dont take a leak off the trail. last year that hapend to me they stoped to see if i broke down no big deal 2 years ago got a speeding ticket for 65 at night i learned the hard way. Were killing our own sport. if you have a idea how to fix it with out johny law LET US KNOW!
why put signs up?
- Thread starter deerhunter
- Start date
I think it is alright for now that Dane closed their trails because of this ongoing problem. Now maybe other counties will follow their lead and do the same when the same problem occurs elsewhere. After a couple of years or so of ongoing trail closures because of riders being off trail, maybe these bone-heads will get the picture.
It seems that many want to keep law enforcement out of it, but I've always said that you have to hit the problem people where it hurts. And that is big fines and/or points on your license up to losing a license. Make trail laws the same as for the road and enforce it. Many problems would go away. If you are doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about. If you are worried about being stopped by the law, you must be part of the problem.
It seems that many want to keep law enforcement out of it, but I've always said that you have to hit the problem people where it hurts. And that is big fines and/or points on your license up to losing a license. Make trail laws the same as for the road and enforce it. Many problems would go away. If you are doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about. If you are worried about being stopped by the law, you must be part of the problem.
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Just called the hotline for Dane county. The SW quadrant is indeed closed for this reason. I say good for them too! Message specifically said due to off trail riding and trespassing. Stupidity, selfish, immature, irresponsible, etc....Nice work!!! The affected area is all trails west of hwy 14, and south of hwy 18/151
Agree 100%. You have to find some way to provide enough of a deterrent to keep the idiots from going off the trail, or the trails will continue to close. Maybe you can't stop stupid people or maybe the efforts to do so will keep good people off the trails. I don't think there is an easy answer, but it's worth trying.
On the plus side, it seems as if the loud sled problem has largely gone away, probably both from deterrents from Johnny Police and from peer pressure, as the sledding community has grown tired of the idiots with pipes. Maybe that's a sign that people will step up and try to turn in the trespassing folks.
I don't understand how any true snowmobiler can possibly think that closing trails is in any way , shape, or form, a "good" thing????? I hate to burst your bubbles, but once a trail closes, the chances of it EVER being reopened, are slim to none! The morons will just move on to the next section of trail, until they get that closed too. Soon enough, the sport will be gone altogether. Your never going to "govern" the stupid out of people.
I think the forced club membership for all registered sleds, or something along these lines is a more proactive solution for the sport. Maybe a mandatory class or something before your allowed to register a sled. Somehow make it more difficult for just anybody to pick up a sled and go "tear it up". Some sort of deterrent or attempt to weed out the people who are not truly vested in the sport.
I think the forced club membership for all registered sleds, or something along these lines is a more proactive solution for the sport. Maybe a mandatory class or something before your allowed to register a sled. Somehow make it more difficult for just anybody to pick up a sled and go "tear it up". Some sort of deterrent or attempt to weed out the people who are not truly vested in the sport.
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I don't think forced membership will accomplish what we would want it to. A forced member isn't going to do any work or go to any meetings to learn anything. We would get their extra $10-20 and never see them again.
Maybe something along the lines of a $100 trail fee per year to any sledder with less than 3 years of club membership. If they are not going to be of any benefit to a club we don't need them, just their money.
Maybe something along the lines of a $100 trail fee per year to any sledder with less than 3 years of club membership. If they are not going to be of any benefit to a club we don't need them, just their money.
deerhunter
New member
i think its great!!! mad!!!, i dont get to ride from my inlaws anymore but this had to be done. how does this problem get fixed if no johny law is used??? im thinking reward money for turning in riders that dont obey. you turn someone is for tresspassing... $20 bucks. if you get caught for speeding thats your own fault.... i think there also alot of people riding around down here that have never ridden in southern wisconsin and have only ridden in the north woods were theres fire roads and logging roads thats its aloud on. down here this is farm land and if you tear a alfalfa field up you just cost the farmer money on something he didnt have to let happen and open his gates for trails. they have tip lines for hunting and fishing they should have it for recreational use as well.
upbarleyboy
New member
How about placing some randomly placed boulders in areas that are most vulnerable and tempting. I know....the landowners are held liable if somebody gets hurt even if it clearly marked as not rideable land (yet another problem with our justice system). If I owned land and was having issues, it sure would be tempting to teach these morons the hard way. I can't stand stupid people, and it sure seems like there are more and more of them these days.
OK, so maybe "great" was not the correct term to use, I apoligize. The fact is this is maybe what it will take. I know a closed trail may never reopen, and thats not a good thing, we have enough issues to deal with to keep trails open.
I do think that big fines and enforcement is needed. What is to stop these idiots from doing the same thing in the next county if they never see the law on the trail. Nothing to make them believe they will ever be caught. Like I said before, if you are not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about. So we shouldn't worry about seeing law enforcement on the trail.
I think we all want what is best for our sport, it's just that there are so many opinions, and what is right. I've been married long enough to know that I am rarely right.
I do think that big fines and enforcement is needed. What is to stop these idiots from doing the same thing in the next county if they never see the law on the trail. Nothing to make them believe they will ever be caught. Like I said before, if you are not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about. So we shouldn't worry about seeing law enforcement on the trail.
I think we all want what is best for our sport, it's just that there are so many opinions, and what is right. I've been married long enough to know that I am rarely right.
I don't have any problem with more presence. I just fear the overzealous types who will be out there writing tickets for any stupid little thing they can. Half of them don't even know the state snowmobile laws (at least in IL). Just hoping and praying you'll make some small mistake, like placing your registration sticker an inch to low, so they can pounce and suck some money out of your wallet. That crap drives me nuts and it takes all the fun right out of it.
? Like I said in my earlier replies, you WILL NOT get these people to quit driving off the trail. I spent a lot of time patching things up with land owners who got their yards ripped up, alfalfa torn up, and fences ripped down. That was almost 20 years ago! It hasn't changed, it never will change. Each club needs some good PR people to deal with the problems. Damage control. Tickets for tresspassing? Yeah, that will help. I am pretty sure cocaine is illegal too and people get busted for that every day. You won't get every single person to understand the consequence of their actions. Some people don't care. And, like I said before, there are many, many more sleds out there now than there were 20 years ago. The problem is going to look worse now than it was before, but it is exactly the same as it was before. Same percentage of yahoo's. Just more sleds. Get used to it. You may catch someone trespassing, but there will be 20 more that do it tomorrow that you don't catch. Whether you fine them big or not.
Just sayin'
Just sayin'
deerhunter
New member
that actually sounds like a good idea with pl,owing along corners. dnr is starting to do that around public hunting ground parking lots because of people driving beyond the parking lot