Some Jerk Tried To Damage ATVs On Minnesota Public Land + It Could Have Been Deadly

I take long 4-wheeler rides a lot, no matter the season. I grew up riding gravel pits, trails, and everywhere in between. This past weekend was a trip I won't soon forget.

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A friend and I were riding our wheelers on public land, not far from where we live in Central St. Louis County. The sun was shining, a breeze was blowing, and the two of us were off on an adventure with no specific destination in mind. We were just enjoying being outdoors and together! While we were out exploring, my friend, who always leads, stopped his machine and shut it off.

He looked over his shoulder at me and said, "Come and check this out!" I turned off my key and hopped off my machine, hoping he was about to show me some cute wildlife or fresh, wild berries to munch on. Well, that wasn't the case. Not even close.

To my surprise, the thing that my friend wanted me to look at was something created to literally stop riders like us in our tracks. Someone purchased this 4"x4" post and took a ridiculous amount of time creating a weapon out of it. I quickly said, "No way!", and moved in for a closer look.

As I got close enough for a birds-eye view, I couldn't believe the time, money, and effort that went into creating this. It's so barbaric and could cause serious injury to anyone or anything that crossed this path. I understand not wanting riders near your property. I respect that and I always take that into consideration when riding. But this is next-level brutality.

Not only did this person methodically and meticulously place every lag bolt, but they sharpened the protruding ends. Any person or animal coming in contact with this apparatus is at a high risk of being injured.

This whole discovery really took the wind out of my sails. It makes me sad to know that there are people out there who intentionally want to cause harm to others. My best advice- always keep your eyes peeled while riding. You may be very surprised at what you might find. Even on public land. Stay safe and ride on, peeps.