Access in the lodgepoles

[diamond hitch]

This won't apply to many of you but for those of us in the Dillon- Helena coredore a headsup. A couple of weeks ago we had a strong south wind. Something very unusual given the normal west - southwest wind. I went out yesterday for a little more wood and was appalled at the result of the wind. Many stands of lodgepole that were cluttered but manageble are now totally impassable. Some south facing stands are approaching 80 -85% jackstrawed to on the ground. Many places we could get through are totally blocked. This will change how the elk move and whether you can get there or not.

It might be worth your time to stroll through some of your hunting areas early to see if you can even get there from here.

 

[Huntin' Fool]

Timber cruisers call it dog hair. If there isn't a mature overstory and the sun is hitting the forest floor, the new grasses can attrack elk. Elk can go through almost anything if there is feed and/or security. There can be pockets of dog hair in most forests.

 

[diamond hitch]

No dog hair is usually an even aged stand of pecker poles, 2-6 inches dbh, and 4" to 1ft apart. No this is 10 - 16 inch trees stacked jack straw style, 4 - 10 ft deep. Drainage after drainage.

I like to hunt dog hair. This stuff is just ugly.

 

[Caseknife]

Agreed, you find yourself armpit deep in that stuff and you vow to never return. If you are young and agile, not so much anymore, you can walk on the poles, but if you slip and fall, nobody except the ravens and jays will ever find you.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

No dog hair is usually an even aged stand of pecker poles, 2-6 inches dbh, and 4" to 1ft apart. No this is 10 - 16 inch trees stacked jack straw style, 4 - 10 ft deep. Drainage after drainage.

I like to hunt dog hair. This stuff is just ugly.

There are a couple forests like that in CO, lodge pole killed off by pine beetle then knocked down by the wind. Issue is exacerbated because they are in Wilderness areas that immediately back housing developments ~300 yards. So total fire suppression, and no manual removal of the trees. Basically that area is a dead zone.

 

[Talk2elk]

I never used to carry a chainsaw during my basic scouting trips, but now its a necessity or you might not get back out with all the trees that are falling every time the wind blows.