Quadrunners ATV's Ruin Rural America

Many people have been leaving the chaos of the city to live in the solitude of the countryside. I was one of those searching for a quieter lifestyle. We built a log home on five acres of woods. It seemed like the perfect surrounding for raising a family. That ended abruptly one night just weeks after we had moved into our new home.

It was a wonderful springtime evening. We had left the windows open to let the night noises of the crickets and frogs lull us to sleep. I awoke thinking I heard a helicopter approaching. It got louder and louder like a helicopter does. I got out of bed and peered out the window to see how close it would fly overhead. But what I saw were several headlights bouncing through the adjoining woods. It was a herd of quad runners, or ATV's, at least eight of them. It was irritating and outrageously loud. They emerged from the woods and sped through a newly planted cornfield. I didn't know the farmers yet in the area, I'm sure they appreciated the damage though.

I watched in disbelief as they throttled through a hole in the fencing and started down my driveway! They were apparently taking the shortest route to the road, which included going down my $14,000.00 blacktop driveway. I threw on some clothes, sprinted down the stairs, and out the door. As I was running, I was thinking: now what am I actually going to say to these potential punks? Well, needless to say, they were long gone by the time I reached the hole in the fence. My new driveway was covered in mud. Sure the rain would wash it off. But that's not the point here.

I called the sheriff. They sent someone out in the morning. All he did was shake his head and say, "Well, there ain't much we can do about it. You can put up No Trespassing signs." Which I did. Which were torn down over the next couple days. Since then, I've chased them in my truck and down a public road, which it is illegal for an ATV to be on these roads. I've met them on the driveway once, but they just accelerated by me. I've thought about setting some "Rambo" traps for them, but I really don't want to hurt anyone.

My point is that out here in the country, anything goes. Most of the quad runner owners don't own enough land to enjoy their new toys. So they trespass on other properties and ride on the road. Apparently, the police can't do much about it. It also ruins the hunting in the area. I'll be in my deer stand, and inevitably, during the prime time of the evening, the ATV's will come busting down the trail, scaring every last deer into the next county.

My advice is that before you sell your nice house in the city because you want peace and quiet in the countryside, think twice about it. If you find some land in the country, you might want to scope out the surrounding area for quad runner trails. Or maybe even ask if you can spend the night in a tent on the land to see just how quiet it is going to be. You might find your tranquility interrupted by unbaffled engines, motorcycles, and even gunfire. It will make that barking dog nuisance in your suburban neighborhood a welcome sound.