Hunting a Large Area for the First Time: Tips for Success
Keith Lusher
Hunting in Southeast Louisiana can often mean covering numerous miles of varying terrain. From the swamp to red dirt roads, this area can pose a major problem to hunters who have a lot of hunting ground to cover. Since the ATV/4-wheelers things have gotten remarkably easier for hunters who have to travel long distances and the muscles that ATV's have is custom made for hauling your kill especially deer.
While there are pro's to using ATV's for hunting, there are many cons. Gas engines can lead to expensive upkeep and fumes that can affect your hunt. Not to mention the noise factor. The average ATV puts out over 160 decibels which can be heard by animals from over 10 miles away.
A relative newcomer to the hunting world is something that I've discovered last year and it's call an Ebike or Electric Bicycle. These "beefed up" mountain bikes are custom built for a smooth, quiet rides and add to the agility that they provide and you have the perfect tool for covering numerous miles of various terrain in South Louisiana.
There are more and more of these bikes being produced every year and with the competition comes cheaper prices and better quality. During Turkey season my Ebike is the only vehicle I use. It allows me to extend my rides further to areas that may otherwise be inaccessible to me when riding my ATV.
While there are pro's to using ATV's for hunting, there are many cons. Gas engines can lead to expensive upkeep and fumes that can affect your hunt. Not to mention the noise factor. The average ATV puts out over 160 decibels which can be heard by animals from over 10 miles away.
A relative newcomer to the hunting world is something that I've discovered last year and it's call an Ebike or Electric Bicycle. These "beefed up" mountain bikes are custom built for a smooth, quiet rides and add to the agility that they provide and you have the perfect tool for covering numerous miles of various terrain in South Louisiana.
There are more and more of these bikes being produced every year and with the competition comes cheaper prices and better quality. During Turkey season my Ebike is the only vehicle I use. It allows me to extend my rides further to areas that may otherwise be inaccessible to me when riding my ATV.
Heading north from the camp is the bayou trail.
I recall my first turkey season using my Rambo R1000XP. I was scouting for Turkey and turned off the dirt road to a narrow trail that meandered uphill. As my Ebike climbed I was shocked at how quite the motor was even while pushing extra hard uphill. As I came over the hill I was I spotted a gobbler with 5 hens and I immediately slammed on the breaks. I leaned to the right and kicked my leg out to stabilized and within 2 seconds the bike and I were totlly motionless. To my surprise the turkeys never spotted me and I was able to watch them as they worked down the wood-line for 45 minutes. It was then that I realized that this bike was going to help me tremendously in the years to come. Since then I have used my Rambo Ebike on every turkey hunting trip I have made and it has proved to be an amazing asset to me during turkey season.
One issue I was worried about was the battery life. Battery charge times vary between 4 to 6 hours to fully charge and you can expect to get around 25 miles on a full charge (flat road without pedaling). Ebikes vary and battery size will dictate how long you can run it. The batteries commonly have a usb port for charging and if you have a solar charger with the right connection you can certainly use that. But even if you run out of battery, there is an option to pedal. There are a few variations but the majority of ebikes have what's called the trifecta. So the option of pedal assist (so you pedal and the motor helps), then there's throttle (so no pedaling required) and lastly you can always pedal without engaging the motor and use it just like a regular bicycle. So if the battery runs out you can just pedal along. If a few models the pedal assist option is not available, in those models it's either full throttle or pedaling. I advise to make sure you purchase a bike that can switch over to pedaling if by some chance the battery wears out. While I rave about my Rambo bike has plenty power, there are numerous others that I've looked at that may pose a problem when sloshing though the swamps of Louisiana so choose wisely when purchasing one. It very important to choose a powerful electric bike especially if you live in the south where traction may be an issue.
One issue I was worried about was the battery life. Battery charge times vary between 4 to 6 hours to fully charge and you can expect to get around 25 miles on a full charge (flat road without pedaling). Ebikes vary and battery size will dictate how long you can run it. The batteries commonly have a usb port for charging and if you have a solar charger with the right connection you can certainly use that. But even if you run out of battery, there is an option to pedal. There are a few variations but the majority of ebikes have what's called the trifecta. So the option of pedal assist (so you pedal and the motor helps), then there's throttle (so no pedaling required) and lastly you can always pedal without engaging the motor and use it just like a regular bicycle. So if the battery runs out you can just pedal along. If a few models the pedal assist option is not available, in those models it's either full throttle or pedaling. I advise to make sure you purchase a bike that can switch over to pedaling if by some chance the battery wears out. While I rave about my Rambo bike has plenty power, there are numerous others that I've looked at that may pose a problem when sloshing though the swamps of Louisiana so choose wisely when purchasing one. It very important to choose a powerful electric bike especially if you live in the south where traction may be an issue.
Another benefit to these bikes came this fall when Secretary of the Interior issued an order opening more public lands to e-bikes. Now e-bikes will be allowed on trails and routes where standard bikes are allowed. DOI Secretary David Bernhardt said his motivation was to increase opportunities for outdoor recreation, particularly for those not hale and hardy enough to pedal traditional mountain bike. This is a huge benefit for those who have needed the extra horsepower to move across long spans of refuge. Now, I can use my bike to hunt public lands which is a benefit when I want to hunt close to home. For the most part I'm not familiar with the public hunting grounds and with my bike I will be able to cover miles of "new to me" hunting ground without the worries of getting stuck in the mud.
There are so many tips that I can give you in terms of turkey hunting but from my experience the most effective tool in my arsenal is my Ebike. I'll never turkey hunt again without it!
There are so many tips that I can give you in terms of turkey hunting but from my experience the most effective tool in my arsenal is my Ebike. I'll never turkey hunt again without it!