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Wheeler Wildlife Refuge - boat or e-Bike

HokeyMike

Active Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2018
Messages
117
Just moved to Decatur area from west Ga. Look at hunting wheeler and possibly Bankhead next season. If hunting wheeler; should I look at getting small boat or would I be better off getting an e-bike to assist getting farther back?
 
I don't know if @gcr0003 is still on here but he'd be able to tell ya more. There's several guys from that area.

I've been on wheeler once and Bankhead several times. I'd own a boat before I owned an ebike. Ebikes are considered motorized vehicles in Alabama and you can't use them beyond the gates on "no
Motorized vehicle" trails. But there's a lot of waterfront access.
 
Is that a re-toreacal question? E'ry redneck deer hunter needs a bike and or an emcycle (electric motorizedcycle ;)), a canoe and or yak and a bigger boat with a gas motor, a wheeler and or side by side and a truck and or bigger truck. There is a support thread here on the forums for folks just like you. All we need to know is the budget the wife knows about and the budget she doesnt know about.
 
What do the DNR regs say on your options? In MN you can hunt from a human- or sail-powered vessel or vehicle, but not a 'motorized' one.
 
Just moved to Decatur area from west Ga. Look at hunting wheeler and possibly Bankhead next season. If hunting wheeler; should I look at getting small boat or would I be better off getting an e-bike to assist getting farther back?
You can use e-bikes on wheeler for now. The farthest point from any gate is 2 miles so I don’t know how much you gain from an ebike. Seems expensive for 2 miles in my mind unless you’re super old or got bad knees or something? But I would recommend a bike over a boat. Myself and my buddies who hunt wheeler have regular bikes, boats and canoes but plenty of folks also have e-bikes. Neither boat, nor bike, nor any other mode will get you any further back then the next guy but both can be used to access areas. I would suggest getting a bike first unless you’re just not capable of biking. Wheeler is flat so biking isn’t difficult on the numerous gravel roads. There are roads and streams all over wheeler so everything is easily accessible walking and there are no secret spots. Water is low in the winter on the river so boat access isnt great. They dike up wheeler and flood it in the winter so it makes getting across roads difficult at times. Wheeler can be rewarding but it is getting crowded. I do like that it is archery only.

Bankhead will take you a couple years to figure out and you won’t see as many deer unless you stay hard after them. It’s very steep and unless you got good legs I’d expect to get whooped.

Welcome to town. Holler if you need any help. Lots of good people in the area, but a few bums too. Lock your stuff up and don’t leave your vehicle unattended for too long.
 
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A bike or kayak/ canoe will get yah wherever you need. The place gets hammered but if you pick the right days it’s not too bad. Not a ton of advice since I don’t live there anymore but I got 40 yds from one of the biggest deer I’ve ever seen hunting over Christmas last year. Never hunted Bankhead but been out there some hiking. People have a lot of success out there but it seems to be the same people over and over.


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