Hunting with a Bicycle

[nyantler]

I said "miles", not mile. About 4 miles back & I was Bear hunting. What took me 30 minutes on the bike would have taken hours walking. The bicycle allowed me to explore a lot more territory than would have been practical on foot. Not like I was going to go put & shoot a bear on every outing. If I had shot a bear I would have had to have gotten a cart or assistance anyway, on foot or on a bike. On the bike I could have gotten assistance faster. (no cell coverage in that area)

 

A horse would have been ideal.

 

On the way in there were 2 short hills that required pushing the bike. On the way out I could peddle all the way.

I wasn't talking to you or about you I was referring to the OP.

Edited March 9, 2015 by nyantler

[bkln]

I always wanted to do that on a dirt bike, extraction would be much easier...

[dbHunterNY]

I've posted the solution to this earlier on in the thread... Used to do it all the time hunting in FL swamps .... Dress the deer , seat goes in cavity , shoulders over the handle bars with the head resting in a basket , Little book rack looking thing on the back for the hind end to rest on , strap er down n walk em out .... Transportation and game cart in one , of course FL land was relatively flat and had levy systems/roads running throughout the land to drag the deer to then much easier to wheel em out .... I've been contemplating resurrecting this technique for Darien Lake!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

worked for me when I hunted Darien Lake SP.

[dbHunterNY]

I know I replied to this thread last year, but I still fail to see any advantages to hunting with a bike.  You guys must be hunting some very flat terrain, because if you were riding  on anything a bit more hilly you would see the DISADVANTAGES.  Riding in low gear on a steep hill with a gun and backpack on your back, you wouldn't be moving much faster than if you were walking.  And it's not like you are riding on a paved surface.  Plus, I'd just love to see someone quarter up a deer and ride out with it on their back.  Easier said than done.  I can assure you it would be WAY easier to do that on foot than on a bike.

 

it saves time mostly to get you farther back in to know spots.  any steep hill you'll slow right down and walk it easy like you normally would.  as long as your going down in elevation usually small hills you can carry reasonable speed and momentum to crest it and it's way faster than on foot.  like it was said you aren't successful every trip.  you can always go back to get the bike or double back.  or you can bone it out right there and use game bags and/or a pack to haul it out.  two tied together over each shoulder with connecting string between each pair across your chest and across your back for smaller deer 40-60 lbs of meat.  for bigger ones you use the a pair or more of bags over the bike frame tube too and walk it all out.  JB weld or weld brackets to hold the bags from sliding on the frame.  I'm used a cheap mountain bike so I didn't care to mess with it or if it got lifted.  I got mine on sale for $50 as a black Friday left over.  imagination and think outside the box.

 

...clarification when I say game bags I don't mean the cheese cloth kind.  I mean heavy plastic bags or similarly sealed bags.  the tires will kick up mud and dust that will get on your meat if you don't.  also butchering your kids pool noodles can help if you pack some out on your shoulders.

Edited March 10, 2015 by dbHunterNY

[dbHunterNY]

Why not hunt the mile in instead of biking it? Other than a little exercise I don't see the benefit of using the bike. Especially if you get a deer... you're going to ride out then jog back in? Sorry, I just don't get it. But, to each his own... if you think it'll be fun.. then that's what you ought to do.

 

my brother and I usually scouted on foot first.  hunt a place enough times you usually know when to get off and walk slowly/hunt on through while pushing the bike quietly.  depending on the trail head you can ride/coast back in to better areas and you're much less likely to see much of anything until you get there.  for hauling out a deer see my other post.  you're actually getting less exercise than walking in because whenever you need to pedal hard you're walking same as you normally would.  otherwise you're rolling or easy pedaling.  you pick and choose where you use it mostly to get to a certain spots to hunt them longer.

[wildcat junkie]

my brother and I usually scouted on foot first.  hunt a place enough times you usually know when to get off and walk slowly/hunt on through while pushing the bike quietly.  depending on the trail head you can ride/coast back in to better areas and you're much less likely to see much of anything until you get there.  for hauling out a deer see my other post.  you're actually getting less exercise than walking in because whenever you need to pedal hard you're walking same as you normally would.  otherwise you're rolling or easy pedaling.  you pick and choose where you use it mostly to get to a certain spots to hunt them longer.

It's the quick access to remote areas that appeals to me. Like you said push up steep hills. In 2010 I had ridden 3850 miles by September so I could pedal up some fairly steep grades W/O shifting into really low gears.  I have also rolled up really close to game including whitetails & black bears. It's not like you could ride up to them & shoot, but you can get into areas W/minimal impact as far as spooking game.

 

It works well in rolling hills if you are in shape & the bike is set up properly..

[dbHunterNY]

It's the quick access to remote areas that appeals to me. Like you said push up steep hills. In 2010 I had ridden 3850 miles by September so I could pedal up some fairly steep grades W/O shifting into really low gears.  I have also rolled up really close to game including whitetails & black bears. It's not like you could ride up to them & shoot, but you can get into areas W/minimal impact as far as spooking game.

 

It works well in rolling hills if you are in shape & the bike is set up properly..

 

hills anything remotely halfway to definition of steep we walked if you couldn't carry speed over them.  roll until you stopped on the hill.  didn't wear upper outer layer either most of the time.  found we didn't get hot or under our layers if we did things like that.

[wildcat junkie]

hills anything remotely halfway to definition of steep we walked if you couldn't carry speed over them.  roll until you stopped on the hill.  didn't wear upper outer layer either most of the time.  found we didn't get hot or under our layers if we did things like that.

You'd be surprised what pedaling almost 4000 miles in 6 month will do for your ability to climb moderate inclines W/O working up a sweat. If you have the leg power to stay in higher gear you are up the grade before the get sweaty or winded. The steep stuff I get off & push right away.

 

Coming back from Sheep Meadows I could peddle up out of Hays Brook & the Osgood River. Not the case going in. Both inclines going North are STEEP. The one going North out of Hay Brook is almost too steep to come down mounted. It would be if you had any load on. I'm traveling light. The Mauser in the PIX slung across my back, a small folding chair & a fanny pack. Early bear season didn't require much clothing that year.