I actually went riding ! ! !

[Anoriginal]

Me and you both.

Things are starting to get out of hand down there with the same bunch of idiots who ruined the Holeylands. Luckily, the NPS is all over them so, we'll probably "nip it in the bud" so to speak.

As an example, on Saturday night around 6:45 p.m. we heard a group of ATV comes riding into the NPS camp just north of ours. I walked over there to see what was up since nobody is supposed to be trespassing on the private property.

I walked up and found four ATVs with three guys, two women and two kids. None of the bikes had inspection/ORV permit stickers (that I could see) and at least three of them had to be riding double (illegal in the Big Cypress).  They told me they were trying to find their way out to Monroe Station.  I pointed them in the right direction and walked off.

The next day, the people running the game check at Monroe Station told me a gorup of ATV's came out some time after 9 pm the night before and knocked on their trailer door to unlock the gated area where people park their vehicles. They told the game check folks they were lost.  I felt bad for the kids. It was cold that night and they were really wet and covered with mud. I hope they at least had jackets.

 It really pizzes me off when people just blatantly break the rules down there. I don't care if someone thinks the rules are stupid or not. They fact is....they're the rules! It's a National Preserve. Not a state or private recreation area. We have no "right" to ride in there. The more people continue to disobey and act stupid, the worse it gets for all of us.

Eventually, I think ATV's will be banned in the Big Cypress. Honestly though, I can't say I'd disagree with the decision either. Almost all of the trouble we have down there somehow gets back to ATV use. Trespassing, vandalism, theft, trail abuse, off trail riding.....almost exclusively an ATV problem.  All I can tell you is that, before the heavy influx of ATV's in the Big Cypress, we NEVER had these types of problems.

[AintSkeered]

Amen!

[Anoriginal]

Amen!

Ain't....I know it's sad. But it's true. Those of us (like you and me) that understand it feel frustrated and helpless.

I've tried.

[foreman1]

Almost every time I've driven by that gate its wide open.
I went thru it a couple times last week, locked it only to find it open when I returned.
Some of the guys putting in at Monroe and going north arent locking the gate.
Now that the water's way down ,Donahue's road /I-95  is dry and with temperatures
going down its only gonna get worse ...especially during the holidays.

One area thats getting used alot by street legal 4wds as an offroading area is Bear Island .
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bear+island++jeep&search_type=&aq=f
Jeep Clubs have been riding there for sometime unfortunately the trails are degrading and a much
faster rate than normal.

Those who have traditionaly run these areas werent lookin for a challenge, just merely tarveling point A to B.
When ever I'm riding my buggy , I'm not lookin for a challenge like you would when you're muddin.
I'm looking for high or hard ground at all times , feathering the throttle when needed, the idea is to NOT spin a tire vs muddin where slinging rooster tails is the objective.
Its very important to understand that this isnt an offroad park.

[Anoriginal]

Good points Robert.

The only thing that seems to be saving us down south is the prohibition on street registered vehicles. Also, we've got some new NPS rangers on staff who are VERY aggressive when it comes to ORV's. So, hopefully things will improve.

Regarding the Monroe Station gate, you're right. I've seen it open countless times. I always lock it. Even had people ask me for the combo before while loading up at Monroe. They didn't have ORV licenses or stickers. I refused to give it to them. They got mad at me but, I could care less. Those are the types of people the gate is designed to kep out in the first place.