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Can-Am Headquarters ...Aurora Wheelers ATV Forum > Tips, Toys, Tires, Ads, Misc > Outdoors > Snowmobiles > WIS DNR to step up law enforcement on snowmobile trails |
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| WIS DNR to step up law enforcement on snowmobile trails - Snowmobiles - Tips, Toys, Tires, Ads, Misc - Can-Am Headquarters ...Aurora Wheelers ATV Forum | ||||||||||||||||
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outlandish AWF Admin 
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DNR to step up law enforcement on snowmobile trails ROBERT IMRIE Associated Press WAUSAU, Wis. - Snowmobilers who speed or drink and drive may find it harder to avoid getting a ticket this winter in a new law enforcement crackdown meant to reduce the number of riders killed in crashes. The state Department of Natural Resources created a special team of 12 wardens with six snowmobiles who will conduct highly visible patrols in areas known for snowmobile accidents, said Gary Eddy, the agency's snowmobile education administrator. The patrols were to start this weekend in Oconto County - where six snowmobilers died in the past three winters, he said. "It is going to be a concentrated patrol in areas of high snowmobile use," Eddy said. "It is no different than seeing a patrol officer along the highway. People modify their behaviors. They slow down. We are hoping the same effect takes place with this team." The team was created following one of the most deadly winters for snowmobilers in Wisconsin. Accidents killed 37 people, the second highest total since a record 39 people died in crashes in the 1999-2000 winter. According to the DNR, 265 snowmobilers have been killed in Wisconsin over the past 10 years, an average of 27 a year. Two snowmobile groups - the Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs and the Gov.'s Recreation Snowmobile Council - support the so-called "snowmobile accident reduction team," which is patterned after a similar program in Minnesota, Eddy said. Scott Makowski of Menomonee Falls, president of the Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs, which represents 632 clubs and 30,000 families, said the number of accidents and deaths spurred people to do something new about the problem. "We have been asking for more visibility from law enforcement on the trails because of the problems of the accidents," he said. "We all agree you are not going to get rid of 100 percent of the accident or the fatalities. But we would like to get them down. I think the accident teams will work." Speed and alcohol are the biggest factors in most of the deadly crashes that occur at night, so more police presence might curtail some of those behaviors, Makowski said. The DNR wants to make the patrols highly visible, including even painting the trailers used to haul the warden's snowmobiles with special markings to make it clear patrols are in the area, Eddy said. For the long New Year's weekend, the patrols plan to target the St. Germain area in Vilas County, Eddy said. The Legislature budgeted $32,000 for a one-year trial run of the program, he said. The Minnesota DNR has operated a similar law enforcement program on its trails for at least eight years, using as few as three and up to eight wardens, said Mike Hammer, education coordinator for the agency's division of enforcement. "It gets people's attention that there is some enforcement out there and gets them to mind their Ps and Qs," he said. Minnesota had 15 snowmobile deaths last winter and 13 in the 2003-2004 winter. Hammer believes fewer deaths occur in Minnesota than in Wisconsin primarily because Minnesota enforces a 50 mph speed limit on its trails, he said. Wisconsin does not have a statewide speed limit, but the Assembly approved legislation this week that would set it at 55 mph at night. The Senate would have to pass it before it could go to the governor for approval. Makowski, a snowmobiler since the mid-1970s, said directors from each of Wisconsin's 72 counties had a say in whether the Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs would endorse the law enforcement effort. Fewer than 10 of the directors opposed it, some because they worried about giving the DNR more authority, he said. Mark Larsen, an avid snowmobiler from River Falls and the former chairman of the Gov.'s Recreation Snowmobile Council, said good law enforcement on the trails has been sporadic at best in many places. A concentrated police presence has to help cut down accidents, he said. "I think a majority of snowmobilers who are safety conscious will warm up to it, absolutely," Larsen said. "You will always have the renegade snowmobiler who is anti-law enforcement for any reason. Those are the guys with the big iron and they are the ones who are going to go (full) throttle and they are going to hurt somebody." ON THE NET Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us
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Survey Guy Member 
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Two years ago in Voyaguers National Park I counted 13 cops on the trails, well maybe I should say on the lake trails cuz it's alot easier to hand out tickets when you can see sleds coming from 13 miles across the lakes. That's my one beef with those guys, you hardly ever see them on the trails in the woods where the throttle jockeys are endangering everyone, instead they are on the lakes where it's easy pickins!
____________________ Fourwheeling is not a crime! Neither is backhanding a Liberal! |
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zac41 Night Shift Deputy 
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Survey Guy wrote: Two years ago in Voyaguers National Park I counted 13 cops on the trails, well maybe I should say on the lake trails cuz it's alot easier to hand out tickets when you can see sleds coming from 13 miles across the lakes. That's my one beef with those guys, you hardly ever see them on the trails in the woods where the throttle jockeys are endangering everyone, instead they are on the lakes where it's easy pickins!Maybe they are in the woods, but are covertly hidden so that you can't see them 
____________________ 06 Outlander 800 XT Camo-Ricochet skidz, HMF pipe, Dobeck, Dalton 03 Honda Rincon- MBRP pipe, Dynojet Kit, K&N  Team Outty 800 Member #4 |
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outlandish AWF Admin
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When I was riding sleds a few years back, they were everywhere. I just figured they might be right around the next corner so I kept it at or under the speed limit......Besides in the woods it's harder to hit 90 mph than on a lake....I do see your point though, I have been blown off the trail by those high speed idiots and clicked skis with them many times when they come sliding around a curve on the wrong side
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zac41 Night Shift Deputy
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I do a fair amount of snowmobile patrol in the winter, and the name of the game is getting some paper hung on people, so that the word gets out that tickets are being written and hopefully people will slow down all over the place. It is much easier to write them on lakes and long straightaways. It is really tough to find a good, and safe spot on the trail to park for enforcement. So the lakes are the best and safest place to be. Many times people will see you and try to speed away. On the lakes you can follow them from a safe distance and still keep them in sight. On the curves of a trail it is not safe for them or us to chase them.
____________________ 06 Outlander 800 XT Camo-Ricochet skidz, HMF pipe, Dobeck, Dalton 03 Honda Rincon- MBRP pipe, Dynojet Kit, K&N Team Outty 800 Member #4 |
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outlandish AWF Admin
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I think drinking is the biggest reason for the crazy riders. I used to ride with some guys that would ride from bar to bar, have 3 or 4 then on to the next and then the next etc. The ride always started out OK riding at a nice pace but after a couple stops it was just insane. Many times I just let those fools go ahead and I would show up at the next bar 10 minutes later.......they all would laugh but I just felt better about it putting along at or under the limit.....some of the trails are even a little hairy at the speed limit and when sober.....OK soapbox mode off 
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Survey Guy Member
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zac41 wrote: I do a fair amount of snowmobile patrol in the winter, and the name of the game is getting some paper hung on people, so that the word gets out that tickets are being written and hopefully people will slow down all over the place. It is much easier to write them on lakes and long straightaways. It is really tough to find a good, and safe spot on the trail to park for enforcement. So the lakes are the best and safest place to be. Many times people will see you and try to speed away. On the lakes you can follow them from a safe distance and still keep them in sight. On the curves of a trail it is not safe for them or us to chase them. Well if you ever stop me on the trails I'm pulling out my Aurora Wheelers Membership card and I expect a one time get out of trouble free!  I do understand why you guys are mostly on the lakes and trust me word does get out but... the throttle jockeys also know you guys are only on the lakes so they sno cross down the trails and put everyones lives and fun in danger. I've been sledding for about 20 years and I have never had a close call on a lake but I cannot even count the number of times I've almost been wiped out by some ass flying around a corner or down the trail. I know the state has a 50 mph speed limit and I know the National Park has a 45 mph speed limit but is it really that big a deal if somone is going 60 across lakes as big as Kabetogama, Rainy or Namakan? From what I've read on snowmobiling sites the people feel that you guys sitting on lakes handing out tickets is the easy way out and people feel resentment towards you guys doing your jobs versus if they see you guys out on some trail networks stopping the idiots that endanger other peoples lives not just their own I firmly beleive people would appreciate what you guys are doing versus the pissing and moaning about you guys being stacked up out on the lakes.Anyway it's just my thoughts based on what I hear, read and see and I hope you don't think I'm trashing on you or the other guys doing your job, because I'm not, it's just that you're the only guy that I know of that does that line of work so I thought I would let ya know my thoughts!  Outlandish, I hear ya about the bars. We pretty much go from bar to bar also and sometimes I have a beer and sometimes I don't, it's been many years since pounding beers at each bar and being trashed on the sled, it just does'nt appeal to me anymore, not to mention most of the people in the group I ride with are around 10 years older than me and some of the ladies are over 50 so they are not really interested in going above the speed limit, which is fine by me, there are too many people on the trails to Snow Cross anymore. But I like to open her up a bit on the lakes to give my thumb a new position for a while but guess what, there's zac41 hiding behind a rock waiting to give me a ticket!!  You're killin me zac!Ya know this may be the longest post I've ever typed! Like I said, no hard feelings zac just giving you a different point of view. Keep up the good work.
____________________ Fourwheeling is not a crime! Neither is backhanding a Liberal! |
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zac41 Night Shift Deputy
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No offense taken. I ride myself and have seen some pretty stupid people on the trails too. I wish there was more that could be done about it, but the money is just not there for enforcement like it is on the highways. The problem is that the State keeps jacking up the licensing fee's, trail fee's, stud fee's, god knows what Gov. P'lenty (of stupid ideas) will jack up next. He keeps jacking these fee's up, but the money never comes back to anything. Don't get me started on that idiot.
____________________ 06 Outlander 800 XT Camo-Ricochet skidz, HMF pipe, Dobeck, Dalton 03 Honda Rincon- MBRP pipe, Dynojet Kit, K&N Team Outty 800 Member #4 |
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Survey Guy Member
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Yeah, it will be interesting to see what happens to all the money collected from the new trail stickers.
____________________ Fourwheeling is not a crime! Neither is backhanding a Liberal! |
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outlandish AWF Admin
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Maybe that will go replace the cig. tax, I mean fee
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Survey Guy Member
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That's not even funny Outlandish! I could totally see them do that!!
____________________ Fourwheeling is not a crime! Neither is backhanding a Liberal! |
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outlandish AWF Admin
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That happened with the ATV gas fund that was supposed to go to trails.....what was that? ..a couple million I think. Pawlenty doesn't care where he takes it from as long as the budget balances
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Survey Guy Member
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Go ahead, stick the knife in and twist! You're just trying to make me mad!
____________________ Fourwheeling is not a crime! Neither is backhanding a Liberal! |
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zac41 Night Shift Deputy
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The guy is an idiot. He brag's his a$$ off about not raising taxes, and then he goes and cut's LGA (local govt. aid) to everyone. This forces the County and City to raise their taxes to make up for the LGA cuts. Then he look's like the golden boy cuz the state didn't raise taxes, and everyone else has egg on their face cuz they raised the taxes. Anybody from Minnesota here will testify that their taxes went up between 45-220% just because of County and City Levy's being so high to accomidate. With all that plus the School referandum, mine went up 125%.
____________________ 06 Outlander 800 XT Camo-Ricochet skidz, HMF pipe, Dobeck, Dalton 03 Honda Rincon- MBRP pipe, Dynojet Kit, K&N Team Outty 800 Member #4 |
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Survey Guy Member
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I did'nt look to see how much mine increased. All it does is piss me off. Not to mention I hate all politicians, they are all slimy snakes who are in it for themselves no matter what they say. Great now you're trying to make me mad! That's it I'm going home so I can get my truck from the Ford dealer, I had cracked my mirror on the drivers side, of course they could'nt replace just the mirror they had to replace the whole assembly, so that is going to cost about 300 bucks and some change!
____________________ Fourwheeling is not a crime! Neither is backhanding a Liberal! |
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outlandish AWF Admin
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Oh relax jason. I just got my old truck back, $200 to put an ignition switch in........WTF If I would have known that I would have hot wired the damn thing....ok a little off topic..
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outlandish AWF Admin
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See what that friggen governor does to everybody....that bastard
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zac41 Night Shift Deputy
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outlandish wrote: See what that friggen governor does to everybody....that bastardYeah, let's all ride the 800's down to the capital and show him who's boss 
____________________ 06 Outlander 800 XT Camo-Ricochet skidz, HMF pipe, Dobeck, Dalton 03 Honda Rincon- MBRP pipe, Dynojet Kit, K&N Team Outty 800 Member #4 |
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outlandish AWF Admin
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Do we get a police escort?
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| Can-Am Headquarters ...Aurora Wheelers ATV Forum > Tips, Toys, Tires, Ads, Misc > Outdoors > Snowmobiles > WIS DNR to step up law enforcement on snowmobile trails | |
