Im sorry, but I hate when people think its alright to go down muddy trails and tare them up, public land or not. People like you is why all the trails and public land is getting shut down just because of the lack of respect. I grew up around the farms and it kinds of gets expense when you break and axle on the grain truck because some people decided to rut it up. To alot of guys its no different then me taking a drive through your lawn in town. Its just a respect thing, cause ive seen alot of land get posted around here just because of the same thing you guys did...

 

Hey I do it all the time man, but that doesnt mean I'm going on farm trails, hell I don't even go where the trail is marked "no motorized vehicles". Alot of trails we use are ATV trails, that ALREADY have huge holes and ruts, we just take advantage of them.

I understand what your mean but I'm just trying to explain that just because we tear up trails, doesnt mean we have no respect for anyone. I'm sure they would have thought twice if they saw it was farm land.

 

From my past expierence, atleast in my county. There doesn't have to be a sign posted.. If you don't personally own the land, or have a written statement from the owner, they can write you a ticket! Almost got locked up 6yrs back, we were offroading where everyone did, but the cops started crackin down and he thought he had seen me before... talk about scary!

 

I love how you got a pic with the cop haha

 

Its not a disrespect thing. Had we of known it wasn't an actual road we wouldn't of done that. We dont actually have any trails around here. So muddy roads is pretty much all we have. We dont want to make farmers, hunters or anyone else's life harder trying to do what they need too. Also we didn't tare it up as much as you think. There we're trucks running larger tires then us that we're trying to go back there, but they saw the game warden and didn't. He wanted to go after them. The guys running those large tires are the one's really taring things up.

 

****ing seriously?

like tearing up public land is soooo much better? damn.

 

You know what im not goin to flame you or bash you like you did us because you didn't understand,and because i respect you. AS stated we didn't KNOW!!! it was part of a management area that apperantley a section of was private farm land. NO SIGNS WERE POSTED STATING OTHERWISE and for all i knew they had planted what lil bit of corn that was back there was for wildlife. IF we had known that was what it was we would have respected that and not gone back there! NOW that we do know i have already told others that i know that go back into that area not too,as we will not return either. I was very embarrased and felt bad after the fact that it was what it was. I do not like doing that NOR do i ever encourage it!!

 

IT DOESNT MATTER IF ITS PRIVATE OR PUBLIC! Tearing up public land isn't cool. what part of that doesnt get through your mind?

Sure i wheel, i wheel at parks, and at times my right foot gets heavy.. but its on private land, on trails that were cut to be wheeled on.

 

I agree, and obviously so did the game warden. Live and learn, everyone makes poor choices.

 

Atleast somebody is on the same page as me, your front yard isn't posted so does that mean I can drive through it anytime I want? Its the same thing...

 

I agree on this part. Just because it doesn't have a private property sign on it doesn't mean its public land. Ask me how I know...

 

LMAO!!!!! I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOUR POINTS HERE!!! what im sayin is this area that we go there is alot of those type areas out there. THIS particular spot we went to we didn't realize that it was a NO WHEELING area!! im not the type to tear up peoples private property nor do i condone it!! YES i was in the wrong and will gladly pay the fine. It was a lesson learned and i will not return to that area. I am the one also that says people who go out and purposely tear crap up for the sake of tearing it up is WRONG!!! and yes WHERE we were, we were wrong!! and i accept ALL penilties that accure from that.

 

You know guys there are places that are public land AND allow wheeling, like where I go. Just because it isn't your property doesn't mean you can't touch it. Around here if there are no signs saying not to enter, we are ALLOWED TO GO. The only thing keeping us out of trails, are signs, and if there are no signs, it's legal to go there.

 

unless someone tore the signs down. I've been places i knew i shouldn't have been but the sign was gone.. Doesn't make it right.

 

You obviously dont get the fact that we are ADMITTING our wrong. Did we say it was right? No. Are we trying to fight the tickets NO. We we're wrong, we are going to pay the tickets and we aren't going back there to wheel anymore. Hell I wouldn't even call it that. It mostly went back there just to hit some puddles. Nothing that would cause any damage. We went on what we THOUGHT was part of the road. Ended up being wrong. It looked like a road because people long before us started taring it up. In no way shape or form did we say it was right to do what we did and again for the billionth time. Had we of known it wasn't a road. WE WOULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT. End of story...

Everyone is entitled to make mistakes and thats what it was. We learned from it.

 

Yeah the game warden said they were tryin to keep signs up, but people keep tearing them down and or shooting them up. there were no signs up and haven't been for some time.

 

Yes we learned.. Wish people would read and take in what we say.. we all learned a leason and we will never do it agian.. We are going to pay all fines and anything they want us to do..

 

looks like yall had a blast. too bad about the tickets. how did those KM2's work for you guys?

 

MIne did great even when packed but cleaned easily!! mike is 2wd and was doin just fine too bad he was scared to go where i did...i did most of it in 2wd...lol!!!

 

I don't know why he (Mike) was shy... he was driving right behind a 2WD Ranger, last May, that went up a hill that YOU didn't make it up on the first try (Josh!) hahahaha!!

:P

 

EH!! its all in the approach angle!!!! LMAO!!!!

 

yeah, and having your electric transfer case switches hooked up!! LOL!!

 

You should fight the tickets. I bet you'll get them thrown out if the signs were down.

 

Yeah thats what i thought too. but i am gonna wait and see what the fine is. the bond is $300 but if you pay the fine before the court date you dont have to pay the bond. I'll wait and see what the fine is and see if its worth the risk of goin to court and paying the bond and fine if it doesn't go my way.....lol!!

 

I missed a bit here it looks like, not just talking about the tickets either.

These are their Rules pulled straight from their site, which I've read before we went on our first trip a month or so back. There is NO CLAUSE restricting us from what we were doing.

The land that we wheel (well, did) on is an actual park, not just open land in the middle of nowhere. This place is a decent size, and TONS of people use this land without any restrictions by signs, warnings, etc. We had even talked to a few guys last week who were training their hunting dogs and they were even askin how the trails were after they saw our trucks, meaning they know thats what they are used for, and it's a common thing. People don't do "cloak and dagger wheeling" at Swan Creek. We are not destructive guys at all, we are always respectful, and if we would have known that the land that we were on was off limits to what we were doing, we wouldn't have been doing it, simply put.

IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL:
1. To hunt, trap, use dogs, possess firearms, ammunition, traps or bow and arrow, except bow fishing equipment from March 1-August 31, without a valid permit. A permit is valid only during scheduled management
or refuge area seasons during legal hunting hours and only with the required licenses and stamps and weapons and ammunition permitted for hunting the wildlife listed on permit. See (22) for limited exception for
certain lawfully licensed handguns possessed for personal protection.
2. To use dogs for hunting, training or any purpose from March 1 to the opening of the following fall gun season.
3. For any person under 16 years of age to hunt on the management area unless accompanied by a licensed hunter at all times.
4. For any person to carry firearms in or on a vehicle, any of the following, any firearm (including pistols) with ammunition in the magazine, breech or clip attached to firearms or black powder weapons with primer,
cap or flash powder in place, or cocked crossbows. See (22) for limited exception for certain lawfully licensed handguns possessed for personal protection.
5. To camp in the management areas. No warming fires shall be permitted on the areas.
6. To kill or willfully molest any species of wildlife except those designated for hunting. However, this regulation shall not apply to coyote or feral swine, which may be killed during all scheduled management area
hunts, when possessing a valid permit and using weapons and ammunition that are legal for such designated hunts. Additionally, bobcat and fox may be killed during deer and turkey seasons in that county, when
possessing a valid permit and using weapons and ammunition that are legal for any open designated WMA hunt (DAYLIGHT HOURS ONLY) (NO DOGS ALLOWED). Only one fox may be harvested per day.
7. To discharge fireworks at any time.
8. To discharge firearms for target practice, except on the designated target range.
9. To hunt or discharge firearms within 150 yards of any camping area, dwelling, dam or timber operation, within 100 yards of any paved public road or highway, within a posted safety zone, or on Sunday within onehalf
mile of any church.
10. To use fire to smoke out game.
11. For any person except authorized personnel to operate any motor driven vehicle behind, under or around any locked gate, barricaded road or sign which prohibits vehicular traffic.
12. For any unauthorized person at any time to operate a motor scooter, motorcycle, motorized trail bike, or any motor driven vehicle on the management area (WMA) except on regularly used roads open for public
use by four wheel vehicle traffic.
13. To ride or possess horses except on roads or trails open to four-wheel motorized vehicles or on roads, trails, or in areas designated as open to horses. Riding or possession of horses shall be
restricted to holders of a current valid Wildlife Management Area license and a valid wildlife management area permit.
14. For any person except authorized personnel to block or otherwise stop traffic on any road or at any gate by parking a vehicle in such a way that passage around the vehicle is impossible.
15. To deposit, distribute or scatter grain, salt, litter, or any other materials on management area prior to receiving approval from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
16. To damage or remove any artifacts, trees, crops or other plants, dirt, gravel or sod from management area without legal authorization.
17. To erect or use a permanent tree stand or scaffold without written permission from the landowner.
18. To hunt from an elevated stand or platform without first attaching themselves to the tree or platform with a full body safety harness capable of supporting their weight.
19. For any person to release any animal, bird, fish, or other wildlife without first obtaining permission from the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division.
20. For any person to take, catch, kill or attempt to take, catch, or kill mussels during the prescribed waterfowl hunting season.
21. For any person to hunt blackbirds during the regular waterfowl season.
22. Nothing in this regulation prohibits or requires a wildlife area permit for the possession of handguns by lawfully licensed persons for personal protection, provided the handguns are not used to hunt or take or to
attempt to take wildlife except as otherwise provided by this regulation.
The following regulations will apply only to the dewatering slough within the Swan Creek Wildlife Management Area:
23. To leave their vehicle parked at the approved launching sites; hunters must use the designated parking areas. However, approved handicapped vehicles may be parked at the designated handicap parking location at
the main launch only.
24. Anyone launching a boat, preparing to hunt waterfowl within the dewatering unit may not depart any launch site before 4:00AM daily. With the exception above, all other hunters preparing to hunt waterfowl
within the dewatering unit shall not be allowed in the water before 4:00AM daily. All boats and boat blinds used in the harvest of waterfowl within the dewatering area shall be floated to an approved launching site
for overnight mooring or removed from the dewatering unit no later than 7:00PM daily.
25. To take fish for commercial purposes and/or to use commercial fishing gear within the dewatering unit from Nov. 1-Jan. 31 of each fiscal year.
26. To use airboats on the dewatering sloughs.
27. It shall be illegal to install permanent waterfowl blinds (those using building materials and/or remaining in position overnight anywhere on the Swan Creek or Mallard-Fox Creek WMA except on the Swan Creek
WMA dewatering unit where specified. All such blinds to be placed in the dewatering area must be registered with Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division officials in accordance with the Regulations and
Permanent Blind Drawing Qualification Procedures.




So before you start making comments regarding how "disrespectful we are" and names like "people like you" maybe you should actually know a little more about us, the land we wheel on, and our decisions based on existing actions by other people without issue, their rules for the park, and no posted signs, thanks.


On to a lighter note with everyone else.....this was the text I got while I was at work at the time which is absolutely priceless.....