Would like to get something to use to get around the farm a little quicker and not sweat profusely. Was looking at a 4 wheeler but also considering a electric bike. I can see advantages to both. 4 wheeler can be used for many projects around the farm as well as getting deer out, etc. Do they spook deer when riding in if i were to park 150 yards or more away from the treestand? This is a working farm so always trucks and tractors driving around. the bike would for sure be quieter but limited in use to only access during season and checking trail cams. I hunt both field edges and a large block of timber. the timber has lots of ridges, hills, ditches. There is a trail that runs north to south through the whole piece for access to various parts. Generally hunt all day in this timber to minimize disturbance. Rest of farm is ag with fence rows, pasture and timbered draws. So which would you go with and why?
My 2 cents... bike is all for hunting. & they are awesome!!! Really no use for projects other than maybe limited stuff like checking cams or putting a stand up.
4 wheelers- IMO - all projects and no hunting. The NO HUNTING is just my opinion. I’ve spent 20 years listening to neighbors driving them to stands or part of the way. IMO - that’s insanity & id never do it but that’s me.
I personally think u can separate those 2 real fast. Work vs hunting use.
Hybrid is a lithium Polaris EV for example. Probably not a choice or expense most would make.
My personal hybrid..... cheap truck or suv & then I have an electric bike I throw in bed or put on hitch mount. I use suv & farm truck for projects and have a junker UTV. My suv + a homemade electric bike... TOGETHER- I’m under $5k. Still a lot but I use all the time. If I had to pick- 4 wheeler or bike.... pry do 4 wheeler so I could do projects & stick with walking to stands. In a lot of instances- folks could drive a fairly quiet vehicle on non-important parts of entrance, park & walk in remainder. So- projects or hunting more important or more used?
4 wheelers- IMO - all projects and no hunting. The NO HUNTING is just my opinion. I’ve spent 20 years listening to neighbors driving them to stands or part of the way. IMO - that’s insanity & id never do it but that’s me.
I personally think u can separate those 2 real fast. Work vs hunting use.
Hybrid is a lithium Polaris EV for example. Probably not a choice or expense most would make.
My personal hybrid..... cheap truck or suv & then I have an electric bike I throw in bed or put on hitch mount. I use suv & farm truck for projects and have a junker UTV. My suv + a homemade electric bike... TOGETHER- I’m under $5k. Still a lot but I use all the time. If I had to pick- 4 wheeler or bike.... pry do 4 wheeler so I could do projects & stick with walking to stands. In a lot of instances- folks could drive a fairly quiet vehicle on non-important parts of entrance, park & walk in remainder. So- projects or hunting more important or more used?
daniel93077
Active Member
Are eBikes/bicycles legal on most public lands/WMAs? I have seen guys on them before but had trouble finding anything in the regulations one way or another.
Would never ever ever ever ever ride a 4 wheeler to treestand. Might as well get out a microphone and announce your coming.....lol.
I bought an electric bike. I use it to change batteries in my cams,get to and from my stand without my feet even touching the ground,turkey hunting,etc. I use a truck or utv as well, but in the off season. I try and get everything thing done before hunting season, so I'm not out disturbing everything during season. So, I'm my opinion, they are in 2 different classifications.
Oct-Lull
Well-Known Member
4 wheelers and hunting don't mix. Deer definitely change behavior because of them. I only use mine for work purposes. I have a bike from a newer company and it was much less expensive and I am a dealer, but.....E bike availability is tough right now. I have personally been waiting on Bikes since early July and have heard of guys with other brands waiting 6 months. Hopefully you can find someone with stock currently. I am told I wont get my upgraded bike or stock til possibly November. Regulation seem to follow federal regs in most states as of now. Laws are behind technology. Bikes under 750w seems to be widely considered the same as a peddle bike for regulation purposes.
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
What brand of e-bike are you carrying?
I agree with everything Sligh1 has stated here. Old 4x4 truck over a quad. Quad over an E-bike. All 3 if money is no object. I have owned quads, but not currently. I've never owned an E-bike. I will never be without 4x4 truck. Walking is CHEAP and great exercise. Plus, it's less equipment to maintain.
Brett Morris
PMA Member
Some of the comments on here really surprise me. I have felt like driving our ranger to the stand/blind has had very little impact on our deer movement but now I'm questioning if I'm an idiot. I really respect the opinions of several folks that say they'd NEVER drive their Ranger to the stand. To clarify I'm always hiding the ranger out of site.
We only own 80 acres so I'm sure I'm really wrong. My experience has been that walking in does even more damage. Almost every trip into the stand there are bedded deer that lay still as I drive past. Turkeys that trot into the timber if I'm on the ranger. If I'm walking they fly. On top of that I'm leaving ground scent the entire way in & out.
Perhaps my experience is slightly different because our neighbors & the local farmers all use rangers all the time. Hearing an ATV/UTV every single day is normal for the. They're never a threat. I feel like it's almost an extension of "normal ag practices" in their mind.
I've actually been considering buying doors for our ranger so I could do my best to make it scent proof. Wondering if that's a really stupid idea now.
We only own 80 acres so I'm sure I'm really wrong. My experience has been that walking in does even more damage. Almost every trip into the stand there are bedded deer that lay still as I drive past. Turkeys that trot into the timber if I'm on the ranger. If I'm walking they fly. On top of that I'm leaving ground scent the entire way in & out.
Perhaps my experience is slightly different because our neighbors & the local farmers all use rangers all the time. Hearing an ATV/UTV every single day is normal for the. They're never a threat. I feel like it's almost an extension of "normal ag practices" in their mind.
I've actually been considering buying doors for our ranger so I could do my best to make it scent proof. Wondering if that's a really stupid idea now.
gunrunr
Life Member
I ride an E-bike to the stand and lay it on the ground underneath me - never had a single deer spook because of it.
Scent free trail and no sweating for me walking in plus deer definitely are less spooky of me on an bike than when i walk.
I have a nice Ranger SXS but its noisy and i have to use trailer to haul it - bike goes on a rack on back of truck and is super fast to load and unload.
We sell tons of E-bikes here too - i have very limited stock right now but more coming in 10 days and another shipment in 3 weeks
Prices on E-bikes range from $1799 to over $5K for top of the line
Scent free trail and no sweating for me walking in plus deer definitely are less spooky of me on an bike than when i walk.
I have a nice Ranger SXS but its noisy and i have to use trailer to haul it - bike goes on a rack on back of truck and is super fast to load and unload.
We sell tons of E-bikes here too - i have very limited stock right now but more coming in 10 days and another shipment in 3 weeks
Prices on E-bikes range from $1799 to over $5K for top of the line
hillrunner
PMA Member
The best way I've found to get in and out of stands is to simply have someone drop you off and pick you up. The deer see them drive up and then drive away again. I think they perceive the threat as gone at that point. When you noisily drive in and park it, I got to believe you have an awful lot of eyes watching you. I walk the whole way 99% of the time but If I've got someone around to drive me, I do occasionally take advantage of that.
Brett Morris
PMA Member
If that was an option I'd absolutely do it. If I had a tractor with a cab at the farm I'd probably use that & it would be the perfect solution.
Oct-Lull
Well-Known Member
Hardcore e Cycles put of Ohio. I have had a prototype dual 750w 60 v this past year and it was awesome
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
I rode my pedal bike about a mile to kill my buck on October 3 last year. I have since purchased an E bike, but mountain bike worked well for years.
Great perspectives, appreciate the feedback. How much "farm" traffic does it take to condition deer. I don't mind walking too much other than some parts are hard to access based on property lines, bedding areas without leaving ground scent on areas where some deer show up. Leaning towards quad just to navigate dirt roads without messing up my truck.
mrush
Member
I’ll throw in what I’ve observed. Panic vs Getting out of the way: tractors, deer not scared at all simply move out of the way then return to what they were doing. ATV or truck: slightly more elevated anxiety-jog to slow run out of sight-then they hide and observe what you are up to. Person on foot surprise encounter-total freak out. Person on foot they heard you coming-not to big of a deal-they move hide and watch. Person on foot or still hunting: they smell you but don’t see you-soon know which doe to shoot that fall.
I watched a doe blow out of a group of trees and I wondered what the hell scared her, I was a long ways away and know it was not me. About 3 minutes later an old farm truck came down the road and pulled into those trees and the farmer started cutting firewood. That doe heard that truck from a mile away and knew it was coming to that group of trees. There’s a lot of knowledge that came out of this for me.
ATV for hunting, all deer in the area know you are going to your stand and know exactly where to avoid.
I watched a doe blow out of a group of trees and I wondered what the hell scared her, I was a long ways away and know it was not me. About 3 minutes later an old farm truck came down the road and pulled into those trees and the farmer started cutting firewood. That doe heard that truck from a mile away and knew it was coming to that group of trees. There’s a lot of knowledge that came out of this for me.
ATV for hunting, all deer in the area know you are going to your stand and know exactly where to avoid.