Sheesh, tough crowd. They're a tool like anything else, you can use them for some things, not for others. Know the travel rules for where you are hunting, odds are the BLM, USFS, whatever, has a pretty explicit travel map that spells out where you can do what. Follow the rules and be respectful of other hunters and you'll be ahead of all the folks who've made a bad name for quads. Odds are darn slim you'll spot any elk sitting on an atv anyway, they're best used to get you places to start hiking. And if you take them places you shouldn't, guys like me will happily report you. I know of one fella who had to haul his ATV back out of one canyon in pieces. Nothing malicious, he just got caught in a spot it was illegal to have a motor in there. Stories like that warm my heart.
Jetting, no idea, the newer the better rigs seem to handle altitude changes.
Don't forget to give the State its tithe. There is a temp out-of-state atv tag that you should buy with your hunting license...even if your atv is street legal at home and you have steel license plates on it. It'll save you a ticket.
Also, you must have your rifle cased and completely unloaded when on the atv. Or even touching the atv...don't finish out your hike and lean your rifle with loaded magazine against your atv rack, that will also earn you a fine by the good people at the state.
I hunt with mine, not off mine, and logistics dictate they can't be used everywhere. Just like a truck or bicycle, they can be handy or worthless, depending on where you want to go. Not every trail that is open to motorized traffic is a trail you can get a truck or jeep down.
And do be careful and make sure everything works on your rig. Those mushy breaks or burnt out headlight that aren't a big deal back home on the ranch become a big deal quick on the wrong trail. There are some gnarly trails that are open to motorized traffic. Heavy loads to the front when you're going up...to the back when you're going down. And know what you're doing if you're loading or offloading your atv at night or in the snow, or both. People doing it wrong get killed or crippled every year out here in the square states.
