# Securing side-by-side while hunting



## Bolt Action (May 23, 2014)

I am a recent new resident of Utah and a relatively new hunter. My wife and I are considering purchasing a side-by-side for hunting. My question is, how do people secure their side-by-side or ATVs while they are hunting off trail to prevent theft - or is it even necessary? Any insights would be appreciated.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I just take the key out of mine. Probably wouldn't hurt to run a cable around a tree and the frame and lock it though. Honestly, I worry more about people vandalizing my machine when I'm not around than I do them stealing it.


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## Bolt Action (May 23, 2014)

Pretty sad that people would commit vandalism in a remote area.


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Oh I thought you were talking about a side-by-side shotgun. It took me a minute to figure out what the heck you were talking about...then I saw it was in the "vehicles" category.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have never seen or heard of a ATV being vandalized while it was parked and the owner was hunting, as long as it is parked correctly and not in a area that it shouldn't be in. I even leave my key in mine unless I am going to be miles away or away for the whole day and then I'll take the key and hide it nearby just so that I don't loose it while I am on my hike.


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## mtnrunner260 (Feb 15, 2010)

Just remove and carry the battery with you. 
But really just taking or bidding the key should do it.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

I am with fowl, much higher probability of vandalism vs theft; I have heard of a few instances, mainly in the Wasatch or when they are parked in a no ATV area. I think it is all about the area and I would try to avoid leaving much of value in the machine while away.


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## Bolt Action (May 23, 2014)

Thanks for all the observations and ideas!


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

I would suggest leaving the wife with the ATV


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## Bolt Action (May 23, 2014)

Mr Muleskinner said:


> I would suggest leaving the wife with the ATV


I don't think that would fly with my wife. Besides, before she retired she was a biologist and she's pretty good at spotting game...


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

must be woman thing. My wife works at Lowe's and she can spot game with the best of them.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Years ago when 3 wheelers were popular, I would always pull the spark plug cap and gently set it back over the plug. Those things didn't have a key and it was a quick way to disable the machine if someone tried to start it.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

We always take our keys with us. We used to use Python locks to lock them together, but have never had an issue so long as you didn't piss everyone off on your way in, or park in their camp, or in the middle of the road, etc...

I know there are some folks that like to destroy or damage other people's stuff, just for the sport of it but they are few and far between in the world of hunting.


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## Iron Bear (Nov 19, 2008)

Bolt Action said:


> I don't think that would fly with my wife. Besides, before she retired she was a biologist and she's pretty good at spotting game...


Haha because biologist see 3 deer for every 1 a regular outdoorsman does.

That explains some of the deer counts of the past.

Just having some fun.

I have never had an issue with somebody fooling with my wheeler. And that's here in Sevier county. So I'm certain if it's safe here then it's safe anywhere.

I have had my camp raided more than once and a good friend of mine once returned to an empty camp. They took everything he had left in camp. Coolers tent target BBQ the whole bit.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

We had a trailer that got broken into up at Strawberry. Camp supplies stolen, bows/arrows stolen, food stolen and worst of all a bunch of beer stolen. :x Now we can live without food for the week, but stealing our beer is punishable by :boxing:..........We did end up finding the bows/arrows down by a stream, along with a pile of empty beer cans. Bastards!:x 
I tend to worry more about people coming in our camp when we are gone and stealing our stuff, although we have had thieves come in at night while we were sleeping and steal stuff. Come to think about it I lost another cooler full of food/beer down at fishlake to thieves.:x 
2 weeks ago a buddy and myself were headed up to Strawberry for a day of fishing. We stopped at the Maverik on 3300 S. 700 w. to grab a cup of coffee, when we came out his cooler and fishing pole was gone.:x Yes more food and beer. My point is you really have to be on guard all the time and keep an eye on anything that is important to you. There are too many opportunists out there that will take advantage of easy targets.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Uh...I can't remember ever seein' a parked ATV. :|


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

A couple years ago while hunting the La Sals we drove past a wheeler that the hunter had left parked along the side of the road while he went hunting. He had left it idling. We drove by over an hour latter and it was still sitting there, still idling. This time we shut the thing off. The first time we just figured the guy had jumped off to take a leak, the second time past we figured that he had just walked off hunting and forgot to shut it off.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Or he had a bad battery and no way to restart it once it was shut off. :rotfl:


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

I've parked ATVs all over the Stansberrys, Onaquis and Sheeprocks with the key in the ignition for years, never an issue. One time I did see an empty trailer just like mine go by on a road way down the mountain while I was glassing. I was relieved to see mine still hooked to the truck when I got back to it.


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

I left my truck parked by a trail over a weekend during the hunt last year and didn't have any issues, had most of my gear stowed in the back. I guess it all comes down to where you are and who knows the area, we were in an area where ATV's aren't allowed on the trails so that kept many people out. Always found it interesting how ATV's, beer, and theft were shared by the same group of people.


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