Off-highway vehicles (OHVs), specifically all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), provide good help during hunting season. Each year more and more people are using them. Because ATVs are easier than walking, can access terrain that most vehicles cannot, and can assist in the retrieval of game, they provide an advantage to hunters across Arizona.

When out in the field, remember, in Arizona it is illegal to hunt from any vehicle, and OHV rules and laws designate that no one may use a motor vehicle to assist in the taking of wildlife (except as permitted under the Challenged Hunter Access Mobility Permit, A.R.S. 17-301B).

We recommend that if you see anyone hunting from an ATV, call Operation Game Thief at 1-800-352-0700.

One of the main concerns associated with OHV use is the impact to wildlife habitat. Most OHV users are responsible riders who recognize the impacts their activity can cause, and they voluntarily take steps to reduce them. TREAD lightly, a national coalition that promotes outdoor ethics and stewardship, has created a list of 10 tips for treading lightly while hunting. In Arizona, eight of the “TREAD lightly 10” apply to our hunters, so they allowed us to use those eight and we added two more to make it a top 10:

1. Always keep your vehicle on roads and designated OHV trails. Never make your own shortcuts, switchbacks or trails.
   
   
2. Check with local land managers regarding game retrieval regulations. Typically, you should get as close as possible to your game without driving off the road or trail, and then travel by foot to the site of your kill.
   
   
3. Flagging and marking trails is unsightly. If flagging is necessary, remove it as you leave.
   
   
4. Avoid sensitive areas. Steer clear of stream banks, lakeshores and meadows whenever possible. Remember, motorized vehicles are not allowed in areas designated as “wilderness.”
   
   
5. Carry out what you carry in. Pick up shell casings (yours and others) whenever possible. Never litter and avoid burning or burying trash.
   
   
6. If you must cross a stream while driving, do so only at approved fording points (usually where the trail crosses the water). Cross slowly at a 90-degree angle.
   
   
7. Observe proper sanitary waste disposal by burying human waste 6-8 inches deep and at least 200 feet from trails, campsites, lakes and streams.
   
   
8. Educate yourself and be prepared. Make sure you also have the right maps, equipment and clothing to make your trip safe. 
   
   
9. Tell someone where you are going and when you will return.
   
   
10. When carrying a rifle or shotgun on an ATV, it should be unloaded and firmly attached to the vehicle. It is unsafe to carry a rifle or shotgun mounted on the handlebars, because a rifle mounted on handlebars might be longer than the width of an ATV and stick out over the sides. This increases the chance of having the rifle hit something such as a tree, causing the driver to lose control.

For more information about safe, ethical and responsible OHV use during hunting season, go to our Web site at www.azgfd.gov/ohv.