ATV Florida Forum

 ::) Took my 12 yr/old son 4 wheeling to Big Scrub campground and we were having a blast until some foriegn speaking rent-a-cop gave me a $175 ticket for riding on the wrong side of the power line.My fault,but coming all the way from Daytona and being there for the 1st time,we were a little unfamiliar with the rules.It pretty much ruined our day,a warning would have been more than sufficient.
Are these clowns trying to run everbody out of there??? If so they are doing a good job of it.There were about 6 other groups at the campground and 4 received citations  >:(
ALL indicated that they would not be coming back...

The campground host and the rent-a-cop,white Ford Ranger Hulio spent alot a time together,I am sure that they were getting a kick out of it all  ::)

I belong to a couple of activist groups, one of them being BLAARM.(Bird Lovers Against Atvers, Rapists, and Murderers)

We like to use the campground and the surrounding area at Big Scrub to watch birds and the magnifcent flowering foliage and it's really distracting to have you ATV-ers zooming up and down and all around like hell on wheels.

We've agreed to let you have a designated area of about .000000001% of the total area of Ocala National Forest, yet you keep going outside that designated quadrant. Well, the so called "rent a cop" is Julio Lucio Santo Domingo Juan Pablo Jabroni, and he is the Treasurer of BLAARM.

If you ask me, you kind of got what you deserved. You crazy ATV ers really inhibit the Scrub Jay's pursuit of Happiness and we can't have that.

It's people like you who are going to ruin it for the other ATVers and get the entire area shut down.

In fact, we already have plans to turn the camping area into a gopher tortise habitat once that happens.


Rico
Junior Associate Member
BLAARM

Stay inside your designated quadrant!

Thats quite funny...I am new to this forum so I assume you are joking... ::)
By the way,I didnt see any birds,gophers,turtles are even flowers so you "activists" need to do a better job...

at first.... I thought that was real... then I fell out of my chair in pain!
on a second note, im really disapointed in whats going on in ocala and that sucks that your day was ruined from el rento copo'

you should have refused to take the ticket till julio showed you his green card. it is a national forest not an international forest.

I wonder what kinda fines they gave out for all those signes, somebody posted ALL over the forest  >:(

what signs??? what do they say? ATV's PROHIBITED?

when was this????  we were there last weekend and saw 2 different trucks patrolling the power lines.....

Here's the thing that I don't understand...the POWER LINES are the most unsightly part of the forest. They didn't have a problem destroying natural habitat when they put them in, so why do they put up such a fuss when people want to simply RIDE AROUND that area. It only makes sense that the powerlines would be designated for ATV use.  That whole area should be open to ATVers.

They should make other areas off limits to ATVs and give them exclusively to those who only use the forest to be closer to nature. (Which I suspect is a far smaller number than those who use it for ATVing) I mean seriously, who goes "hiking" in Florida? How much usage do you think that trail that crosses across the forest gets? 


The fact of the matter is that Ocala National is a great place and it's huge. There's plenty of room for everyone. Yet, they're prejudice against off roaders and ATVers.

The 'wrong' side of the powerlines probably means he was riding on the nice smooth forest road and not the whooped out designated riding area.  There are rules handed out and the boundary is clearly marked with red posts, at least it was when I was there in May.

foot path, tree huggers only

Correct,I was wrong and I am not arguing the fact....A $175 fine for driving around a cable tower is simply rediculous  >:D It was our 1st visit.No one stated to follow these strict rules or else we will hit you hard in the pocket....When you ticket 4 out of 6 groups riding in an area with heavy fines,there is no doubt that there is a motive here.

BTW,great forum with lots of info... 8)

Another 'trick' to watch for are trails that dead-end on forest roads.  Despite the temptation to head down the road to find a continuation, your best bet is to do a u-turn and go back the way you came.  In fact, it specifically states that in the rule book.  When I was there, we came to that exact situation and the Forest Ranger was parked about a 1/2 mile down the road, pointed our direction; no doubt waiting for someone to use a portion of the road so he could write a nice, fat ticket.  The reality is that ONF was abused for many years.  There have been countless instances of abusive behavior by ATV riders and now the inevitable has occurred; a no-nonsense, strict enforcement of the rules.  We are lucky we even get to ride there anymore.  I'm sure it's not as fun as the 'lawless' days of yesteryear but I still enjoyed every moment of the time I spent there.  Just make sure you adhere to the rules and you should be ok.  Also, don't venture down into the sinkholes.  People still do it but from what I heard, the fine for riding on the road is cheap compared to getting caught down in one of the sinkholes.

First off the power lines are not forest property, or are they now. Second the rent a cop could have just given a warning, but they probably have orders to be in your face so you don't show up again. Mission accomplished Mr Phelps.

But then again I saw the rent a cop and the campground host kick people out of the picninc table area, not even in the campground, the concrete table out by the little building, threatening to give them a fine. So in your face..

Here's an idea...how about grading down the whoops once a month. That way people would have a smooth surface to ride on.  I suspect the reason most people ride on the road is becuase they're not comfortable with skipping across the top of the whoops at speed.

It just makes sense to do a little maintenance on the riding area to keep everyone happy. Isn't that what we pay taxes for?

I did the smae thing when I went there but we got warnings it woul dhave totalled over $200 the ranger told us That would have sucked I have not been back since but I am planning on going back soon but will ride on the right side of the powerlines

What side of the power lines are you restricted to now?   Do you ride between the woods and the power lines or the road and the power lines?

You need to stay between the forest and power lines.  Stay away from the road as others have said you will not be happy if you dont.

When we rode today there were orange stakes up that you were to stay inside of. Why the steel poles weren't good enough I have no idea. We didn't see a ranger at all. There were about 20 trucks at the ORV parking on 573 and 19 area. Once on the trails we didn't see but a few riders. Another thing to watch out for is a narrow trail that when it get's closer to a numbered road turns out to be numbered itself. It's like a Barney Fife trick to put a temp sign in and bust you. Actually I've been stopped and told that I was on a numbered road but given a warning because either the signs were taken down from where I came from or just never marked. When you come to a numbered road and it's a dead end get off and walk to see if there is another trail close by. If it's a long way, then turn around, go back til you can turn in the direction you saw that opening and try from there. They will bust your A$$ if you ride parallel on a # road. That's been a rule for a while so I'd adhere to that one above all others lol. For any newbies be careful around corners because there are a few out there who think blind corners mean haul a$$. I almost got hit today.

we went out there this past weekend and my cousin got 200 dollars worth of tickets for some stupid stuff and its his first time being out there they should give you a warning or atleast a smaller fine it aint gonna stop me from going out there though i would like to see pedro ride the whoops for 7 miles and see how he likes it

wow i see other have gotten the big screw 1st time there.  how about this, the first hour we were ever there...

read my whole rant here http://www.tampabayridindirty.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1261&postcount=21 but in a nut shell, 3 of us at Lake Delancey West camp left out on a loop and were coming back and thought we were taking the cutt off back and ended up being the road instead.  well got to camp and then 2 forest patrol, one being some spanish gustapo rude cold sob, proceeded to ask for identification and write tickets each for $175.  we were and are pissed.

i personally was run down by a forest truck and ranger that said i was parked illegaly??  while i was parked at the camp.     and was attacked on the trail by 7 forest whatevers, one being the gustapo, stopped me in the middle of the trail and was harrassed!!! 

we need to do something.  we are the tax payers.  there is no place to ride!  this is BS.  they dont want anyone there since they are paid by the government and dont care about any type of local economy or lack of places to ride.

they only want the slow older folks putt putting down the trail.

please pm me with any information on who to write some letters!!

I dont understand . When they told you to slow down were you in the forest or the camp ground?

we were in the forest on a atv/motorcyle trail.

the best thing for u guys to do is to stay away from ther. i own property off of the powerline and paisley rd and they r looking for a reason to write u. they r trying to run us atver out of there.i used to hunt there and stopped because it became to dangerous with the dog hunters and the "rainbow" people. for those of us who been around there know who they r. i seen a guy in a white truck up there one day with a GPS and me being in a fire truck stopped and asking him what was going on because i did ride out there. he said they r #ing every trail so if they see a 4 wheeler on it they can give them a ticket for being on a numbered road. i said ok and left then procedied to call all of my friends to let them know what was going on. so take it from me i  would stay clear. i havent even been to my house there for a year now because of the stupid US forestry and what they r doing. sorry that was my little rampage but i hope i helped you guys out up there.

You should have laughed and said "If i wanted to go slow i would have bought a golf cart".

this is what we need NOT do.  there will be no places to ride!  give in??  na,   remember we pay the taxes and support the forestry.  i dont know about you but i pay ALOT out of my paycheck!

=)) CHILL,   :banghead.gif BE SAFE AND HAUL ASS, QUIT O0 STOPPING AND WAITING FOR THESE DILLHOLES. THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE AROUND THERE THINK THEY OWN THE LAND. THE RANGERS AREN'T MAD AT YOU THEY ARE MAD AT THE RESIDENTS THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION ALL YEAR LONG. WHEN IN ROME DO AS THE ROMANS DO.........HAUL ASS OR GET OFF THE HOTSPOT TRAILS. THERE IS WAY MORE TO OCALA THAN THE POWER LINES. GO ON ADVENTURE AND WANDER TO THE OTHERSIDE. BE SAFE AND CHILL...........................................jax hell hounds