Hunting after the fires

dla · 08-12-2007, 07:48 AM

So where do Elk go during a fire? Do they just move a mile away or do they migrate a long distance? The areas I scouted are burned and the forest service has closed a large portion of land around the perimeter of a fire they are mopping up. I'm wondering whether I should stick it out and work areas to the side of my scouting or move to a completely new area.

Don Becker · 08-12-2007, 08:03 AM

There was a thread about this, maybe a couple of years ago. I tried to find it for you but I wasn't able to narrow the search enough to find it - - you might give it a try. That thread had, what I remember to be, some really interesting experiences of ifishers seeing critters right in-and-around recently burned areas - - - I recall a couple of those stories that had (was it) deer and/or elk walking around with smoke still rising from the ground. Don

bait dunker · 08-12-2007, 08:12 AM

i have seen that many times as well. i dont think they like being driven from their favorite areas and try to return as soon as possible. when the fresh green grasses come back up they are magnets. the nice part is these animals seem to be so disoriented, they are not too spooky or alert. easy pickings if thats what you want.

toas243 · 08-12-2007, 09:34 AM

It just depends on the severity of fire and how much area is toasted ,I went an scouted an area that burned last year and I found where the moved to and it was not that far from the fire about 2-3 miles east

mtn300 · 08-12-2007, 10:11 AM

When they had the fires in the north fork of the John day wilderness the elk were right on the edge and some were in the burned. One of the guys shot a bull in the part where it was still smoldering the bull was cover in ash.

dla · 08-12-2007, 12:35 PM

Well maybe the area is still worth working then. I was worried the Elk would move to another state.

Hawk · 08-12-2007, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dla

Well maybe the area is still worth working then. I was worried the Elk would move to another state.

From all the threads we've had about this, they'd only move if a road was installed

dla · 08-13-2007, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawk

From all the threads we've had about this, they'd only move if a road was installed

I'll see if I can find "all these threads". I guess I must've been sleeping when this was discussed before.

LuckyStrike · 08-13-2007, 03:39 PM

I think you would be surprised at how soon the little shoots of grass start back.

First good amount of dew, or rain and it starts growing again....

Hawk · 08-13-2007, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dla

I'll see if I can find "all these threads". I guess I must've been sleeping when this was discussed before.

We've had several ong threads about how elk stay 2-3 miles away from the nearest road. What I was saying, with my tongue firmly in my cheek, was that it sounds like elk will return quickly to a burn area, but if there have been roads cut to fight the fire, the elk may not return for a long, long time.

dla · 08-14-2007, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawk

We've had several ong threads about how elk stay 2-3 miles away from the nearest road. What I was saying, with my tongue firmly in my cheek, was that it sounds like elk will return quickly to a burn area, but if there have been roads cut to fight the fire, the elk may not return for a long, long time.

Thanks, I misunderstood.

I'll bowhunting Elk in the Boise National forest west of Stanley Idaho. It was green mountains and mountain meadows. The area my son and I had scouted was burned by the Sheep Trail fire, but I'm hoping the critters just moved southeast a couple miles.

The night-time temps are moving into the 30's at night, so I'm hoping the area will start to get some serious dew. It is very dry this year.

llama77 · 08-16-2007, 12:28 PM

I know some forest service guy who killed a nice bul in a burned area in Hells canyon a few years ago. It was only 10 days maybe since the fire was out. Lots of burns dont burn evrey little blade of grass. Some draws mat burn while hte one next door goes untouched.

But this bull was in the black. It might be do to minerals or perhaps parasite control. I had a wild hen turkey roll in the ashes from a fire on my property several days in row. Also had a llamma roll in one that wasnt quite out !!! LLama flambe anyone?

Wouldnt it be funnty if we found out
elk need fires to help with parasite control?

Hawk,

what actually is happening has little to do with roads. You see every time a quad rolls off the production line, the elk move further away from the factory.

and as the number of cars and quads increase, the numbers of elk decrease. Pretty simple science huh? Also Ive noted that since the number of people smoking has decreased the elk numbers have decreased also, so clearly elk arent impacted by smoke, it must only be the flames from fires.

I think the USFS should have their study out soon on the impact of reduced smoker numbers versus the increase in cougars and wolves.