot. The thing is that there's only two situations up there as far as I'm concerned. One is that somebody is being totally responsible and not tearing the place up, and I would simply wave as you passed. Second situation is that the place is just totally trashed, and I would never be there to begin with. So basically don't be preaching to me about any fake cop crap, you're talking to the wrong guy.

 

Back to the original subject, I had an ATV that was destroyed in a fire and there's a chance that I can get a new one out of it. Problem is that I really don't know what to get. The insurance company wants me to write down the cheapest entry level ATV, so I wrote down $3,700 for a Honda 250EX. I used to ride at Turkey Bay every weekend when I had a CJ5 and I have been all over that place in 2wd so a 4x4 four wheeler doesn't really appeal to me, I'd rather just have a small winch for emergencies and be able to snake in and out of the trees easier. I need to use it for yard chores and hunting too. I saw where there is one company who is making full rear racks for a 250EX so I've been thinking that I can do minor utility chores if I had that. However I need to haul a small trailer around too and I forget whether the sport models have a hole for a trailer ball. Anyway, I recently came across a used 2005 2wd rancher that's $2,700 or less. It's probably like 150 pounds heavier but it does have a 350 engine and this one has very low mileage. I do like the tougher plastic on the utility models because of what I want to use it for, but most of the time I will simply be raising hell at off-road parks or the family farm and I am concerned about the handling and speed of the rancher because my grandfather has one and it's dog slow, and the handling sucks but I've been thinking that it's because of the older version of the full time 4x4. I don't know, maybe I'll go to the Honda shop and see if I can test drive all of them.

 

you need to find somebody else to argue with bud...nobody round my place tearing up the woods.and even if i was do you think i would admit it on a open forum?to some internet treehugger..you need to work on your people skills now that you got your speechwriting up to par.theres nothing left to say,so you should just give it a rest.but something tells me you won't.i had a girlfriend like that once.stupid bitch that wouldnt shut-up..geez

 

Then obviously I have no argument with you so you have no need to get defensive. Peace and happy trails and all that jazz.

I WOULD like to hear somebody comment on my ATV question though, I really do have no idea what to get. I've been doing some research and it looks like Polaris has a few models that are more in between the sport and utility types, maybe that would be a better option. Some of them have the weird transmission though, the kind that only has forward, reverse, and neutral. I'm not sure if I would like that or not. I just want a fast trail rider that I can still haul some stuff around on, nothing hardcore for either task.


EDIT: Also, just because I can't shut up, I'd like to publically apologize because your reaction wasn't my intention, if you weren't involved at all I assumed I would just get a "Nope, wasn't me, sucks that a small number of irresponsible ATV users give the rest of us a bad name though". Maybe I'm just used to dealing with folks that have better people skills, sorry.

 

I JUST BOUGHT A FOREMAN 500 IN NATCHEZ MS, FOR 3,699 AND IT IS GREAT. I ALSO ADDED THE MUD LITE TIRES AND WARN 2500 LB WINCH.