Wildfires & Hunting grounds

[airmanharv08]

This past weekend I sent out a few game cameras at the location I love to hunt. After getting off the mountain and driving roughly an 1.5 hours away, noticed smoke coming off the opposite side of the mountain. My hunting location is on the east side of the Chuska Mtns here in NM and now it has become the latest wildfire location with zero percentage containment.
Have any of you hunters experienced this type of situation? From my personal research the fire actually might miss the location I hunt, only time will tell if I still have a hunting location and/or game cameras.

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3475367.shtml?cat=525#.U59JbkDHNnl
http://www.navajotimes.com/news/2014/0614/061414fire.php#.U59JeUDHNnk

 

[robby denning]

dang, that is a bummer! Fires and all the associated activity turn most places into a zoo. I've hunted a few backcountry fires and the game was still around but there wasn't much of a supression effort. A few smokejumpers with chainsaws.

 

[BroodBuster]

Yes,
It messes everything up during that season but tends to bounce back very quickly the following year. Doesn't seem to bother the elk or deer at all it's just a matter of it not being safe to be in there with all the firefighting activity. My area was closed all summer and fall the year before last. The fire was put out during the first snow storm. These pics are from last spring one winter removed from the fire.

With logging being almost non existent anymore these fires are going to be critical for long term herd health!!!!

View attachment 16682

View attachment 16683

 

[MTbowhunter36]

A few years ago I was chasing a bull with some cows and was within 200 yards and notice a small fire on the other side of the canyon. Continued to pursue the bull with another bull sounding off across the canyon. It wasn't very long and this small fire had turned into a raging fire and the bulls pushed their cows out and for my safety, I got out of there as well. The fire scorched thousands of acres in a very prime elk area.

Moved from western MT so haven't been back to that spot, but talking with a friend that still lives there the fire has helped with regrowth of much needed grasses etc. that elk need to forage on.

 

[airmanharv08]

BroodBuster, your attachments didn't work.
After receiving some updated information on the fire perimeter, I noticed one of my cameras was in the path of the fire, while the other and my main hunting spot wasn't touched. Hopefully that stays the case, but the major issue is the amount of livestock in the area and homes that were in the path of fire. It's depressing to hear some of the personal accounts of families moving their herds down the mountains, while some left the gates and spooked their livestock to get them off the summit and down the mountain.

 

[Violent Hippie]

I killed a buck last season during archery season in about 300 yard visibility due to smoke from fires that were about 50 miles away. Fires weren't that close but man the smoke was thick. There were no fire crews in the area and there was plenty of deer activity at the time.