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July 24, 2012
How to Find Out if Your Hunting Area Has Been Hit By Wildfire - 2
by Ben Lamb
This summer, massive heat waves and catastrophic wildfires have ravaged hundreds of thousands of acres in the West, and we’re not even to the heart of fire season. Montana has borne the greatest brunt of the season, with the Ashland Fire in the Custer National Forest alone consuming more than 250,000 acres. Colorado is also taking a hit with close to 170,00 acres burned. The Custer National Forest is a popular destination for archery and rifle hunters looking for Booner bull elk. Those who drew that coveted tag need to think about adapting their strategies. But Custer Forest hunters aren’t the only ones. Other popular destinations like the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, and the Pawnee Grasslands in Colorado which have had close to 90,000 acres scorched, and the Bighorn National Forest and Thunder Basin National Grasslands have reported fires of almost 100,000 acres. The Forest Service or BLM will shut down these popular hunting destinations due to safety concerns. Road damage, falling trees, contaminated water sources and a host of other safety concerns mean that until some rehab is done, these areas simply aren’t safe for folks to be in. Luckily, there are some resources that can help you plan your hunt. The main source of information for hunters is the Incident Information Website. This site will help you decide if your hunting area was impacted by wildfire, and give you an idea of how big those fires were. It’s never a bad decision to rethink your plans in light of this fire season. Using the Inciweb site, and the National Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Websites, you can find the contact information for your particular forest, and call the local land managers. It’s never a bad idea to contact the local wildlife managers either. Fires can drastically change where we hunt and fish. They can also result in hazardous hunting conditions. Taking a few moments to find out if your area was burned will help you be successful in filling your tag, not to mention keeping you and your hunting partners safe. |
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Comments (2)
You forgot to include the Whitewater Baldy fire in NM. Burned 297,000 acres, and I would argue that NM hunting areas were hit a bit harder than Montana.
I disapprove when a management agency closes an area for safety reasons. I would prefer it if they provided us with information to support their concerns and then let each man decide for himself and prepare accordingly.
a few years ago, my elk hunting area was hit by a tornado. National forest managers thought it would be good for public safety to close the area. A meeting was held and lines were drawn on a map to show the closed portion. Maps were posted at the major campsites. The problem was that the closed area wasn't even hit by the tornado, the damaged area was 5 miles away. Apparently no one took the time to visually inspect the area.
That year, the elk holed up in the closed area, after a few days of not seeing elk some hunters started hunting the closed area and they killed elk. While everyone who obeyed the closing got skunked.
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I disapprove when a management agency closes an area for safety reasons. I would prefer it if they provided us with information to support their concerns and then let each man decide for himself and prepare accordingly.
a few years ago, my elk hunting area was hit by a tornado. National forest managers thought it would be good for public safety to close the area. A meeting was held and lines were drawn on a map to show the closed portion. Maps were posted at the major campsites. The problem was that the closed area wasn't even hit by the tornado, the damaged area was 5 miles away. Apparently no one took the time to visually inspect the area.
That year, the elk holed up in the closed area, after a few days of not seeing elk some hunters started hunting the closed area and they killed elk. While everyone who obeyed the closing got skunked.
You forgot to include the Whitewater Baldy fire in NM. Burned 297,000 acres, and I would argue that NM hunting areas were hit a bit harder than Montana.
Post a Comment (200 characters or less)