Using Bicycles

[gallogiro]

Anyone here use a bicycle to get to your hunting spot? Good idea or not?

This year I'll be biking past a locked gate during rifle season. It's not too far in, probably 6 miles in. I already saw a few good spots a couple weeks ago when I biked in there. I was surprised that it was actually far more dificult than I expected. I love/hate the descending slopes, gets me there fast but then I think about the way back and what a pain it is to pedal uphill on loose gravel.

I didn't do a lot of planning for this, my buddy and I want to get a way from the crowd a bit so we just decided to give this a try. So I got a bunch of questions that arose from that experience.

• Safe transport of a firearm?

• How do you have your bike setup?

• What type of necessities/tools/hardware? (I want to "pack light")

• How do you haul out a downed animal?

Thanks in advance for any input you may have on this!

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[samuelm16]

me and a buddy got bikes last year my favorite way to use them requires a shuttle vehicle we like to drive the bikes to the highest point we want to hunt and ride our way down to a second vehicle wich sucks to have to drive back up for the topside vehicle but its a lot better than riding bikes up hill, i put a milk crate on a rear rack of my bike wich will hold a pack and extra water and then i sling my rifle over the head and across the shoulders, never hauled out an animal yet but im prepared to basically strap a deer over the frame and walk it out or drape it over the rear rack, we have been talking about getting a towable trailer for elk still have not as of yet

 

[Spray-n-pray]

I tried it last year, but where I hunted elk, it was just too doggone steep!

 

[Izzy]

 

[SCannon]

Two of my friends used to use bike down in Southern Oregon. They would just take their rifles on their backs and cycle the ditch banks. When they knocked something down one would ride back to the truck and bring it for transporting the animal.

 

[gallogiro]

i put a milk crate on a rear rack of my bike wich will hold a pack and extra water and then i sling my rifle over the head and across the shoulders, never hauled out an animal yet but im prepared to basically strap a deer over the frame and walk it out or drape it over the rear rack, we have been talking about getting a towable trailer for elk still have not as of yet

That's a good idea to strap the deer to the bike and walk it out. Or over the shoulder like the pic provided by izzy, lol. I've seen those towable trailers but man, the sturdy looking ones area worth almost twice as much as I paid for my bike.

I tried it last year, but where I hunted elk, it was just too doggone steep!

Luckily where we went it's mixed terrain so you get little breaks. My buddies bike was a solid frame and he scooted up the hills better (better shape than me probably) but I noticed that my bike was really bouncy because it has the shock/swing arm and it lost a lot of grip going uphill because it would just jump around everytime I torqued on it.

 

[gallogiro]

Ahh... new question!

Does anyone know if an electric assist bike classifies as a motorized vehicle?

 

[gallogiro]

Two of my friends used to use bike down in Southern Oregon. They would just take their rifles on their backs and cycle the ditch banks. When they knocked something down one would ride back to the truck and bring it for transporting the animal.

Closed gate, bringing the truck is not an option for us. I wish! I really need to do more cardio tonight, lol.

 

[DieselScout]

Ahh... new question!

Does anyone know if an electric assist bike classifies as a motorized vehicle?

I don't know 100% for sure, but I am going to guess that it would. Kinda like a moped would as well, a real mo-ped, with pedals.

 

[gallogiro]

Dang, I've seen some used ones on craigslist and thought they might be good to help out on the steep hills. Plus, they should be fairly silent as well.

 

[gallogiro]

hahaha.. looking for electric transportation for hunting I stumbled upon this..



click to enlarge

 

[Mark W.]

Exactly how many cops do you think will be how far up that closed road looking to give you a ticket for your electric bicycle?

And Idea for game removal if there are two of you. Rig up a couple/three spanner sections to go inbetween your two bikes. That would hold them about 15-18" apart, Then the top tube would make a nice saddle for drapping a critter over then you walk it out.

 

[gallogiro]

That's true. I do see the state troopers are hitting the area a little harder than previous years though. Mark, Do you hunt the abiqua basin?

So here is a quote from a different forum about the use of electric bikes:

I own an electric bike business in Oregon. We are getting more and more questions about using electric bikes for hunting and fishing.

The answer is YES. Electric bikes are legal off road. By law if an electric travels less than 25 mph on it's own power is falls under the same rules and regulations as a bicycle.

So, whether you need an off road rugged bike for hunting or a light weight folder for fishing, we have it.

I wish I could find the actual defenition though. Regardless, it's too much of an investment for me right now this close to hunting season. But if it's legal, I might be tempted to purchase one.

 

[Mark W.]

I
have hunted parts pf the basin as well areas around it as well

 

[DieselScout]

That's true. I do see the state troopers are hitting the area a little harder than previous years though. Mark, Do you hunt the abiqua basin?

So here is a quote from a different forum about the use of electric bikes:



I wish I could find the actual defenition though. Regardless, it's too much of an investment for me right now this close to hunting season. But if it's legal, I might be tempted to purchase one.

<broken link removed>

They don't come out and say if it's a motorized vehicle or not, but when they talk about some of the violations you can be cited for it's implied that it is.

And I found this article as well, a court case where a judge ruled an electric bike was a motorized vehicle. Granted it's a municiple judge, but it shows the law is a grey area at best.

<broken link removed>

And another article about the same thing from the Oregonian

Oregonian link

 

[gallogiro]

I just called BLM, salem office, and asked about the defenition of a motorized vehicle. I was told by the lady that any type of motor is a motorized vehicle, gas or electric. So I rephrased it, I said, "OK, what if I have an electric assit bicycle? I still pedal and I am the primary source of energy to move the bike, however, it has an electric motor to help me go uphill, while I still pedal."

She has me hold and I can hear them talking in the background and then comes back on the line, "Yes, you would be allowed to use such bicycle on roads where motorized vehicle access is not allowed."

Something tells me you could still get fined depending on the trooper if you get questioned for it.

 

[gallogiro]

ORS 801.258:

"Electric assisted bicycle." "Electric assisted bicycle" means a vehicle that:

(1) Is designed to be operated on the ground on wheels;

(2) Has a seat or saddle for use of the rider,

(3) Is designed to travel with not more than three wheels in contact with the ground;

(4) Has both fully operative pedals for human propulsion and an electric motor; and

(5) Is equipped with an electric motor that:

(a) Has a power output of not more than 1,000 watts; and

(b) Is incapable of propelling the vehicle at a speed of greater than 20 miles per hour on level ground.

One of the news stories said the judge ruled against him because he was missing a pedal and could not propel himself without the assistance of the motor. Lots of good info.

Again, not in the market for an e-bike now but it's good to know. Defenitely a gray area. I guess if you get cited and challenge it, the ruling would be the basis for any future cases involving the use of motorized vehicles in public land. Anyone feel like leading the way?

 

[300mag42]

I HAVE A GOLF CART THAT IS ELECTRIC THAT
I USED IN FL. HUNTING HOGS. NEVER HAD
ANY ONESAY ANY THING ABOUT IT IN
WASHINGTON THEY ASKED ME IF I HAD A
THING SO NO WAY TO MAKE A FIRE BUT
THE DOC SAY NO MORE HUNTING SO I WILL
LAY MY FAT A-- IN THE SAND
BUT I HAVE THIS GOLF CART FOR SALE
IT IS RED 2006 LOOK IT UP ON LINE AND
MAKE ME AND OFFER IT IS A YAMAHAL
THANK U ALL I WOULD TAKE A NICE 45 AND SOME$$

AL

 

[Mark W.]

Are the roads gated AND signed NO MOTORIZED VEHICLES? or just gated? To the best of my knowledge having lived in Silverton almost 55 years very very little of the Abiqua Basin is public land.

 

[gallogiro]

No they are gated and signed with a list of rules. Some years the gates are open and some years they are closed. You are right, from my knowledge most of the basin is private but they have an agreement with ODFW. Some type of hunter access program.