Washington Wildfires

[rileybassman]

Prayers for our firefighters and their families...

It is getting bad out there... losing so much hunting area

http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/firemap.aspx

 

[fort fireman]

Three firefighters lost so far. Hopefully no more.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...-blaze-that-threatened-a-region-he-knew-well/

 

[JG358]

It is getting bad out there... losing so much hunting area

Not really, your hunting area will be better off in the long run.

 

[rileybassman]

Not really, your hunting area will be better off in the long run.

True but still a bummer when you have booked and paid trips for next month.

 

[lonedave]

...Or when you have an OIL Moose permit and a major portion of the units are burning up right now!

 

[JG358]

True but still a bummer when you have booked and paid trips for next month.

Very true. I feel your pain, not to long ago CO was in the same boat.

 

[charvey9]

Oregon and Idaho also burning up. Be careful out there.

 

[airlocksniffer]

While necessary, wildfires blow. We've had a ton of smoke from WA the past few days. Hoping my elk woods don't explode prior to season in two weeks.

 

[7mag.]

I've already cancelled 2 bear hunts/deer scouting trips because of the fires. Lots of people losing their homes and businesses, not to mention fire fighters in danger every day. It's far from over. Hunting season may be a bust here in Washington this year.

 

[BackcountryMT]

Not really, your hunting area will be better off in the long run.

Unless the fire burns hard enough to fry to dirt to a point of nothing ever re growing. We have a lot of that here in MT.

 

[Shrek]

Unless the fire burns hard enough to fry to dirt to a point of nothing ever re growing. We have a lot of that here in MT.

How long has the burns been bare dirt ? Eventually it will grow back but how long does it take if it burns really hot and kills everything underground too.

 

[avodude]

The dirt basically gets baked into a ceramic. Nothing will grow there. In addition, noxious weeds, like cheat grass (which is an annual), benefit from the fire and therefore outcompete the other grasses (which are perennial). Cheat grass is like gasoline on the ground. So it is not always true that fire will improve a hunting area - like most everything - it depends.

 

[avodude]

How long has the burns been bare dirt ? Eventually it will grow back but how long does it take if it burns really hot and kills everything underground too.

Years to decades and sometimes permanent.

 

[dreamingbig]

Short term it is not good for sure. Long term it could help but will require over sight. Problem is the forest service just close the roads and land to access.

 

[BroodBuster]

Three years ago the Tri-Complex Fire burned my elk camp. We lost access that year until after the first snowstorm which finally put it out. Our camp burned hot. The only way we found it was due to the fire ring which survived. Nothing but ash and some standing dead trees. Now it is all fire weed and grasses. This year cow elk is OTC for the first time as the herd grew. This fire did not effect any of this herds wintering areas though.

One of the problems with the Okanogen fires is that this is burning wintering areas down in the river valleys. We got lucky last year in that we had early rains promoting grass growth and a mild winter that didn't bury that grass so there was very little impact on the deer herds. So, in my mind, it's about getting thru that first winter that really feels the story. Last year WDFW thought the survival rate of fawns would be 0% and adults <50% and they were very wrong so it can go both ways depending on a lot of factors. For example a big Chelan fire from about 15 years ago was followed by a harsh winter and it took that herd about a decade to come back.

If your go to area does burn I've got two suggestions. Don't camp under standing dead trees. We had to move camp fire ring and all. And learn. your mushrooms. You know your spot burned bad when commercial pickers and buyers are set up in your favorite spot. And beware. They are ****ing slobs leaving garbage littered all over the mountainside. But we all know nothing tastes better than backstrap with wild mushrooms .

For those with hunts planned I wouldn't worry about it too much. First off there's nothing to be done about it. And your area will either be accessible or not. If accessible cool your area didn't burn too bad and if not time to pull out the map and explores which, for me, is also cool.

 

[JG358]

How long has the burns been bare dirt ? Eventually it will grow back but how long does it take if it burns really hot and kills everything underground too.

Hayman was like that, so much old growth and fuel that it sterilized the earth. Think that was 13 or 14 years ago. Its staring to come back now but lots of places are still just barren ground. Would never have burned that hot if the previous fires in the area were allowed to burn. Instead they were put out and more and more fuel accumulated over the years until it was to late to have a productive fire. Same with most of the bad fires in recent years in CO.

 

[BroodBuster]

You know it's pretty bad when you are 300 miles+ and a mountain range away from the nearest fire and the local forecast is "sunny and smokey."

This morning I could see both Mt Raineer and the Olympics. Now vis is about a mile.

I hope it rains soon!

 

[dreamingbig]

You know it's pretty bad when you are 300 miles+ and a mountain range away from the nearest fire and the local forecast is "sunny and smokey."

This morning I could see both Mt Raineer and the Olympics. Now vis is about a mile.

I hope it rains soon!

Yeah that. I am in Mukilteo and it is hazy as heck. Most of this is smoke from BC fires but still unprecedented. I have never seen anything like this on the west side.

 

[rileybassman]

Yea I live in Granite falls right under mt pilchuck, it is super smokey out. Visibility is terrible.

 

[dieNqvrs]

Would never have burned that hot if the previous fires in the area were allowed to burn. Instead they were put out and more and more fuel accumulated over the years until it was to late to have a productive fire.

The entire West is fire evolved ecosystem. Fire suppression for 150 years had damaged it beyond repair. We will continue to get more big and hotter fires unless we take to the offensive!