ATV use in FS land and roads.

[elitejake]

I am new to owning a ATV. Fell into a running 83 big red for $100 with trailer.
Now I want to use it to hunt. I am planning to hunt north of Easton for archery elk.
Can I run the ATV in the road and can I run it in the woods? What google has shown is really uninformed

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[EHJ]

I am new to owning a ATV. Fell into a running 83 big red for $100 with trailer.
Now I want to use it to hunt. I am planning to hunt north of Easton for archery elk.
Can I run the ATV in the road and can I run it in the woods? What google has shown is really uninformed

In Oregon - you'd need an ATV safety education card
and an Oregon ATV Permit for the vehicle.

Oregon Parks and Recreation : ATV Safety Card : Ride ATVs : State of Oregon

Oregon requires a Safety Education for people operating ATVs on public land. This card is FREE and available online at www.rideATVOregon.org.

www.oregon.gov

rideATVoregon | Welcome

The official site of the State of Oregon online atv safety education program. This site provides 100% free online atv saftey certification at no cost. After passing the test you will be mailed an ATV safety education card at no cost.

www.rideatvoregon.org

No idea about Washington.

 

[whitney]

@elitejake Following are two good resources to study. You need to make some decisions on how you intend to use the machine. Unfortunately Washington DOL does not make this a common sense issue. I have a small dirt bike I ride on the trails and logging roads in the national forest and keep current "on road" tabs so I can also use it on road.
~Whitney

Guide to ATV and UTV Laws in Washington | ATV Man

Continuing in our series of articles analyzing the ATV laws in every state, which stemmed from this article, we are addressing the ATV laws in…

atvman.com

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3799973.pdf

 

[elitejake]

Thank you for the info.
the best part of that whole thing that sticks me in a grey area is the 4or more wheels. Honda big reds have 3 wheels. Oh well I'll fallow the common sense approach and not tear stuff up any way.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

You are allowed to run on all state and national FS roads unless otherwise specified. You need an OHV sticker to use OHV areas. One thing that many folks don't know is that you are required to stay on established trails and roads. "Bushwhacking" is illegal. Stay off paved roads and have a great time. Make sure you have a good spark arrestor as well.

 

[RVTECH]

You are allowed to run on all state

When did this change?

It has long been illegal to ride a non-licensed ATV on a HORIZONTALLY numbered STATE road (in Oregon) such as the '44' road along the Deschutes river near where I live and once got a ticket for doing so.

Vertically marked FS roads are OK.

I sold my quad a few years ago due to the increasing legal difficulty of riding them in Oregon.

 

[elitejake]

If bush wacking is illegal then I'd say the guy who rode a dirt bike threw my hunting set last year 2 miles back in the woods was def runing illegal

 

[MrRob96]

As stated above I think you need a plated vehicle on FS roads. I don't have law to quote but when going into Baker forest there are big signs that say OHVs are illegal on forest roads.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...Vaw3nGs6UxMLxYKywLF8yRW7T&cshid=1597280886704

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[oldcorpgunny]

I am new to owning a ATV. Fell into a running 83 big red for $100 with trailer.
Now I want to use it to hunt. I am planning to hunt north of Easton for archery elk.
Can I run the ATV in the road and can I run it in the woods? What google has shown is really uninformed

I retired from WDFW and ATV's always presented a problem for the enforcement folks. I've been gone for a while, but would suggest that you go to one of the regional office (if you're in Snohomish then yours is in Mill Creek) and talk to them. I've got a CFMOTO ZForce 800 that I use in AZ.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

As stated above I think you need a plated vehicle on FS roads. I don't have law to quote but when going into Baker forest there are big signs that say OHVs are illegal on forest roads.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...Vaw3nGs6UxMLxYKywLF8yRW7T&cshid=1597280886704

[/URL]

It looks like the answer is not as black and white as I originally thought. Each area, in both state and federal lands, have different regulations on ATV use. Some allow them on forest service roads, and some do not.

You'll need to call the governing office of the place your looking to ride on get confirmation.

 

[RVTECH]

It looks like the answer is not as black and white as I originally thought. Each area, in both state and federal lands, have different regulations on ATV use. Some allow them on forest service roads, and some do not.

Very true. If I recall it was around 2012 when the Forest Circus made some really dramatic changes in OHV usage rules so I made an appointment with them to sit down in the Bend office to go over it.

After a couple hours I learned very little, was given a stack of very confusion (and somewhat crudely produced) maps of all the NF areas in Oregon and a folding card that covered the 'basic' rules and regs and needed to be carried in the OHV.

I also discovered that opinions varied depending on the FS LEO who I was stopped by when out in the woods - and over the years I had been stopped by enough to know they did not have a 'handle' on the laws either.

I finally sold my quad in 2014 and bought another Jeep. I figured I could go almost anywhere in the in the Jeep I could with the quad, be legal, carry more and more comfortably!