To make a case with YouTube, officers need to extract a license plate and identify some landmark that confirms the illegal off-roading is happening in their jurisdiction.

"There was clearly a plate on that vehicle going by," Raedel says, as he replays the video. "Here's another one, on here. It's a Washington license plate on it. We can clearly make that particular plate out. So this is what we're looking for on these sites."

Larry Raedel has yet to test the admissibility of a self-incriminating internet video in court.

Tracking offenders

But YouTube detective work cracked one recent case. It began with a tip from a web-surfing Fish and Wildlife officer in Arizona.

What caught that officer's eye was a post seeking helpers to blaze a new unauthorized trail. The cops traced the item to a 17-year-old boy in southwest Washington.

A phone call from Chief Raedel resolved the case.

"We were able to talk to him, educate him and he has apologized several times. As a result, we have now been able to put him to work for [the Washington State Department of Natural Resources]. Instead of creating an enemy now, we have an ally that's going to be helping us."

Growing demand

This episode and others reflect pent-up demand for legitimate trails for all-terrain vehicles.

Crystal Crowder is president of an off-road club in Clark County, Washington, called Piston's Wild. She's frustrated by the painfully slow process to establish new routes. The club website includes an online forum and user videos.