Beetle Kills/CO Unit 81

[Flatlander32]

Hunted for a few days in Colorado Unit 81. Only came across 1 fresh track the days we spent there. I was just wondering if this beetle kill was pretty widespread in unit 81?

Also, will elk not seek shelter in these areas due to lack of cover? We seemed to see more dead trees than live ones. Thanks!

 

[coelk81]

The beetle kill is pretty bad up the Conejos Canyon and a few other places. Compared to last year I would say it has increased quite a bit. I was driving up up FR 105 and realized that the only green patches were the aspens. Pretty sad state. However the only fix would be fire, but a fire up there would make the westfork fire look like a campfire. I have roamed that area my whole life and it has gone downhill. Not sure about anyone else but I found the lack of elk compared to past years disheartening as well. I know we are not the only ones that saw this. I spent 10 days up and around the Conejos canyon.

 

[rammac]

However the only fix would be fire...

Seriously? You never heard of harvesting?

The forest service's policy was changed in 2013 to one of using wildfires as a tool for removing snags and deadfalls and this year we saw what a great plan that was. Here in Montana, we had nothing but choking smoke and fire for the entire summer. What's more, the Forest Service acknowleded that their policy would create a higher risk of destroying private property - and they were right, the fires got so hot that they weren't able to control them like they thought they could and the people around Seely Lake suffered through evacuations and property loss. The fires were so bad here in Montana that the Department of Environmental Quality has started a study to see what kind of health threat the smoke poses to the residents of the state. Idaho is looking at authorizing harvesting as a way to prevent the huge fires that they saw this year and I assume to try to avoid any potential health issues too. The environmental leftists have done such a good job of brain washing everybody in to equating harvesting to clear cutting that most people don't even think about harvesting as a valid alternative to wildfires.

 

[Flatlander32]

Every area we drove to in this unit they were logging a lot of the timber. I'm sure this didn't help the pressure on any elk left in the area.

 

[Blacktailbc]

Sent a PM coelk81..