This is a little fuzzy to me. Can I use a closed forest service road to retrieve my game with an ATV? The area is in Colorado in a general forest area so, that means I'm allowed to go anywhere I want in the forest to retrieve game after 12pm.
But, I've heard two opinions in regards to being able to use a closed road.

1. A closed road is a Closed Road. No use, what so ever, but I can go thru the forest, along the road, if I want! ?????Huh

2. A closed road is meant for closed to general public use. It can be used for special activities including game retrieval with ATVs. I can access it anywhere other than thru the gate. (Meaning, going around it.)???Huh

I'm not the SOB that wants to go romping thru the trees and call it hunting. I actually hike/pack in 2-4 miles off the road to hunt. But that is a lot of hiking to pack out an elk. There are a lot of closed logging roads in my hunt area so thats why I want to use them to pack out my elk.

Last year I was 2 mile from the truck when I shot my elk. Luckly, I was able to pack it down the draw about 1/4 mile to a private property road and got permission to access the land.

What got me really thinking about this was that it was by chance that I ran into the landowner. He just happen to be up there getting his cabin ready for his hunting group. If I hadn't found him I would have had to pack it the whole 2 miles (oneway) to the truck by myself. That would be2-3 trips @ 4 miles round trip. Or I could have drove around the gate of the closed logging road and drove right up to my elk and pack it out in one trip and risk being wrong about accessing the closed road and get a ticket.

What do you guys think???

BM