Do you love hunting? You can hunt on an ATV as it means you use less energy cycling and ease of carrying your kills, or you can hunt on a bike. ATVs are expensive, they need gas, and they make noise. A fat-tire bike, on the other hand, is stealth and allows you to do physical exercise as you hunt.
There are many benefits of hunting on a bike, as outlined below.
Public Land Access
Most public hunting lands [1] where you can hunt are not accessible by car. Granted, you might have to walk for a few miles from where you park the car to where you will be hunting. Given that some of these public lands have established roads, it is easier to ride a bike. These lands have a network of roads that are gated off to motorized vehicles, including ATVs. The roads are open for walking and biking traffic.
With a good fat-tire bike, you can turn a 40-minute walk into an easy 10-minute ride. With a bike, you do everything in half the time – ride looking for scrapes and rubs, and track and trails in a few minutes.
Great Stealth
A bike is stealthy. Animals, especially deer, have learned to recognize the sound a walking human makes. Even when you have a scope with unmatched accuracy, you still need to walk slowly to avoid calling the deer to attention. A bike with wide tires rolls along the ground and makes less noise even when riding on dry leaves.
Most deer will run off once they spot a hunter walking 20 yards away from them. However, the deer might continue sleeping or walk away sleeping or walk towards the biker when they see a hunter riding on a bike. This is advantageous to the hunter as they can get as close to the deer as possible.
Minimal Scent Intrusion
One of the main advantages of hunting on two wheels is minimized scent intrusion. When you hunt on foot, a lot of your scent is left on the ground – you are walking slow and stealthily, and this leads to a lot more scent. However, when you hunt on a bike, it is only the wheels that touch the ground, and so the ground scent is minimized. Again, you are riding fast, and so only minimal scent lingers in the air.
You will be able to scout and hunt without notifying the deer of your presence. This is ideal for your enjoyment as the kill becomes easy when you aim at a stationary target.
Hanging Stands
A bike is not only good for scouting and hunting but also hanging stands. You can carry your stand on your back or haul it in a trailer. Today, some mountain bike manufacturers are designing trailers specifically for carrying hunting gear in the hunting area and deer out of the forest. These carts are easy to haul and feature flat-proof wheels.
Ensure that your bike has an LED light fixed on the handlebars to illuminate the way.
How to Carry Your Bike to the Hunting Properties
Most hunting bikes have fat tires and are electric. This makes them heavier than ordinary mountain bikes. You can haul your bike in the back of your pickup truck or on a hitch mount on any other car. The heavy and strong frames are necessary to keep the bike in good shape when you go out in rough terrain. The wide wheels make it easier for the bike to roll on snow and mud with ease.
Bikes are great for scouting and hunting. However, the wide wheels are thin-skinned and prone to flats. A flat when you are hunting in a land that is thousands of acres is the last thing you need. However, you can fill the wheels with a run-flat substance to ensure that your hunting does not stop because of a flat tire. When you are pedaling on your bike, you will likely carry a treestand on your back. This means you will have to carry your backpack on your front, which can be tiring when you are riding on hilly areas.
If you go hunting on hilly areas, you might need to distribute weight on the backend and the front of your bike. This will make it easier for you to pedal when you go up a steep hill. Wherever you go hunting, the terrain will present a combination of easy-going and hard-going instances. While most public hunting lands have service roads, there are times you will need to go cross-country. Having an electric-assist will help you navigate tough terrain and steep hills.
Conclusion
There are many advantages of hunting on a fat-tire hunting bike. In summary, you get to scout and hunt in half the time without disrupting the deer with your noise or scent. You also get to access public hunting land, which is not accessible on a motorized vehicle. While a bike will not carry as much as an ATV would, it is probably cheaper than an ATV and rides with more stealth. You can try hunting on a bike in your next hunting expenditure and see how it goes – ensure you have a cart to haul your kill.
References
[1] https://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/hunting-laws/index.html