Accessing land by bike

[captain caveman]

Anyone planning on or have experience with accessing hunting land with a mountain bike?

[MnFn]

I plan to next year after I retire for the second time.  I have thousands of acres surrounding my hunting land that I can hunt.  But pretty difficult to access from my land.  Can’t imagine how tough it would be to get a deer out of there.

But by going a mile east and a mile south and a mile west ( the last 1.5 miles on a mountain bike or ATV, ) I can be in the thick of it.  I don’t know if it will be any better hunting,  but the idea of it intrigues me. 

I have a friend who has been doing it for awhile and perhaps he will respond.

[elkken]

I purchased an ebike a year ago after a good hunting buddy of mine was telling me how much he enjoyed his, I now have over 700 miles of logging road and trail miles on mine and it's the best purchase i have made in a long time. I have the Rad Rover with 4" tires and unless you live in really STEEP country you will be amazed at the ground you can cover. A 20 miles ride in the Cascades is a piece of cake and i just turned 72 !

I do have a regular mountain bike and unless you are an avid and skilled rider the ebike will leave you miles behind. I paid about what some guys pay for a top end bow for my bike.

[Friend]

Love my Rad Rover...

[katman]

Love my Sanders X fat tire e-bike, a little less expensive than Rad Rover. Quiet access to more remote locations without getting over heated..
Recommend putting slime in tires and adding the plastic liners inside tires to protect tube from damage. Also a fat tire bike handles uneven terrain much better than regular bike tires.

[Sam McMichael]

If I rode a bike into the woods, I would be far too tired and sweaty to hunt.

[captain caveman]

Was curious if deer less alarmed by bike vs approaching by foot.  Hadn’t even considered e bike but great thought for sure.  Main impediment I’m trying to overcome is how to safely carry a bow and broadheads while riding.  Was thinking about attaching to Waldrop pac seat.

[Terry Green]

Enter the word bike in the search feature... making sure you click advance search....
Click subject only...
Click most resent....

Here's a few existing topics...some 2 pagers  pics and video...last one is a 3 pager...

My recommendations are front shock only, not the rear. You want the rear to stay on the ground,  nice padding on the seat with a shock spring  and disc brakes...

http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=169351.msg2884856#msg2884856

http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=105646.msg1984840#msg1984840

http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=104242.msg1958557#msg1958557

http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=104225.msg1958201#msg1958201

http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=97708.msg1816281#msg1816281

http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=94323.msg1754110#msg1754110

http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=88169.msg1636612#msg1636612

http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=87951.msg1632760#msg1632760

http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=82536.msg1515706#msg1515706

[Tim Reese]

Yes I do occasionally but mostly for scouting

[Tim Reese]

Another

[M60gunner]

I have only seen one e-bike so can’t comment. But a friend of mine had one of the “man powered” mountain bikes with those really wide tires. He said the bike was heavy and he wasn’t physically strong enough to get it up the hills in rough terrain. He isn’t a big man but he is strong for his size and age.

[captain caveman]

Definitey looks like the topic has been thoroughly covered thanks.

I’m thinking more tactically.  I have some spots that are hard to access without spooking deer.  Mainly morning hunts accessing through hay fields between wooded hillsides.  Deer not usually still in bottoms but working their way up the ridges well within earshot.  I’ll try this approach and report back.  May break up human bipedal sound even when having to walk it up steep logging roads for example.  Seems deer will be totally relaxed if you approach with a fast gate but slow down to hunting speed and they see you as a threat. 

[Tim Reese]

Yes they can be quite for sure. Seen it first hand on mine. But like I said I usually scout and ride to cover a lot of land more than hunt from one.

[T Sunstone]

I have one but don't use it as much as I thought I would.

[Possum Head]

Biggest benefit I’ve found is going in further than those on foot. Public land has enough obstacles so my bike allows me to go a bit further than most on foot. With Compound now and climbing stands most hunters stay within a couple hundred yards of their trucks. The bike affords me to tirelessly go snot further on trails designed for bikes or foot traffic only. Electric bikes aren’t permitted. I often encounter game while riding.

[Terry Green]

Oh!!!.... And get fenders if the bike doesn't come with them..... unless you want muddy water or mud all over you if it rains.

[Bowwild]

I've had a Bakcou Mule for about three weeks. I have less than 10 miles on it so far. It does exactly what I needed. I can leave my house through the yard, up a very steep gravel incline, over rolling pasture to my farm. Then I have a very steep hill to ascend. I could not ride my traditional mountain bike up those hills. The Mule does it easy. I always ride with pedal assist.

The only downside is my stature. I'm only 5'6" and the stand-over height is 29".  I can mount the bike fine, left pedal start and then swing the right leg over. Getting off is trickier. I should have waited for the step-through 24" model.

I thought I might use the bike to ride to some of my stands pre-dawn but I have to get dismounting down better. I do use it to scout and pull camera cards. More exercise (which is good) than I thought it would be.

I'm 66".

[Sam McMichael]

Be super careful! This past weekend, my wife wrecked her bike at the beach. Now she has a brand new hip. An accident in the woods could be lethal, especially for us older guys.

[Kokopelli]

I've got an ancient Schwinn Sierra Mountain Bike. Awesome for use on gated two tracks and for hauling in camping gear............ and once in a while hauling out game.
When my hunting partners & I first got bikes we all had our 'Artie Johnson Moments' (old Laugh In skit) where we pushed it too far and our legs cramped up resulting in tipping over in pain. Hint; When the going gets tough, get off and walk the bike up the hill. The bike is a tool. Used in the right time & place they're great.

[Bluefeather]

Great topic! This past Sun. I used my Trek fat tire bike to pull a Jet Sled loaded with a ladder stand 1 1/2 miles back into some public land that gets little pressure. There are no big hills so it worked great for that. I'm also going to use it to access the stand with a takedown bow and a back quiver. I just had both knees replaced earlier this year and it made it a lot easier on me.