By Chad Love

I love bird hunting, shotguns, and bicycling. Man, I sure wish there was somewhere I could combine these passions. Hold on a second...there is!

From this story on bikeportland.org:  
A 300 acre ranch located near a ghost town about 190 miles east of Portland is the latest sign that bicycle tourism is poised to deliver a jolt to Oregon's rural economies. Phil and Kathy Carlson founded Treo Ranches as a bird hunting destination in 1987. Since then they've built a strong business, but now they've realized there's another market worth shooting for: city slickers on bikes. A press release about Treo Bike Tours' new, all-inclusive group cycling retreat packages states that the ranch, "is reinventing itself as a vacation destination for urban cyclists who want to experience the Old West by bicycle — and maybe even shoot few rounds while they’re at it."

How cool is that? A pheasant hunting ranch turned bicycle tour destination where, if you are so inclined (and I am) you can bring along a shotgun (or, according to the story, rent one of theirs) and shoot a few rounds of trap, and maybe even hunt a pheasant. While it may sound like a sketch from Portlandia, I think it's a really smart way to increase your business, and not as wacky as it sounds. In fact, I bet a lot of you are bicyclists, too. They're fun, affordable, good for you, a great way to see the countryside, and they're surprisingly effective hunting and fishing conveyances.

It's not as silly as it sounds. Anyone else enjoy using bikes for both pleasure and utility?

Comments (5)

from Ontario Honker ... wrote 11 weeks 1 day ago

The fields where I hunt geese are only about fifteen miles from home and much of that I can traverse inside the city limits where there are bike lanes, etc. I have thought many times about designing a trailer that would haul my dog(s), decoy, and gun. Theres a hell of a grind across the river and up the canyon wall on the other side but other than that I think it would be doable. Thought about this for many years.

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from Joe Derringer wrote 11 weeks 1 day ago

My cousin and his friends used a bicycle to get to the best spots first to public hunting land to claim thier spot for duck blinds for walk in areas

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from clinchknot wrote 11 weeks 20 hours ago

I was thinkin my bike would be more like a Honda Goldwing.

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from GregMc wrote 11 weeks 12 hours ago

I've used my mountain bike to get into turkey spots a few times in the spring. It works pretty good when the roads are still closed in the spring.

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from Amflyer wrote 10 weeks 5 days ago

I ride a Ibis Hakkalugi. Sweetest carbon bike you'll ever find. I'm hard pressed to think of any good way to combine hunting and riding though. Unless I can find hunting boots that have cleat bolts in the soles.

Did ride my bike to the range once for some pistol work. Different bike, with saddle bags though.

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from Ontario Honker ... wrote 11 weeks 1 day ago

The fields where I hunt geese are only about fifteen miles from home and much of that I can traverse inside the city limits where there are bike lanes, etc. I have thought many times about designing a trailer that would haul my dog(s), decoy, and gun. Theres a hell of a grind across the river and up the canyon wall on the other side but other than that I think it would be doable. Thought about this for many years.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Joe Derringer wrote 11 weeks 1 day ago

My cousin and his friends used a bicycle to get to the best spots first to public hunting land to claim thier spot for duck blinds for walk in areas

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from clinchknot wrote 11 weeks 20 hours ago

I was thinkin my bike would be more like a Honda Goldwing.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from GregMc wrote 11 weeks 12 hours ago

I've used my mountain bike to get into turkey spots a few times in the spring. It works pretty good when the roads are still closed in the spring.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Amflyer wrote 10 weeks 5 days ago

I ride a Ibis Hakkalugi. Sweetest carbon bike you'll ever find. I'm hard pressed to think of any good way to combine hunting and riding though. Unless I can find hunting boots that have cleat bolts in the soles.

Did ride my bike to the range once for some pistol work. Different bike, with saddle bags though.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.