sled friendly towns ?

we have lived in merrill wi for 12 years and saturday my wife and i had just rode our sleds in the drive way from a over night trip when a cop pulled in and starts chewing us out for riding on the street .we live 2 blocks from being out of town to get to the trail .i know you are not to ride on the streets but have been doing it for 12 years with no problems .i even rode past cops before and they just waved .one even lives 1 block away and i go past his house .we go slow and keep it down .i have only lived in 2 other towns in my life and both you could ride any rode as long as it was the shortest way to the trail .when you live in snow country i think this is the way it should be .just wanted to know if the towns you live in are sled friendly or are they like this $%&*&% town .lets here it .thanks

I live in Antigo just 27mi east of you and we have no issues over here rode from the back yard to the trail all winter.I would bring it up to the local clubs if there is an ordinance and try to get it changed.The town looses money by not letting them in and out.
 

indy_500

Well-known member
You know, it just kills me that the cops or dnr think we like running down the concrete street, or we are doing it to be bad guys. Yea, I like burning hifax and 150$ carbides to look for gas in your one horse town! Do they think these things run on melted snow, or what?!

x2

They think we WANT to tear up the town. That's where the problem starts... Most cops just don't get it.
 

classicchick

New member
It might be best to check with local communities what is allowed. Some
towns in Ontonagon County allow access only for services, trail access,
residences etc. There's a speed limit designated for the Village of Ontonagon.
 
Last edited:

robocopf7

New member
Understand that the officers are enforcing the laws, not making them up. The town of Merrill has apparently decided to ban riding sleds in the village limits. Either the original poster get caught/ticketed or the town people have to come together to change the ordinance.

That being said, I whole heartedly disagree with "ripping someone a new ***". Our friendly MSP troopers here apparently operate on the adage that if they don't write a ticket, then they have the free rein to verbally assault. The public deserves to be treated with professional demeanor in all circumstances, even if they don't deserve it. If people are in the wrong, is there is reason to be a *** to them? It is possible to enforce the law without being rude or short. Just don't lump all cops as ruthless, rude, power hungry ticket writers.

In our area, we had to form a snowmobile task force in the 90s due to the "wild west" snowmobile atmosphere (speeding, trespassing etc). Maybe Merrill town folk decided it would be better to outright ban sleds, rather then attempt to find a balance. Some towns don't care about sled business. Scary thought.
 

indy_500

Well-known member
In Greenville Wisconsin you can ride down town streets and roads legally to get to the trail. Techinically, the law states in the right of way but they mean not beyond the shoulder. Everyone ditchbangs anyways. The only problems we run into is we have walking trails all over our town and people start riding on them, then the town gets mad. Of course you will run into a stubborn cop that thinks snowmobiling is banned everywhere except for the snowmobile trail. Just wish some of them knew the rules. That is why i carry a snowmobile law book in my jacket. Of course all of them "don't know the rules". But, it'd be nicer to see more who know 'em.
 
Last edited:

sjshaner

New member
Cop at the doorstep.

Well, Indy, what happened? What was it all about? Was there a problem with your ditchbanging? You have me wondering now. We had a farmer come by our house a few weeks ago asking about someone riding in his field. It wasn't us, but he said he saw we had sleds (they were parked out front) when he drove by and was just asking to see if it was us or if we knew who it was. He was very nice about it, but just wanted to let us know that the person he leases the land from didn't want anyone riding on it. Just wondering if it is a case of they know you have one so they stopped by you first.
 

indy_500

Well-known member
It's a long story. This stupid forestry group planted hundreds of trees next to me, killed all the grass, the trees are all dead from all the grass killer and the thing looks like he11. Well, the cop shows up and says he sees tracks going thru it and goes on and on about how they got grants to do this and whatnot. Then he pulls into the school parking lot next to my house and must've went towards the front of the school. Well, 5 minutes after the cop left my house, the head of the forestry group drove by. This lady really ticks me off, she's so lazy, and thinks this thing is just wonderful for the enviroment. Yup lets throw some more grass killer down! They get the town to dump mulch for them to spread around the trees and the mulch sits there and never gets spread. I mowed this thing all summer so it didnt look so bad. I mowed it every summer before they planted the trees and this is what i get. Guess who's not mowing it next year? I had no beef with the cop, he was nice about it, and i have nothing to argue about with him. They also thought some certain trees were on school property although they were clearly on ours and we maintained them forever since we've lived here. The day they spread a few bucketloads of mulch, they spread it all over our yard around these trees, we scooped it all up and spread it around on the only section of grass they leave living which is in front of this "forest" next to the road. They weren't too happy, but that's their fault.
 
Last edited:

indy_500

Well-known member
these are a few pictures i have of trees that tipped over in the "forest" after a storm this summer. THese trees sat here for 2-3 months before being picked up. Notice all the weeds growing thru the killed grass. Those weeds grew past my knees and didn't get trimmed till i took a weed-eater to all of them because i was sick of looking at them.
 

Attachments

  • snowmobile 121.jpg
    snowmobile 121.jpg
    88 KB · Views: 41
  • snowmobile 124.jpg
    snowmobile 124.jpg
    73.6 KB · Views: 40
Top