Burned Out

[snipe10]

Was going archery hunting here in Western Colorado but that's not happening anymore. The fires here are everywhere and even if they'd magically go out in a couple weeks, I have to think it's made the elk go places they normally wouldn't want to go. We're going to try for a late season hunt with some landowner tags instead. Super bummed but you don't mess with Mother Nature. Anyone else burned out this year?

 

[Blackbird]

Elk have been dealing with wildfires since the beginning of time I don’t think it’s any reason to get down. Glassing through smoke sucks for sure, but I think fires impact wildlife a lot less than people think. The burn scars will also be awesome habitat in the coming years assuming not everything got moonscaped.

 

[Ross]

Sucking the smoke sucksbut as noted above it changes little for wildlife, they do their normal thing and may move a little. They simply are built different than we are. I killed a great bull in 2009 living next to a wild fire. Packed him out with sparks popping and smoke all around us.

 

[wpeach1912]

Last year we had some fires right before season. Like a week later I saw an elk eating in the burn scar maybe 50 yards from a tree that was still smoldering

 

[Npike4040]

Great cover scent!

 

[il_cop]

Are you a non-resident?

Assuming you're referring to the Lee fire (?)
If so, it'll be out, it's 73% contained and we're about to get 2 weeks of monsoon.

That tag is good for a ton of country. The Lee fire was/is big but it's only ~7% of the total acrage on that tag. There's literally another ~2.3 million other acres to hunt, the majority of which is public.

Are you concerned about a different fire?

 

[HairyScandinavian]

You said you assume fores will make Elk go places they wouldn't normally go, so adapt and hunt them in these new places if they choose to do that. It's just a game of Chess and playing Chess and losing is better than not playing, you always gain something from the game.

 

[Diamondback]

OP, I think the exact opposite.
You need to exploit that chaos, go on the offensive, on the attack, get in close, and score.

 

[snipe10]

I'm local, thanks for the replies and advice, Glad I posted, looks like we'll head into the fire! (sarcasm)

 

[RancherJohn]

I'm local, thanks for the replies and advice, Glad I posted, looks like we'll head into the fire! (sarcasm)

I was literally inside the footprint of an active fire last week and saw mule deer and elk. There are millions of unburned acres, and what is burning now may not be burning after a change in weather pattern like we are currently in (or there may be new starts). Go hunt.

 

[midwestcowboy]

Worst thing that can happen is you hunt and strikeout. So what, you’ll probably learn from it. Can’t kill elk if you stay home. They’ve been dealing with wildfires long before just this year, they gotta go somewhere.