According to the Ranger I spoke to on the phone all of the provincelands area is closed as of 12:00pm today except for Coast Guard.

Is fishing that good John and are you kidding ?

I can only do walk ons and not far as it is.

Its all about them Piping plovers :rocketem: :nailem:

:skulz: :rocketem: stoopid birds

That's nice...... looks like it will be the middle of July before we can get on again.:hs:

Sorry for the ignorance but can you walk anywhere you please and the closure is for vehicle traffic?

and not like I can walk in sand more than a 1/4 mile without collapsing :(

I think that such closures are much too arbitrary. There is a way to manage both for the birds and for vehicular traffic. Recently the park service has opened miles of beach for vehicular traffic around Cape Hatteras, NC where piping plovers also nest. The head ranger there is formerly the head guy for the Provincelands. Those of us who use the beach regularly MUST make our voices heard. One gets the distinct impression that there is an agenda among those controlling the Cape Cod National Seashore that they don't want to see ANY vehicular traffic and will use any excuse to exclude us.

Its time to voice our opinions on this. The park service (in addition to managing bird habitat) also has the directive to provide for human access. I would love to hear ideas and approaches that would both provide for wildlife conservation and human access during the nesting season (which can continue well into August).

Hope it does not ruin the Bombas trip!:eek:

Between the seal and birds that place is really starting to be not worth the yearly pass fee, It seens like they do it right in time for the 4th of July so they don't have to deal with the crowds. survival of the fittest and these bird are not fit to survive

I only know what they told me on the phone today and wanted to put it out so people would not waste thier time. I don't know if the fishing was good just that I have not had any what I consider good fishing on the outer beaches in 2 years.

I don't know anything but inmy experience the southside has better shore fishing in the spring and the canal and the beaches leading into the canal have better fishing in the fall from shore then the outer beaches the past 2 years. Summer you are SOL unless you have a boat.

The reason.

SEALS in my humble opinion and it breaks my heart because I do think it is going to change in my life time.

UUGGH,
I just bought a $40 week pass yesterday!!!
FIN waste of money!@!!:ss: :whackin: :walk:
Later,
Rick

should be written for ideas that can be utilized here.:read:

Between the seal and birds that place is really starting to be not worth the yearly pass fee, It seens like they do it right in time for the 4th of July so they don't have to deal with the crowds. survival of the fittest and these bird are not fit to survive
This is why a lot of us who were back beach regulars quit. I use to drive 300 miles round trip every Friday and again on Saturday in the early and mid-90s. We had closures then but you usually could get to the Mission Bell and they never closed the beach this early.
It's really stupid when you consider that the Coyotes, eagles, Hawks and assorted other wildlife kill far more birds than the OSV. This is nothing but one more way that they will, ultimately, take total beach access away from us. Close the beach earlier, keep it closed longer, restrict the areas you can drive etc.

:realmad: :splat: :af: :rocketem: :devil: :wall: :wall:
my head is gonna explode

screw them, I am driving on anyway
who do they think they are closing the road? :whackin:

maybe it's time to take up golf, no plovers on the golf courses.

maybe it's time to take up golf, no plovers on the golf courses.

for saying that.... thats a moment of reckless abandon.

:mad: death to all plovers

i'd rather have a duck...or a pheasant or an eagle.

First time in 25 years I haven't bought a single beach pass :(

I can get the free Seashore night parking and walk if I want a break from the rocks.

This is why a lot of us who were back beach regulars quit. I use to drive 300 miles round trip every Friday and again on Saturday in the early and mid-90s. We had closures then but you usually could get to the Mission Bell and they never closed the beach this early.
It's really stupid when you consider that the Coyotes, eagles, Hawks and assorted other wildlife kill far more birds than the OSV. This is nothing but one more way that they will, ultimately, take total beach access away from us. Close the beach earlier, keep it closed longer, restrict the areas you can drive etc.

Ditto.

Back beach=:yak: I should change my screen name as it doesn't really apply anymore. The one thing though is that you think back to some of the times that were had not too long ago, say fall 2003, and you try to keep an opportunistic eye on the place. The access has always been an issue since the early 80's, its the fishing that has probably soured more than anything else. I'm not ready to concede that its the seals though. The fish just haven't been using the place steadily in recent years, even before the seals became an issue. This all said, if you were to have the night of your life, the back would be one of the most promising places to do it. The orv permit is a non issue as the best spots are all within a 1 mile walk of parking lots. The orv's actually ruin the fishing at times anyways. One guy stops at a spot, the herd follows, so forth and so on on until its a gigantic cluster @$@#.

What a great point, Back Beach! Even in the heyday there-- when I did have many "dream"- quality nights... I was by choice a "walk- on" fisherman only. Beyond the obvious appeal of solitude, finding my own structure/ spots during daylight, & of course then having the fish to myself-- I truly feel the lack of buggys/ lights/ human commotion, was the reason these nights on these lonely (in Fall) Backside beaches were so spectacular. I'm talking multiple 50+ fish nights, with few under 10 lbs... & most 12- 25 lbs. (All returned, as I'm strictly C & R-- no "slips" / proof here!)

But this was pre- Seal infestation too! (say 1997- 2002), when seeing even one in the dawn surf was a rarity. Recent years, just WAY too many fishless nights on the Back Beach followed by Seal- herd parties/ blitzes on bait come the dawn. Mung and small blue hordes I had strategies to deal with to get to the Bass... But, Seals cavorting sometimes in the dozens within casting range on every Outer beach-- when they used to be a rarity outside Chatam/ Nauset-- by coincidence or not isa an event that's happened just as the Surf Bass fishing there has tanked. And as I think J.H. actually meant?-- no, I do not see the Seal problem there changing nor being fixed anytime soon, & so sadly I'm quite pessimistic, & doubt that the Back will ever return to its' former striped Glory! :crying:

Seals, Plovers, Gays and Lesbians, rich New Yorkers, it's all the same.

They git thier money and we all knew that the possibility was there, who's the smarter ones?

Get a boat. You don't need a big one. Most people I know with 20 footers plus can't afford to run them themselves and if they do it's infrequently cause of the cash layout at the pump for the gas pimps for both truck and boat. 40 gallon tank in boat and 30 gallon tank in truck leaves you barren of pocket and wallet. How often can you afford to do that?

Ask Karl F. Had him in the skiff today, it was my 3rd day in my boat fishing all day (catching too) and finally I went to half a tank. And it only cost 20.00 bucks to fill it when bone dry.

F-CK the beach, mung is on the way, see you in September.

I miss it, I miss it dearly( the way it was) but you gotta move on and skiffin' it is the way for me.

Seals, Plovers, Gays and Lesbians, rich New Yorkers, it's all the same

Thanks niow I have water driping from my nose and all over the keyboard!!

:cheers:

Seals, Plovers, Gays and Lesbians, rich New Yorkers, it's all the same.




:hihi:... OMG... Quote of the year nomminee!!! :jester:



Flap's on the money, for a LOT of reasons... gas, bird closures, oh yeah... SEALS, mung.. soaring fuel costs.. very effecient, small, yet room enuf for two, fish finder he has there.. :kewl:

BTW Flap, your right, my arms sore... from all the pointing :) (the visuals today were awesome) and meybe something else...:D

I wonder if they will give me my money back ? :realmad:

I wonder if they will give me my money back ? :realmad:
No, but you can park in the lot for "free".:mad:

free?
$150 is free? :realmad: :bsod:

if this goes on for 28 days, someone is going to go ballistic:rocketem:

Reading this thread gives me a bad feeling that these bird wackos are going to win.

It goes something like this: beach gets closed to protect plovers under bogus pretenses - more plovers hatch which is then touted as a success by the enviro crazies - more beach is closed more often the following year - fewer and fewer people buy passes - enviro wackos say traffic is down which has led to a plover revival - passes are further reduced and/or the beach is closed for good.

Next stop, Outer Banks, NC.

Personally, I'm buying a sticker every year for two reasons. One, so they know I want it now and forever, and two, because the fishing is still not bad. (I agree fall '03 was the last "great" fishing, but I've caught plenty of good fish the last few years as well...sometimes 50 yards from some frolicking seals.)

$150 for a Federal permit is a disgrace to start with.

Gateway National Recreation Area in NYC gets $25 for a 4x4 permit. There isn't much beach and the permit really isn't valid until Sept 1, but at least it's only 25 smackers.

FINS (Fire Island National Seashore) has as much driveable beach as the Race. It's been awhile since I got the sticker, but it was still under $50 the last I heard.

FINS bans 4x4 travel between June 15-Sept. 15, but you know that going in, and the way CCNS is going, that might turn out to be true for the Race anyway.

I am going to start raising coyotes and then setting them free on the CCNS...:laughs:

the federal permit for Asseteague is only 75 dollars for the year, is the CC seashore twice as good?

the federal permit for Asseteague is only 75 dollars for the year, is the CC seashore twice as good?

no, not even close

this thread is depressing me

John, it's a very loooooooooooooooooong walk to the ant hill from the lot, a kayak would be a quicker way to get there:huh:

Pure Bullsheet.

My guess.. Race Point South trail will re-open July 8, North & pole route, coupla days later.....
Slip fix ya carberator, and go skiffin, ya be beter off for it :uhuh:

The reason the feds get $150 is not because of us fishermen. it's all the nitwits that want to prove their 4 x 4 can go in the sand.

The last time I fished the Cape was in Aug of 2003. One Thursday afternoon at 2:00 PM there were bumper to bumper trucks from the beginning of the Back to the Mission Bell. Grills, sun tents (*or whatever you call them cabana things), float tubes, tables and chairs, etc. etc.

Back when the Back Beach was "good" you could drive all day and all night and maybe see 3 or 4 other trucks and you knew the guys in them. It was all fishermen now it's "yuppie land".:liquify: :liquify: :liquify:

Napalm the beaches now :hidin:

Email caco_orvpermits@nps.gov or http://www.nps.gov/caco/pphtml/contact.html
Do yer bitchin' there, they can't hear us here. We gotta write, phone, email. Squeeky wheel. I hate that electric blue Dodge with the stakes and signs...:lossinit:

Thanks Fred :cputin: :call:

Right Idea Fred, and Good Luck... I'm done with the :wall: :wall: :wall: beating the head against the wall thing..feels so good when ya stop ;) but wish well to all those who chose to continue the fight!

Please Keep in mind too folks.. don't get pissy with the Rangers, and take it out on them, they are just doing their job and following the Law...ain't easy on them either, they get to eat a lot of chit that should be directed at the lawmakers.. If your gonna write, write your congressmen, and senators too... they are the folks that can change the laws.

Some reading, for you, if you care to know the whats and whys, and the laws, regarding motor vehicle accessed beaches, use of, and beach management:

http://www.fws.gov/endangered/pubs/ESA%20BASICS_050806.pdf http://www.fws.gov/northeast/pipingplover/recplan/index.html http://www.fws.gov/northeast/pipingplover/recguide.html

I just sent them something..anybody else, your thoughts on that link would be greatly appreciated
Thanks,
Rick

:huh: why are biologists not raising eggs on the side...from them like chickens and smuggling the eggs into the nests so there is plenty of hatchlings to replace those that didnt make it.:fishslap:

with todays technology there should be cameras posted on many nests so they can determine exactly what fate those nests endure.

habbitat can be created! and not just preserved elsewhere without ever infringing on the rights of fishermen and beach access .

it's nothing but a friggan excuse. Just like my neighbors were trying to find some rare species of something to stop a housing developement
from going in...but it didnt hold water in the end.they lost.

Here's what you're up against.

Go to a law school's library, or to the Federal courthouse's law library, and look for a collection of maroon books titled USCA--that's "United States Code Annotated". Those books contain every Federal statute passed by Congress. It should take up at best one row of shelves.

Next, look for larger brown bound books with a red band across them marked CFR. Those contain the various Federal regulations enacted by a host of regulatory agencies--after the proposed reg has been published in some arcane directory for "public comment". Compare the vast space they occupy compared to the much smaller space taken up by the volumes of USCA. Next to them will be identical looking books called the "Federal Rules Decisions", or FRDs. They contain the court cases interpreting those regulations. They take up almost as much space as the Federal Reporter and the Federal Supplement, which report Federal court decisions in litigation.

Laws are enacted by legislators who are, at least in theory, accountable to the voters (altho when we mindlessly re-elect over 90% of the incumbents in the House and Senate every 2 or 6 years, that accountability tends to disappear).

Regulations are enacted by unelected officials who are accountable to....????

I don't know how long it's been since Honest Abe's government "of, by and for" died, but it's been a spell :humpty:

BBJ, yep I wrote them yesterday, no answer.
time to write the polititions but you know where that will fall. :rollem:

I will fix the carb Karl and go skiffing after I spread some sand on the bottom.

Nice MikeP, thats a mouthful

I am rooting for the yotes and foxes

aint a yote...to big and easily spotted
a weasel kills with reckless abandon
and you can buy ferrets at the pet store
same thing...raise it on quail eggs
and then release it....presto chango
no mas plover heuvo's (eggs):skulz:

What Karl said. Remember: a lot of good people put in a lot of time to try to work-out what they can with the local Rangers. Don't shoot the troops if the civilian authority is messed-up. and vote.

From what Karl has told me it seems like an uphill battle to fight those bird/nature groups. Once they get off the endangered list maybe things will get easier but I doubt that since they will just manipulate the numbers most likely :rollem:


here is the reply I got by email

Vehicle access to the Seashore's beaches has been temporarily closed to protect piping plovers. Plover management at the Seashore follows the guidelines developed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Piping Plover Recovery Team in 1996. These guidelines call for vehicle-free areas to extend at least 200 meters on each side of a plover nest for the first week after hatching, and after a week, at least 100 meters around the brood until the chicks fledge. In some instances, based on the behavior of the chicks, the buffer may need to be expanded. Vehicle access was closed at the Race Point North and Race Point South accesses earlier this month when nearby nests hatched. This past weekend, nests adjacent to the remaining vehicle access routes along the Pole Line Road hatched, closing these access points to vehicles until the chicks fledge or move out of the area.

Vehicle closures on portions of the beach occur every year, but this is the first time all vehicle access has been closed. These closures are temporary, and will last only until plover broods fledge or when trained staff observe the brood a safe distance from vehicle access points for a period of time and don’t expect the brood to return. During the negotiated rulemaking that formed the basis of the park's oversands vehicle program, the parties involved agreed to avoid adversely affecting plovers by adopting the recovery plan guidelines. When we became aware of the likelihood of a complete vehicle closure, we asked for help from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to see if there was another approach that would provide some kind of vehicle access while meeting the negotiated rule's plover protection objectives. Despite our best combined efforts, no other option was available to us to get vehicles on the beach without substantial risk of direct harm to plover chicks.

We deeply appreciate everyone's patience, and we assure you that vehicle access will be restored as soon as it is possible to do so without harming the plovers. We have a legal responsibility for piping plover management and we have an obligation with the Off-Road Vehicle Community. We work very hard to accommodate access when we are able, and have to make hard decisions on closures only when required. We apologize to those who must change their plans, but hope everyone can understand the long-term benefits of this action. Current oversand corridor information is available 24-hours a day on a prerecorded message line and can be accessed by calling 508-487-3698. As soon as sections of the corridor reopen this message line will be updated.

----- Forwarded by Carrie Phillips/CACO/NPS on 06/13/2006 05:27 PM -----

Scottee Nista
To: Carrie Phillips/CACO/NPS@NPS
06/13/2006 08:40 cc:
AM EDT Subject: Fw: From ParkNet - beach access closures





Scottee Nista
Cape Cod National Seashore
99 Marconi Site Road
Wellfleet, MA 02667
(508) 349-3785 x202

Why don't they pick up the nest and move it 200 meters back from the beach where people drive?

Heading down to the cape in 6 hours looks like I better bring the walking shoes, what a load of crap who knew such a little bird could be such a big problem.

"we apologize to those who have to change their plans" HAHAHAHA! right! Like they care that the vacation you bid and can't change months ago is out the window...all the preparation, investment, and hopes to have a decent family vacation are stuffed... Gee every year it closes earlier and for longer, hmmm these birds really seem to be struggling... Then when more of us give up the permits, they'll say; "Our studies indicate that there is a reduced demand for oversand vehicular access, therefore we propose to make the CCNS a bird sanctuary. If you want to go see the beach, join Mass Audabon, then pony up a daily fee to observe the guided tour from the misguided idiots that took the National Seashore away from us. I think I'll go into another sport with a brighter future, maybe hunting Buffalo on the open plains...what a crock of ...:bshake: BTW have fun with your campers in the parking lots,MBBA and others who sold out to get the tin condos on the beach as a trade for miles of the most productive surf on the planet being padlocked....

Back beach=:yak: I should change my screen name as it doesn't really apply anymore.

Yer more of a Ditch guy, eh?

Yer more of a Ditch guy, eh?
http://www.stripersonline.com/ubb547/image_uploads/Coolerabuse.jpg


I know I`m bad but this is pure evil :hihi:

3 years ago it was $60, now its $150!! and You can't get on??? I am glad I gave up the sticker!!

Now I just sneak on at night. :doh:

I know I`m bad but this is pure evil :hihi:
You think thats bad? He gave me his cooler rack :err: Must of seen some hard miles under that *** :ss:

"We're gonna need a bigger cooler."

Krispy, I don't see any picture, you hot linked it to SOL :doh:

Dunno what's up with that.Something in the new software over there, I 'spose :huh:

I see it :huh:

SOL here:huh:

It's not an sol picture but he was trying to take a picture from SOL and SOL's HILPADS "hot internet linking protection active defense system" kicked in :nopain:

I still see it...
copied and uploaded...:

maybe it's time to take up golf, no plovers on the golf courses.
I'm saving golf for when I'm old ..

How does Arts Dune Tours STILL DRIVE THE BEACH.

Krispy, That was the other "Back Beach", I'm backbeach- my mistake- I registered before checking out names on the site and the software didn't kick it out when I put it in as one word smallcase...I contacted the other one and we have known each other for years, but both have been put off by the BS cming out of the CCNS... I feel the same about the name as he does though...one of many things we agree upon. Thanks for the picture of me at the Canal, I'm glad you got my good side:thanks: What we have lost at the beach has been like a death in the family. I used to go down there as a sanctuary from lifes troubles- I used to feel I left all the bad stuff on the mainland side of the Canal... Now going down there brings more hassles than anything. I never would have bought a bigger boat than my tin "backbeach sled" if we could really still fish the beach. When you fish from a boat you can't relax as much as you can in the surf- ur constantly on lookout for hazards. In the surf- you can concentrate on the fishing. To drive a couple of hours to get there, and leave a bunch of tackle in the truck in a lot is nerve racking. So now you decide on one, maybe two sticks and a bag of plugs- and hope your plan doesn't go out the window when it blows up to 30+ and all you can do is sling 8oz and sandeels...or it goes flat and all there are is schoolies and you have the meatstick rigged eel rod. Wow, what fun! I'm sure the powers that be down there look at us more as vagrants than tourists- since we aren't going out for $100.00 meals or renting B&B's since we fish all night anyway...I wish I had more hope, but it just keeps getting worse.

Habs, Excellent point about Art's Dune Tours, what difference is his rig than ours- is it a hovercraft? Nope, If you pay - you can play...just don't try to get more than a glimpse of the beach- you might enjoy it and want to come back; just pay your fare and move back into town and spend, spend, spend. I almost look forward to the seals tolling in some big great whites tight to the beach. When the tourists can't swim (like sections of California) see how the Chamber Of Commerce howls since people aren't going to plan vacations for minigolf and T-shirt shops alone. Or when the coliform count from seal crap closes beaches... Once the novelty of the seals wears off, the locals will still be stuck with them, cause the tree huggers will be raising funds in the rest of the country to fight any controls anyone will come up with for them. (They are more cuddly looking on a begging letter than the foolish Plovers - and looked what havoc they have brought on us). It's all a red herring to keep us off the beaches, and they are implementing it incrementally and have been for years...enjoy the scraps they give you in 2006, because it'll look like the"good old days" in 5 years.:wave:

Yer more of a Ditch guy, eh?


You burned my favorite spot. Nice picture of me in my skinny days though.

HEY! Lookit all the Backbeaches!!

Backbeach Jake. Yeah, and it seemed so original at the time....I don't suppose we could call you "BJ"? Nah, never mind- don't like the sound of that after all....:bl2:

Please make note that I am now the "Mighty" Back Beach to avoid any future identity theft or misdirected insults. :musc:

I'm gonna use the free parking all next week, every day, all day long!
we'll see how much they like a big black Avalanche in the parking lot with a huge "I love Jugs" sticker on the back blaring Judas Priest on my 500 watt stereo.
I invite as many of you all as humanly possible to join me.
Later,
Rick (and Mikey too):shocked:

I want to park with, & fish w/ Rick! Sounds like a pissah!-- hope the towns don't mind the overflow fishermen! :bshake: But that takes care of the access issue, at select back- beach lots (if they tolerate these displaced 4WD guys in their lots long!). That still leaves the Seals... & mung... & now new crowds to deal with that were sand- driving P-Town & Nauset prior! :lurk:

Well, this Cape fearless forecaster predicts the worst Mung year on the Cape yet!... the most seals yet! (even the master Tonys are acknowledging the problem is bad by now)... and thus the worst Bass Surf- fishing there yet in '06. PLEASE someone go and prove me wrong-- but this year I'll stay closer to home & save gas too (if 100- 200 miles away is "close?").

Flap... all due respect: but "get a boat" is no solace to die- hard Beach fishermen, esp. those in love with the Backside from it's glory years. I do have a (modest) boat: had a 35 lber. two nights ago on it. My first thought: this would've been a heck of a fish/ fight from the rocks of M., or the sands of Eastham. Yes: a surf- caught cow is thrice as big an accomplishment & rush, as is the same boat- caught fish. And double that if the beach is somewhere between Race Point and Nauset in early October! :uhuh: As close to Heaven-- and peace & solitude-- as there is in the Striper surf World! Yes I / we miss those days/ nights... & that place, & wish seals & ORV restrictions & worsening Mung didn't conspire to make us die- hards give it up for elsewhere-- or to seek boats...

The lots will be fun though this Summer! Might make up for the lack of fish, & etc.-- I might make the trip once just to check out that scene! Hopefully Rick & friends will let me know where they are to join the party/ protest: I'll bring the Led Zep & Rush & Jimi & Ozzy! They'll re- open the beachs (to clear the lots of us "riff- raff") in no time afterward! :buds:

I'll be there June 24th to July 2nd.:wiggle:

HC lot, South end? RP lot? HOM West lot? (I guess it depends on fishing-- & Sealing!... at that time!) :rotf2: 10 PM, one night? (June 30?)

Maybe I'll bring a few surplus BM Needles & Lifishinvt Darters & Gibbs Pencils for raffling away... & we'll really pack the lot of Bass- nuts, to stand out from the bonfire/ College- types! (Someone w/ a van bring the keg? I'll pay w/ the plug proceeds!) :btu:

no van and no keg.....but I got plenty of the homemade wine.....:shocked: :cheers:

Rick...Jugas Preist? C'mon.........we need some oldschool death metal....:devil:

Backbeach Jake. Yeah, and it seemed so original at the time....I don't suppose we could call you "BJ"? Nah, never mind- don't like the sound of that after all....:bl2:
Nah, "BJ" is my brother Bob. Over in FrankD's place, I was Backbeach until backbeach showed up. He'd signed up earlier so I changed to relieve some of the confusion. I was reading posts that I couldn't remember posting. Call me Jake or Fred, I'll accept either.

Howdy everybody. I've been away since '89 working in other parts of the world, and got my new $150 sticker eagerly looking forward to some Race Point fishin' & relaxin' my first year back. Yikes! How things have gotten worse.

When I started doing the ORV thing at the Race in '75, the sticker was $15.00/year, ALL of the beach was open, 2 dune trails were open (the inner and outer dune routes from RP to High Head beach), the Rangers did not bother any fisherman sleeping on the beach overnight, so we would curl up in a tire rut next to our trucks without worrying about getting hassled. As a city guy I would drive down from Boston every weekend without worrying about a closure.

Piping Plover nests would get “orange flagged” and when the birds fledged, and as warned, we would watch out for the little runts in our tire tracks and make sure we did not run over them, or watch that they did not get trapped in a tire rut as they occasionally did.

Then it ALL started changing for the bad. What started the downhill slide IMHO were the movies “Smokey and the Bandit” and “Convoy” that came out in about 1978/79. Those flicks spawned what we striper/blue fishermen lovingly called the “Yahoos” (well before the invention of the internet Yahoo.com)….as in…“Here come the f’n Yahoos!” Within months of the new CB radio craze these turkeys got brand new 4WDs and decided to go dune blasting like they would do in the TV commercials for 4WDs. Over the bushes, grasses and everything/everywhere else they could go. The Yahoos especially liked dune blasting at night with their Halogen lights and so they could turn them off to evade the overwhelmed Park Rangers. Plover chicks were found flattened in tire tracks so there was hell to pay.

The Yahoos started sleeping on the beach with no fishing gear aboard which obviously over-crowded the beach after awhile, and some started to go into Hatches Harbor and dig up the Soft Shell clams for steamers, even though there were signs saying “NO CLAM DIGGING.” They would cruise too close to the fore dune, let the family out to climb the dune stomping out the dune grasses, and then pee and crap openly on top of the dunes.

After a season or two of this, the dune trails were closed down due to damage, the rules were changed saying fishermen had to be actively fishing overnight, so it got risky to take a nap under penalty of a sticker suspension for the rest of the ORV season. During the ‘80s I watched the sticker rates start to climb, and beach section closures start, but the damage was done and it looks like from what I have read on this thread it has just gotten tougher. It only took a few to spoil it for the many.

Well the aforementioned gives you some prospective on how I feel we got started to where we are today, and hope to see you out there later this summer. Cheers.

Bottomgun

Good Post Bottomgun, welcome to SB.

You made me remember KC highliters, hi-boyF250's with 12x35x15 tires. Liftkitted K10 blazers with fat tires.. CB's yep..all shiny two tone paint, and them ripping around, making their own trails.
Lots of Alchohol Impaired, Burt Reynolds wannabes running around back then.
I remember telling one beach official that 4 wheel drive was ruining the beaches.. ban it. Make the beaches 2 wheel drive vehicles only, would have elminated a LOT of the Yahoos!
That arguement didn't fly, because of the other breed of Yahoos.. the ones in the dune buggy kit converted VW's with the Huge sand tires on the rear... they had to blast and jump every GD dune they saw....

meybe we should just ban Yahoos? ;)