By Mike Willis
Many people will shy away from hunting limited access areas. Hunters have grown fond of their ATV’s as hunting companions. While it is convenient to have the quad nearby, non-motorized access areas can produce some of the best opportunities out there!
Let’s face it; there’s nothing worse than hearing the sound of an ATV, blasting up your trail, when stalking a herd of elk or deer.
Non-motorized access areas allow you the opportunity to get into unpressured and quality animals. In areas with road warriors lurking at every corner, it can be difficult to encounter anything noteworthy.
As soon as you break a sweat, you have already separated yourself from half the hunters out there. The trick to separating yourself, even more, is to utilize unorthodox tactics for big-game.
Mountain bikes provide swift and silent access to areas that generally take hours to reach. Additionally, the sound of a cyclist doesn’t pose the same threat as a hunter traversing through the woods.
When I have biked into hunting areas, I have had deer and elk stand in wide-open spaces staring with curiosity. They will watch me intently to learn about this mysterious mode of transportation. These same animals would typically spook and blow out of there if I was on foot!
One important consideration is that biking is not easier for hunting! It’s hard work peddling through forest roads and access trails. I keep panniers loaded with a change of clothes and scent-free wipes to freshen up when reaching my destination. If you can end your ride at a creek, that is an excellent way to wash-up before switching into your hunting clothes.
The real advantage is your time saved and stealthy arrival. For those fortunate enough to harvest an animal, biking can expedite packing out your meat. Just remember, going down hurts with a pack on! For this reason, it’s a good idea to stick to forest roads and trails to ensure you don’t force-feed yourself dirt.
To think that you are going to ride up a mountain without training is unreasonable. Until you get conditioned for this activity, it’s a good strategy to push the bike up and ride down. While there is a little more work involved with pushing the bike up, you will feel like a hero on the descent.
Have you ever hiked miles just to encounter another hunter? For the guy on a bike, this is not a big deal. As you roll on by the competition, they will be sure to question their commitment.
When that elk bugles or the turkey gobbles two ridges over, saddle up! What traditionally has been well out of range, now is entirely feasible to pursue.
One downfall of some bikes is the clicking sound they make when coasting. Some bikes are worse than others. Rear hubs can be packed with grease on most models to tone this down. Otherwise, keep the pedals moving forward, even if you are not actually providing power to the rear wheel. This will silence the noise when you need to be quiet.
Wider tires have become more popular than ever. A good wide tire will save you from biting it on a steep descent. Don’t go from hero to zero! Keep speeds controllable.
Unfortunately, consideration must be given to security. Keep a good, long, cable lock with you so that someone else doesn’t take the easy way down the trail at your expense.
Keep some water bottles on the bike to help replenish the additional fluids you will lose while exerting the extra effort.
I keep my rifle slung to my back. There are some cheap, but highly functional mudguards to keep you from rooster tailing mud from the top to the bottom of your rifle. It is also a good idea to keep covers on your scope just in case.
With your new stealthy approach to your favorite hunting spot, be ready for some fast action as you coast in for the kill.