I usually hunt on my own property, or in the Boundary Waters, and I've yet to see an ATV while hunting in either of those places. But that apparently isn't the case for most hunters who use our public lands. From the story told by an increasing number of them, ATVs are simply ruining the experience. Even local hunters who I know enjoy motorized recreation themselves, just fume if you ask them about ATVs and hunting. One hunter I spoke to said the proliferation of ATVs around his hunting shack near the Vermilion River has made hunting there difficult and unpleasant.
Many hunters say ATVs take away the aesthetic aspects of hunting.
For so many hunters, a big part of the experience is simply being in the woods, enjoying the quiet while walking down a trail or old logging road. Many grouse hunters, especially, take pride in walking many miles on the trail in pursuit of their target. Having another hunter on an ATV pass them on the trail, not only breaks the spell, but pretty much eliminates their chances of flushing a grouse. When you've just walked a mile from the car, the sight of an ATV coming up from behind you is pretty disheartening to a lot of hunters. At that point, you might as well call it quits on that trail.