Participating in any sport requires a measure of responsibility as a role model. When riding in the backcountry in any kind of Off Highway Vehicle (OHV), people you encounter will form an opinion of you. It is a natural reaction to just your being there.

Cottontail rabbits have done really well in Utah over the past few years. It was only a matter of time, though, before the ups and downs of a 10-year population cycle caught up to them.

HUNTSVILLE — It's finally here, everyone. 

My interest in the Polaris General was piqued when it was introduced in 2016. Not having as much utility as the Ranger nor being as sporty as the RZR, the General had a nice mix of utility and sport.

OGDEN — Winter is almost upon us.

Nine years ago, I rode the Hog Canyon trails on an ATV and had determined never to go back — especially after surviving some harrowing sections of the trail that still bring back memories. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, “There is no use crying — it will just fog up your goggles.”

Seeing the snow on the mountains and experiencing the first hard freeze of fall, some may be thinking that the riding season is over. Before you think about pickling your pride and joy for the winter, there is one more jamboree that is worth your attention.

As a person who loves to spend time in the back country, I am increasingly aware of the responsibility that goes with forays into the forests and canyons of Utah. The potential I have as an individual to impact areas I enjoy has made me more sensitive to principles of responsible and ethical…

The NUATV club responded when the call went out from the Public Lands Equal Access Alliance (PLEAA) in conjunction with the Forest Service to help sign trails on the Shoshone Trail System. It was a chance to give back service in providing assistance to maintain trails we like to ride.

Salt Lake City — Starting Jan. 1, you can use corn as bait at any fishing water in Utah. You can also keep more lake trout at Flaming Gorge Reservoir, enjoy a two-day possession limit statewide, and have a better chance at catching big channel catfish at Cutler Reservoir.

With more than 1,200 wildfires in Utah this year burning over 383 square miles of land, one might wonder if the only fall colors to see will be some shade of black. As reported Sunday in the Standard-Examiner, there are eight active wildfires currently burning.

I love riding trails that are new to me. Discovering Utah’s beautiful back country on an ATV is a favorite pastime. However, riding an old favorite can be just as delightful.

VERNAL — If you live near a field in the Uinta Basin, you’re no stranger to the loud, rattling call of the sandhill cranes that call the area home.

If you have a current Utah hunting, fishing or combination license, you can visit either of the Division of Wildlife Resources public shooting ranges on Saturday and shoot for free. The only exception are the trap and skeet ranges at the facilities, where shooting will be half price.

With summer winding down, we still have the best part of the ATV riding season to enjoy. Utah offers some 75,000 miles of trails to ride and some of the most spectacular scenery available to enjoy.

Biologists with the Division of Wildlife Resources are recommending changes that will affect anglers in Utah for the next two years. If the changes are approved, you’d be allowed to use corn as bait at all of Utah’s fishing waters, keep more lake trout at Flaming Gorge Reservoir, enjoy a two…

The request was unusual. A neighbor who has never been on an ATV adventure approached me about an ATV ride for their anniversary.

One of the goals in going as a group on an ATV ride is to come back with the same number of people who started together. Of course, there is safety in numbers — especially due to the nature of Utah trails, which lead riders out a long way from services needed.

Since Textron Off Road took over the Arctic Cat line of ATVs and snowmobiles, I have been excited to test the VLX 700. I was curious to see where they cut to keep the price so low.

When James Coleman bought his first ski resort a little less than 20 years ago, he had achieved a lifelong dream. He also got a heavy dose of reality. 

Securing ATVs on a trailer is serious business. I know because I have lost five machines off of trailers I have been pulling.

In addition to celebrating the birth of our country, many Utahns will be looking to escape the heat and wet a fishing line over the July 4 holiday. Fishing can be a great family activity and a perfect way to relax over the holiday. And Utah provides several great options.

The Paiute ATV Trail is a premier destination for OHV riders. Several jamborees showcase this great trail system. One of them is slated for Aug. 8-11 in Marysvale, Utah.

Nordic Valley’s new management quietly revealed massive expansion plans with a website, nordicvalleyproject.com, going live last week.

When I drive Utah’s highways, I am always looking for dirt roads and trails. One of the aspects I enjoy about my riding experience is discovering where trails take me. I ventured out on the Bridger Jack Mesa Trail because of what I had heard about it.

In just eight days, three boats infested with quagga mussels almost launched on water bodies in Northern Utah. Fortunately, skilled technicians with the Division of Wildlife Resources and Utah State Parks found the mussels before the boats were able to launch.

The ATV trails in San Juan County have been on my list for a long time. I was pleased when the NUATV club scheduled a ride on the Arch Canyon Trail. One of the guides for the annual San Juan Safari, Ron Toomey, was kind enough to take us through this historic and beautiful country.

If you'd like to introduce someone to fishing — or you'd like to give fishing a try, but you don't have a fishing license — this Saturday is your chance.

While Lake Powell is just coming into its season of water sports, prime time for the ATV trails is over. People who use the Ticaboo Resort as a recreational base for riding during the summer will take to the high mountain trails of the Henry Mountains.

I have been on the waters of Lake Powell enough to know that it is a different world in and of itself. Not having my own boat, Lake Powell hasn’t been on my list.

Crescent Junction on I-70 east of Green River is the place to turn south to Moab. Just three miles east is the sleepy little town of Thompson Springs — a place to stage a great ATV adventure.

With the popularity of four-seat UTVs, more ATV companies have been stepping up to the plate. One of the challenges facing manufacturers has been building one that can handle some of the tight turns found on our mountain trails.

The 31st annual running of the ATVs will open in Fillmore this year on June 19. Open to ATVs and UTVs, the National ATV/UTV Jamboree is the oldest jamboree in the state and would rival any other in the nation for that position.

HUNTSVILLE — As busy as Snowbasin Resort gets in the winter, summers are becoming increasingly popular at the Northern Utah ski area.

Being a guy who loves to ride an ATV in the backcountry, it never crossed my mind that anyone else in the ATV community would have a different perspective. Imagine my surprise when I got an email from my good friend, Sherry Sheppard, from Fillmore offering just that — a different perspective.

In the thick of Utah’s mud season, Ogden Trails Network and Weber Pathways have partnered to update hikers, bikers and horse riders on Weber County’s trail conditions.

With the record of success that ATV jamborees have had in Utah, a new event has been planned in Beaver County. The 2018 Beaver Trails Jamboree will be held May 16-19 and registration will be open through May 4.

In February, we reviewed the ATV events slated for the year in Utah. The Tri-State Jamboree was held last month in Hurricane. Attended by a record number of riders, it continues to be a hit in the ATV community nationwide.

It was the second ride we had ventured out on in our Tri-State Jamboree experience. I love a new trail, and the Enterprise Reservoir/Pinnacles ride was new to the trail offerings at the jamboree.

Few things are more predictable than the unpredictability of March weather in Utah. We left Layton planning to leave the snow, rain and cold weather behind for the sunshine in Hurricane.

The ride began at the city park in Eureka. The purpose was to find a trail on the Prospector Trail System for the ATV club’s first ride of the year. The mild winter made this possible in February.

I have written articles about respecting the land and staying on designated trails. After talking with Jerrica Archibald, who is in charge of communications for the national Tread Lightly organization, I realize that it is about much more than trail etiquette.

The last week of February was unusually snowy for 2018.

FARMINGTON — The outdoor retail giant Recreational Equipment Inc. has put its relationship with Utah-based Vista Outdoor on hold.

The warm days we had in January and February found me out on the trail already. I have had four days riding so far this year and I don’t remember ever riding so early in the year. Now here I am staring out my window at real February weather contemplating the purposes I find in ATV adventures.

Farmington-based Vista Outdoor has found itself in the crosshairs of consumers calling to boycott companies supporting gun groups like the National Rifle Association.