E-bikes have become the favorite transportation method of hunters these days. The reason is that e-bikes have a lot to offer as benefits. Most importantly, electric bikes have motors, unlike regular motorbikes—moreover, the motor functions according to the pedaling. And the average speed limit of an e-bike is 20mph. Moreover, some electric bike models have hand throttles. These throttles help riders to drive faster.
However, there are certain things to consider before you invest in an mountain e-bike. For example, some governments don’t allow electric bikes on public lands. If you go hunting in conservation lands, this issue might hinder you. Hence, understanding rules and policies related to e-bike riding is also essential.
Moreover, hunting lands are not even. Hunting areas have a wide geographical variety. And they don’t even have clear roads. Hence, it is prudent to ask whether you can use an e-bike for hunting purposes.
Different Classes of Electric Mountain Bikes
Before knowing whether you can ride an e-bike in hunting areas, it is better to know the different types of mountain e-bikes. And some of these electric bikes are allowed in hunting areas. But some aren’t.
Class 1
This type of electric bike has a motor that engages only if the rider is pedaling. The maximum speed limit is 20mph.
Class 2
This electric bike’s motor is throttle assisted. And it does not ask for pedaling. Moreover, like class 1, this can ride at 20mph speed.
Class 3
And this type has a motor that will only provide support if the rider pedals. Further, the maximum speed this type of electric bike can reach is 28mph.
If you do a thorough study, you will understand that e-bikes come in different varieties.
Moreover, there are many forms also. And some of them are similar to road bicycles with large packs of batteries. As they have such battery packs, these bikes are perfect for hunting. Moreover, some electric bike models come with thick and hefty frames. As a result, this type of e-bike can confront harsh elements in the woods. So, it is crucial to consider your needs before purchasing an electric bike, especially when you intend to go on hunting.
Are Mountain e-bikes allowed in hunting areas?
The following are several places where you cannot ride an electric bike.
Cota-maintained places.
As COTA regulates non-motorized single-track roads, they don’t encourage e-bikes in these lands. Moreover, they don’t enable cars either. If your vehicle is motorized, you cannot enter these trails. Hence, you cannot go hunting on an e-bike in this area.
Land of Forest Service
This is another place where you cannot ride your electric bike. These are USFS trails, and they don’t encourage any motorized vehicles. Accordingly, electric bikes cannot travel on these terrains. Moreover, remember these are legal regulations.
Can I ride a Mountain ebike where there are no trails?
As you get an idea about places where e-bikes cannot enter, you might wonder whether you can ride in hunting lands. Surprisingly, the answer is yes.
Because of the increasing demand for hunters, many governments have decided to allow e-bikes in forest areas. However, the class 2 and 3 type e-bikes cannot use their throttles. And those two e-bikes have to ride like a class 1 bike in national parks.
Why Mountain e-bikes for hunting?
Hunters follow the policy memorandum that allows electric bikes into hunting areas. And the number of hunters who invest in e-bikes has also increased. The reason is that riding an e-bike for hunting has a lot of merits. The following is a list of several benefits.
- The assistance given by e-bikes is optimal. It provides you with a boost while you are riding the electric bike. As a result, you don’t have to put much pressure on the knees and thighs. Moreover, since this boosts, even aging persons can enjoy hunting outdoors. Not only them outdoors enthusiasts who have disabilities also can go hunting on challenging roads. As you all know, hunting lands aren’t easy to handle. However, if you ride on an e-bike, the journey would be relatively more straightforward.
- If you are an expert hunter, you should know how to be practical. To this end, you can avoid spending a lot of money on gas bikes by taking an electric bike to the hunting area. And fuel prices are increasing daily. So, an e-bike can save you money. The reason is that you have to charge the batteries when you have an electric bike.
- Moreover, you can have a good time hunting using an e-bike. Besides, you can manage up to 50 miles before you charge the battery again. However, this distance might vary based on the assistance level.
- Moreover, using an electric bike is beneficial to the environment as well. Riding an ebike does almost zero harm in hunting areas, forests, and conservation lands. As a result, you won’t leave any carbon print in the hunting area.
Is it safe to ride an electric mountain bike in hunting areas?
Researchers have found that the demanding popularity of e-bikes has made huge sales in the market. And many shops near hunting areas have started renting e-bikes. Accordingly, we can say that hunters find electric bikes as a safe mode of travel. In addition, e-bikes are comfortable. However, the rent for electric bikes is higher than for regular cycles. And many hunters opt for e-bikes as they don’t release much noise. As a result, hunters can take the perfect aim for their prey. Because of these reasons, hunters have found e-bikes safe and convenient.
Detailed Analysis of Benefits of mountain E-bikes in Hunting
Affordability
One of the reasons that you shouldn’t purchase motorbikes for hunting is their expense. In addition, you will have to bear the fuel costs as well. Moreover, insurance prices and repair prices come along with those expenses. For example, ATV s can take hundreds of dollars from your wallet for repairs.
However, when you ride an e-bike for hunting, your total cost for an entire year is $200. And this is apart from the purchase price. Hence, buying an e-bike is an easy decision for your wallet.
Easy and Quick Navigation
You don’t have to walk miles for hunting now. If you have an e-bike or can hire one, your navigation becomes more accessible. And it doesn’t matter whether you are traveling through rocky lands. The reason is that E-bikes don’t let you down. The reason is the compact size of electric bikes. As a result, riders can handle them easily.
Moreover, this easiness comes thanks to the fixed pedal assist. And also, the built-in throttle is helpful.
This pedal assistance provides you with the benefit of manual pedaling. And you can do this with motor assistance, making your ride more powerful and faster. Hence, you can navigate through any terrain.
And the throttle comes to help you when you ride the electric bike without using manual pedaling. And it is helpful when you want a break or has the heavy gear to carry.
E-bikes are quiet
Unlike other vehicles like cars and trucks, e-bikes are smooth and quiet.
And e-bikes don’t emit carbon dioxide. Some wildlife can be sensitive to this smell of fuel and the emission of gasses. Moreover, other vehicles release harmful chemicals as well. Besides, the whole environment will be contaminated with gas emissions if the hunters travel on cars or motorbikes. Hence, an e-bike is an environment-friendly method. It releases only 22g of CO2 per mile.
And cars, motorbikes, and trucks stir up a lot of dust. However, as e-bikes are light, their tires don’t stir dust like other vehicles. Moreover, e-bikes’ tires don’t affect the terrain much.
Moreover, when you go hunting by vehicle, you must consider the vehicle’s vibration. Accordingly, vibrations of larger vehicles like trucks drive the wildlife away from your sight. Conversely, electric bikes don’t have this problem as they won’t produce beats. So you can move quickly without worrying about vibrations.
Easy to Transport Gear
You can fix a durable rack on your electric mountain bike to carry heavy gear. The reason is that you won’t have hunting equipment. Hence, you can easily take them to the hunting area with an e-bike. Most importantly, e-bikes become the perfect way to carry gear when you ride hills.
Moreover, most of the time, hunters stay overnight in forests. So, the amount of supplies you may have to carry becomes heavier. However, an e-bike can take your stress away as it can help you take these supplies without worrying too much.
Handle Difficult Terrains
You don’t have to worry about the nature of the trails you hunt. Accordingly, you can easily travel across rocky trails with an electric bike. And you don’t have to worry if the path is unpaved. Moreover, there are e-bikes with fat tires. So, these e-bikes offer the perfect balance for amateurs in this activity.
Most importantly, these electric bikes can grapple quickly with snow, mud, water, and sand. You won’t sink, slip, or get stuck when you go hunting on an e-bike. Moreover, fat tire electric bikes for all terrains are lighter. As a result, riders can navigate with fun.
Apart from all these, you can also take your electric bike to the beach. As these e-bikes are suitable for any land, you can have a lot of exploration experiences. Hence, if you invest in an electric bike for hunting, you will benefit more. In a nutshell, an e-bike would be the ideal vehicle for outdoor experiences.
Cover More Terrain
You can cover a significant land area in a brief time with an electric mountain bike. For example, the base-model electric bikes allow you to cover 45 miles before a recharge. These e-bikes have a 13-amp capacity battery. And a high volt electric bike models allow you up to 70 miles.
Moreover, e-bike technology is updating day by day. So, you will be able to see e-bikes that allow you to ride up to 100 miles. And those bikes have a dual battery facility.
The benefit of this facility is that you don’t have to spend much money on expensive fuel. If your journey is long, you must bring a spare battery when hunting.
Moreover, the extent of terrain you can cover depends on several other factors. For example, ground conditions, temperature, the frequency you brake, quality and pressure of the tires, force of the wind, number of turns and hills, state of the bike, and the pedaling power you give manually.
No Scent Traces
Wildlife can easily detect your presence through smell. For example, a deer has millions of smell detectors in its nose. Accordingly, the wilderness smells either you or your vehicle. As a result, you won’t succeed in your hunting because you have driven away the animals.
However, if you are on an electric bike, that won’t happen. As electric bikes don’t have gas tanks, animals don’t smell any scent.
Greater Access
You might have missed a lot of hunting areas because your truck or ATV didn’t fit the narrow trails. However, e-bikes’ compact nature allows you to navigate any narrow path easily.
Apart from that, many outdoor organizations encourage using electric bikes for environmental benefits.
However, remember to consult private land owners or managers of the public lands to know whether e-bikes are allowed for hunting purposes.
Easy Maintenance
Remember that you must maintain the e-bike well if you need to enjoy riding for an extended period. As a result, you can have a more enjoyable hunting experience.
The maintenance process includes the following:
- Regular checkups– If you regularly inspect your electric bike, you can detect minor issues. Accordingly, you can save money you may have to spend on expensive repairs. And it is prudent not to wait for long to do a checkup. Inspecting the bike after every ride will help you understand the issues. And as hunting trips are more complex than everyday rides, checking the e-bike after one hunting trip is better.
- Preventive Maintenance- It is not enough to only maintain your electric bike by yourself. Hence, once a year, take your bike to a service center. Accordingly, the technicians will have to look at the electrical parts of the cycle. And they will repair them if there is any issue with them. Moreover, if the e-bike needs replacements of parts, do them accordingly.
- Thorough Cleaning: Your electric bike catches dirt, mud, water, and other stuff during hunting. Hence, it is vital to clean your e-bike to prevent rusting its parts. The cleaning process is not rocket science. You need some soapy water and a soft piece of cloth. However, don’t use any offensive material for scrubbing.
- Replacements: When the time of electric bike parts expires, you must replace them with new ones. Otherwise, you won’t be able to go hunting for fun.
In addition, most riders remove the e-bike’s battery and store it safely during cold weather. We also recommend doing that because doing so will protect your batter for an extended period.
Things To Consider Before Purchasing a Mountain E-bike for Hunting
Hunting is a unique activity. Hence, things like the size of the bike, features, accessories, style, and manufacturer are essential.
Conclusion
Now you know that you can use electric mountain bikes for hunting. And having an e-bike to go hunting offers you many benefits. Hence, if you intend to buy an electric bike for hunting, it will be a worthy investment, as hunting roads aren’t smooth and even choose a bike that suits uneven terrains.
Besides, using an electric bike in hunting has become a trend. Therefore, the demand for e-bikes is increasing. Furthermore, e-bikes help you to save time and money. The reason is that you won’t have to spend money on expensive fuel. Moreover, e-bikes aren’t beneficial only to humans. It doesn’t emit harmful gas or chemicals into the environment. Hence, e-bikes are environment-friendly vehicles. And e-bikes don’t have harsh noises, either. So, an e-bike seems a perfect vehicle to go hunting.