I was reading a post about what to do when facing mountain lions and I want to know if there is a similar list for another much more dangerous and stupid kind of animals. Those ones that ride on top of four tracks and motocross bikes on trails where they are not supposed to ride but authorities do nothing to keep them controlled.
Unfortunately, those types of creatures are protected by laws that other animals are not. It is romored that they tend to flee when shown the wrong end of a AR-15, M1-A or other sufficiently intimidating firearm.
It's tough patrolling trails because of their vastness and lack of resources for more rangers.
I was reading an article in an Alabama paper at the airport about that very same issue.
You ride with a "piece" in your seat tube/top tube bag. The kind that was used to put the bike on your shoulder in the 80s. Just point the "piece" toward your cranks (that's cranks NOT crank).
Well it happens that I was having lot of fun with my bike when I heard engine noise coming fast from behind, so I step aside to let whoever was to pass me. They were 4 young guys in two fourtracks. It seems that pulling aside wasn't enough for them because the second one hit the throttle just as he passes me throwing back lot of dirt, dust and pebbles all over my face. I saw the guy at the backseat laughing. I quickly loss sight of them but a couple of minutes later I saw them again. It seems that they had some sort of problem with the fourtracks. One part of me told me to move on but the other part told me that I have to say something to those guys. Guess what? Stupidly I did the second thing. Now I swear that I approach them in a friendly manner, asking them to be more considerate, that we were all just trying to have some fun. It then happens that they went belligerent. I try to keep things calm but it was not possible. The older one told me in a menacing way to move one just when the youngest one pullout a folding knife. No need to say that I did just that, I move one but having a bad felling about it. No more that 10 minutes passed when I heard the engine noise again but this time I was on a section where the trail divides in two with a section that runs parallel but at a higher level and is too narrow for their fourtracks. So I quickly climb to the upper part just went I heard them passing fast. Funny thing is that I always have problems climbing that section of the trail but I was so high in adrenalin that I didn't realize that I climb it in a blink of an eye<O</O
that there is this kind of animosity toward motorcycles and atv's.
I started riding atv's and mc's long before MTB's. On a few occasions while riding my motorcycle (on multiuse engine legal trails) I would come up on some cyclist's that either gave me the bird or threw up their hands in anger. The second time this happened I stopped to talk to the riders, funny how their attitude changed when I was friendly, asked how their ride was and if they needed anything. We ended up talking about each others sport, they were interested in my motorcycle and I was interested in their bikes. I didn't realize how much MTBing was like motorcycling. Shortly after this I started riding mountain bikes!
As a rule of thumb I always wave at the MTBer or motorcyclist (or stop to talk) in an effort to promote some friendly attitudes between the two sports. The last thing we (offroad enthusiasts) need to do is fight & complain about each other, this will accomplish nothing...except getting trail's closed for all of us!
I can't believe anyone would consider pointing a firearm at someone for being on the wrong trail - or getting roosted. That is the pinnacle of irresponsibility and stupidity. Not to mention it's a great way to get YOURSELF shot or run over...YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE ALLOWED TO CARRY A FIREARM. WTF!!
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