[Larry Hatfield]

just looked at a sattelite image of the columbia complex fire in e. washington and noticed there is a lot of fires in eastern oregon, a large burn going on in the salmon in idaho, and one small one at the montana border.
north cascades has some smoke and fire closures on land here in eastern washington are possible. fire restrictions are in place now on dnr and national forests and county wide burn bans are in effect most everywhere around here.
larry

 

[Seven Arrows]

Yip....lots of closures. It's dry as a popcorn fart around here.

I've got a place to go in on. I saw two young bulls night before last (5 pt raghorns) and another that was heavier and wider. They were down in the creek on a north slope. The dry conditions should make them easier to locate, if you can find a spot to hunt....

 

[tuffshot]

My uncle was a forest ranger in Southern Ohio. When I was younger I used to help him during fire season. They never as big as the ones out West but I can sure appreciate what the firefighters and the wildlife are going through.

 

[OZ in MT]

We haven't had any really big ones near my place in the Montana Breaks, but many, many smaller ones. Two have come close enough to have had the arial sprayers fly over and dump retardant on the roof. No closures as yet. Looks to me like these spottier fires will actually improve hunting because the animals are being concentrated where good cover remains. Ernie (Hornseeker) will be up there testing that theory a week before I get there for the fall - we'll see.

 

[Hornseeker]

Im not too worried about the fires, just gotta figure out where they pushed the elk to. One of the MT/ID border fires is in a sweet little hole I like to hunt, and its quite possible 2 real nice treestands may have the plywood burnt off them!! We shall see.

I hope the test results are to your liking Mike!

Ernie

 

[OZ in MT]

Well, in the Breaks there are only a few alleys they can really use and have the cover available that they like, Ernie. I'm pretty confident you're going to find plenty of elk in them. Then it'll be up to you, old Hoss!

 

[Hornseeker]

I'd like to put a sharp stick thru one of them....thats for sure!!! I'm not going to be picky either.

 

[elkdreamer]

talked to my outfitter friend sunday before he took more stock in up the hill........he said the usfs had just started prescriped burning in his lunde ridge idaho area.......said they had layed fire blankets around his top camp there and lit the mtn.............season opens this weekend........????????? asked him if they where out their minds on the timing end of things.......he said not much he could do about it except hunt another part of his area.....not that he doesn't have the room........but......if it was me and my area ???????? .........well it will be awesome come next year..........b

 

[Hornseeker]

Yeah, it will be awesome next year....too bad it wasn't earlier this year. I cant believe they burned right now as things are scarily dry...

Talked to my dad last night. He was up setting camp up in the Couer D'Alene River area and saw quite a few bulls in the cuts just from the road. I am foregoing opening here to go over and try and help him get on one...should be fun. We will actually be chasing bears in the mornings and elking in the late afternoons.....

Good Stuff

 

[OZ in MT]

Glad someone I know is already heading for paradise, Ernie. I've still got a busy month to wait.

I think you're right about what those late season fires will do for next years hunting in that area, BB. Seen that at my place. But I, too, am shocked that they would intentionally burn when it's this dry and this late.