I personally think the only way we as atv riders will be be able to keep public land open to us is to form a nation wide club. With dues to hire lobyists to pressure our elected officals. We have a vote lets make it count! VIVA LA TRAILS!!!

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: bigdifficultmeHowever in my area everyone rides in the woods on private property and you almost never have a problem. I think there is a gray area in the laws too. In order to keep people off your land you have to post your property line every 50 feet. No sighns and I go. Legal place to ride? No. Illegal place to ride? I dont think so. </end quote></div>

As a land owner who has been plagued with trespassers such as yourself here is a good rule of thumb. If you don't have explicit permission STAY THE HELL OFF!. I don't see you kicking in with my tax bills or the multi million dollar liability coverage and I don't see you fixing all the damage you do on my property. I don't see you repairing trail damage, repairing fences you cut, helping round up the cattle you let out or pay for the crops and trees you damage. If you're so damned dense that you bought a toy you had no place to play with don't expect me to subsidize your stupidity by providing a free place to ride. Again, if you don't have explicit permission from the landowner STAY THE HELL OFF!.

You can bitch to high heaven about not having anywhere to ride but your own actions prevent any respectable effort to provide public riding areas because landowners have had it with people who don't respect private property. every time people try to get land designated for ATV use we get people like YOU thrown in our face as to why it can't be done. You want to know why the general public HATES ATV owners and why there are no places to ride and why the general public has absolutely no interest in facilitating the sport just look in the mirror.

When more riding areas are closed and more restriction placed on ATVs we'll have people like you to thank.

 

CaptainQuint, Read all of Are You Sick Of This To. In ma. we have 60 acres and a days drive away in canada we have 1500 acres. I have enough land for my toy. When I do leave the property in mass. I usually ride unmaintained roads. When I do go onto private property I HAVE WRITTEN PERMISSION. I actually took the time to go down to the town hall pull the maps and find the land owners to get permission. You would be surprised how much land is owner unknown. I also have written permission from Mass. Audubon ( New Englands LARGEST CONSERVATION ORGIZATION ) to go on there land with my truck,loader, and quad to keep the trails clean. I have also worked out a deal with the town to keep the old roads clean. Our 60acre horse farm is posted every 50'. But I someone asks to ride on it we say ok with conditions. Stay out of the field and driveway. If they dont I try to run them over with my truck. I have 2 notches in my door!!! So to sum it up I do STAY THE HELL OFF!!!

 

Whereabouts do you live "Bigdifficultme" Not that I'm trying to find your trails, There are some rumors in the mix of a MA State wide ATV organization forming soon so if you don't currently belong to a club or if you do, your relationship with the Mass Audubon Society could be beneficial to other respectful riders.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: bigdifficultme

I personally think the only way we as atv riders will be be able to keep public land open to us is to form a nation wide club. With dues to hire lobyists to pressure our elected officals. We have a vote lets make it count! VIVA LA TRAILS!!!</end quote></div>


I completely agree. I have been thinking of doing this for a while but never thought I would be able to gather enough people.

 

Oh and we have plenty of room to ride Quint BUT if we are caught by the cops your done. we try to ride in my woods but with a swamp and not the right tires for now, it can be JUST A BIT HARD. thats about it

 

Well, i am a land owner too, and with all due respect, how can you tell some body to stay off the land, when they won't listen to you? Because i no many riders who don't? And until the state passes a legal ATV riding track i don't think we can keep them off!!!!
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2002 Kawi Mojave 250
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<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: KawiMojave

Well, i am a land owner too, and with all due respect, how can you tell some body to stay off the land, when they won't listen to you? Because i no many riders who don't? And until the state passes a legal ATV riding track i don't think we can keep them off!!!!

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2002 Kawi Mojave 250

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I've had the best luck with restraining orders. Once they're caught and charged with trespassing you have your attorney file restraining orders that keep them from coming on your land. If they are subsequently caught doing so again they get not only a criminal trespass charge but a violation of a restraining order charge. You can get this hiked up to felony charges in some circumstances especially if they're hunting or carrying a firearm while trespassing. Once they start getting slapped with felonies and spending time in the county lockup it tends to get the word out.

 

Wild west, Iam east of athol. I was thinking of trying to join the athol club. Any info. you have on local or state wide clubs would be great. Our relationship with Audubon is a 1 in a million thing. I think the only reason they let us clean it 1 or 2 times a year is because of its remote location ( 1/2 mile in the woods) and the fact that a unmaintained public road runs through the middle of there land and they can not block the old road. Plus my old man has donated large tracts of land to conservation groups and has helped people donate land to mount Grace so he knows how to work with the conservation groups. I dont think any atv clubs would be able to work with Audubon to be honest. Ever read one of there posted sighns. No walking dogs, No pedal bikes, and if you walk on there land you can only stay on the trail.

 

KawiMojave, On our land the only trail in is also the only trail out. So when I hear people on our land I go out and wait for them to head out. I stop them ask them about there bikes tell them about mine etc. then I take a pic. and tell them its private property and it is in there best interest for me not to see them here with out permission. All the time being firm but polite. The second time I catch them I become a jerk, block the trail with them on my land until I want to let them out. Follow them home. Follow their tire tracks to there truck and then block there truck in with mine and wait, sometimes with 4or5 friends. Basically I f with them and there heads until it is not worth it for them to ride on our land. Iam not recomending doing this, but it works well for me. Most riders understand and are respectful. But when the word gets out it can travel very fast when you back it up with certain actions.