Hunting with Off-Highway Vehicles

Off-highway vehicles or OHVs are special-purpose vehicles that require careful, responsible handling and good judgment.

• They’re useful for traveling into back country, but they can damage the environment if used recklessly. They also require training and practice to handle them safely in rough terrain.
• Studies show that the majority of OHV accidents occur when the rider unexpectedly encounters an obstacle, such as a rock or a ditch. Maintaining a safe speed is critical.
• If you use OHVs to hunt, prepare yourself and your family by attending an approved OHV course.
• Before hunting with OHVs on private land, be sure to get the landowner’s permission.

Always follow the rules for safe and ethical operation:

• Wear a helmet, gloves and proper clothing such as boots, sturdy, long pants and long sleeve shirt.
• Carry firearms unloaded, cased, and on a proper gun rack.
• When using the plastic scabbard mounted on an OHV, clear the inside of the scabbard of debris and check your firearm’s muzzle for obstructions.
• Stay on the main roads and trails.

• Pick your route carefully to minimize terrain damage.
• Don’t drive over crops or planted fields.
• Don’t shoot from an OHV.
• Use OHVs only to get to the hunting area or to haul an animal from the field, unless the area is closed to motorized vehicle traffic.
• Show respect for others by watching your OHV’s noise level. Do not disturb wildlife or other hunters.

Remember ... If you are not in the possession of and the lawful holder a CHAMP permit, shooting from vehicles is unsafe, unethical and illegal.

Considerations When Hunting with Off-Highway Vehicles

• In Arizona and many other states, it is illegal to hunt from an off-highway vehicle (OHV); this includes molesting, stirring up, or driving any game animals or game birds with a motorized vehicle.
• It is illegal in some states to operate an OHV off the trail, or there may be trails specifically closed to OHV use.
• In many states, it is prohibited to operate an OHV off roads or trails in a manner that damages or disturbs the land, wildlife, or vegetation.
• Some states require that OHVs be equipped with approved and operating spark-arresting mufflers and comply with sound regulations.
• Use OHVs only to get to the hunting area or to haul a downed big game animal from the field, unless the area is closed to motorized vehicle traffic.

Remember to stay on established trails that permit OHV operation.