Yup, it is public and should be open to everybody regardless of if it is an inconvenience to another user. If I want to go jeeping during hunting season, I have that right, even though I'd pass during that time . To me that's no different than sledding. So, yes if you don't want to share the forest with other users, go to the wilderness.
Not trying to start a fight man. They have dates for a reason. If you want to take that chance riding around when a bunch of guys (and no, not all of them are marksmen) slinging lead then that's your choice.
But like I said earlier the world doesn't rotate around a snowmobiler. Nor does it around anyone. But getting worked up because you can't go ride 15" of snow in October because the Forest Circus has a date set is just plain silly. The USFS regulates all mechanized vehicles, from bicycles to sleds. Yes the tree huggers get to use it all year. I don't care about that. It bothers me that they get an entire area to themselves but choose not to use it. These dates have been around for a while, it's just being brought to light now because we had early snow which normally doesn't happen. As a year round Forest user I have been dealing with it for years. Mostly on dirt because I choose not to ride snow until there is a fair amount of base. There are a lot of cool singletrack trails that I can't ride early spring because they split a migratory route. Those dates are for a reason, not put there to hate on sledders.
You need to work on your reading comprehension. I consciously avoid the mountains during hunting season, but I have every right to be there as anybody else.