CONTROLLED BURN IN THE RUT??.

[jeffnvegas]

Whoever heard of controlled burns at the height of fire season in a Premium Controlled hunt area with basically two mountains to hunt and they are setting fire to one. Controlled burns are always done in the spring. NEVER in the September.
Am I wrong??

 

[jeffnvegas]

Dear Owyhee Tag Holder,

Congratulations on drawing a controlled elk hunt tag for hunt area 40-1. I want to make you aware that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning to conduct prescribed burns during your hunt period and within the hunt area, generally on the north slope of Juniper Mountain in the Twin Springs area of GMU 41. Below are links to the BLM news release and maps of the planned burn area. You should also receive a hardcopy letter in the mail with this information.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at (208)465-8465, or you can contact the BLM Boise District Fire Information Line at (208)384-3378. Good luck on your hunt!

BLM news release: https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-conduct-prescribed-fire-southwest-idaho

Vicinity Map: https://www.blm.gov/download/file/fid/34075

Detailed Map: https://www.blm.gov/download/file/fid/34074

Rick Ward
Regional Wildlife Manager
Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Nampa Region
15950 N. Gate Blvd.
Nampa, ID 83687
(208)465-8465
Please note new mailing address and phone number

https://idfg.idaho.gov/

 

[Hunting Wife]

Yes, fall burning is a thing. I don’t know about BLM specifically, but other agencies may do spring and/or fall depending on vegetation types and management goals. Can’t always pull off the fall burns due to weather/red flag conditions, but it’s been wet this year in a lot of places so I can see it being doable.

 

[brnsvllyjohn]

Same thing happened to us last year in California. They were burning one side of a limited entry area where it takes about 6 years to get a tag. Nothing we could do but move to the other side of the zone.

 

[Wyoelk]

Guess you know which mountain to be hunting then......

 

[jeffnvegas]

Along with everyone else I guess. Why they couldn't have waited 3 weeks is beyond me.

 

[Western Traveler1]

Yes, controlled burns in the Fall. At least you got prior notice. We were in WY GMU 45 two years ago when a FS official rode up on a quad a couple miles past one of two locked gates to let me know they were about to do a few burns. I told him my buddy took the trail in from the other gate and they moved him out too. They were nice about it and let me hunt a circle route out to the gate but it killed that mornings hunt.

 

[hank4elk]

Several lightning strike fires are burning in NM & being let go for control burns with crews monitoring. Conditions favoring control burns are hard to plan.

 

[kmott]

Whoever heard of controlled burns at the height of fire season in a Premium Controlled hunt area with basically two mountains to hunt and they are setting fire to one. Controlled burns are always done in the spring. NEVER in the September.
Am I wrong??

well , the way fishngame here explained it ,the fires got to burn hot enough to do some good . In the spring it's to green. june ,july and august , the danger is to great that it will become uncontrollable . October ,we often get snow. so, that leaves sept as the optimal month


rmef and fish and game used to do it here every year. claimed it was good for the elk to get rid of the old aspen growth.
funny thing was, they burned the same hillside year after year. they,ve stopped doing it but I haven't noticed any particular increase in elk in the area. in fact you seldom see one period.
rmef does a lot of good but in this case ,I believe, it was a complete waste of resources

 

[IDFireLass]

The only time you can get a real good burn in the junipers in the Owyhees is in the fall.
They aren't going to burn the 10,000 acres like they wanted to. They've been putting in control lines last year and had a lightning caused fire inside the lines that burned 3,000 acres last year.

 

[jeffnvegas]

Funny how the burn borders a bunch of private land/ranches with landowner tags. Kinda looks like the burn will push em right down. Some may go the other direction depending on where they're at but this time of year most hang to north and northeast slopes which is exactly where the burn is happening.

 

[LuketheDog]

Controlled burns are always done in the spring. NEVER in the September.
Am I wrong??

Yep, wrong, burns are done when they think they'll have the conditions for best effect and best control.

 

[mtnrunner260]

It's a bummer that it has the potential to affect your hunt but we should all be thankful that the BLM is trying to do something that could positively affect habitat.
Even if it doesn't work they should be given a gold star

 

[pojoaque40]

How far out is your hunt? I've read somewhere (maybe the JW Thomas book, can't remember) about elk being back in a burn within days. Even if they haven't returned, where are they most likely to escape to? They'll probably be concentrated there. I'd take a quick look before writing the area off completely. Don't think of this situation as a problem, use it to your advantage.

 

[nrpate05]

It's my understanding that burns are typically done in late fall as you can count on moisture coming in so it doesn't get out of control. It does seem a little strange to do them in September when things are dry and moisture on the ground is still at least a month away.

 

[sbhooper]

I will give a little more personal twist on this fire thing. I have a kid that works for a fire crew in Boise. They have had a SLOW fire year. Actually, the slowest in 20 years and it is the year that he picks to go be a fire monster-go figure! Anyway, a LOT of area in Idaho is like so many other places that have been totally controlled for too long. Once a wild fire starts, it is a mf to try to control. Lots of that country needs to be burned, but it cannot all be done at once.

I understand that it is frustrating to be looking at a hunting unit, that falls within the burn zone, but when the conditions are right, they have to burn. One has to appreciate that these agencies are FINALLY starting to looking at managing areas, so that they do not have super-heated, mega-destructive fires. It has been a long time coming. If one area is burning, then you know where NOT to hunt-simple concept.

I do a lot of work with a local group of ranchers that do controlled burns on cedar trees. It is incredible, what happens once some country is cleared by a burn. The next few years, it can be the best hunting ever. Even with the temporary inconvenience, it is a great thing. Appreciate it for what it is, and do not take a "poor me" attitude. One must look at the big picture and take advantage of what you can, while you can.

I have a "Take Me To Your Cedar" controlled burn bumper sticker on my truck. I LOVE controlled burns. We always have lots of beer and food, after it is over, too!

 

[kmott]

I've nothing in particular against controlled burns but it sure is a shame , the trees can't be logged first. we can't cut em down but it's perfectly fine to let em go to waste. we truly live in a society with no sense.

 

[jeffnvegas]

I will give a little more personal twist on this fire thing. I have a kid that works for a fire crew in Boise. They have had a SLOW fire year. Actually, the slowest in 20 years and it is the year that he picks to go be a fire monster-go figure! Anyway, a LOT of area in Idaho is like so many other places that have been totally controlled for too long. Once a wild fire starts, it is a mf to try to control. Lots of that country needs to be burned, but it cannot all be done at once.

I understand that it is frustrating to be looking at a hunting unit, that falls within the burn zone, but when the conditions are right, they have to burn. One has to appreciate that these agencies are FINALLY starting to looking at managing areas, so that they do not have super-heated, mega-destructive fires. It has been a long time coming. If one area is burning, then you know where NOT to hunt-simple concept.

I do a lot of work with a local group of ranchers that do controlled burns on cedar trees. It is incredible, what happens once some country is cleared by a burn. The next few years, it can be the best hunting ever. Even with the temporary inconvenience, it is a great thing. Appreciate it for what it is, and do not take a "poor me" attitude. One must look at the big picture and take advantage of what you can, while you can.

I have a "Take Me To Your Cedar" controlled burn bumper sticker on my truck. I LOVE controlled burns. We always have lots of beer and food, after it is over, too!

I get the "let it burn" concept but with Cedar/Juniper it is much more effective, practical and logical to push em, harvest em, and if need be burn the piles. However in an area set aside for for a PREMIER Controlled Elk hunt with limited tags and extremely limited elk population areas, to burn the north slope of only one of two Mountains holding the majority of elk in the Rut really sucks. This burn will push a good number of elk onto private ranches and scatter the rest where they enjoy high dollar landowner tags. Not quite equitable for the people drawing a ONCE IN A LIFETIME TAG.
To those who think this sounds like whining put yourself in the position of being on a fixed income with the prospect of a hunt that may be your last opportunity for a trophy quality bull in your life and face a burn that pretty much negates any scouting you may have done or will do in that area. Waste of time and money. A heads up a little sooner than 2 weeks before the hunt starts would have been a courtesy.
Bottom line I will make the best of it and maybe it will provide a different opportunity and the smoke may mask my scent somewhat but sure don't like breathing it either. With wind shifts it could also make where you camp a Crap shoot. It should make it a great hunt for the guys NEXT year.

 

[Fire_9]

Do you really think the BLM cares about your elk tag? The job that they have to do is more than likely far more important than your “Premier” elk tag. I understand your frustration but suck it up and go have a good hunt.

 

[sbhooper]

I've nothing in particular against controlled burns but it sure is a shame , the trees can't be logged first. we can't cut em down but it's perfectly fine to let em go to waste. we truly live in a society with no sense.

I don't disagree with you. You can thank the envirotards for much of that problem. They will not even allow companies to harvest beetle-killed trees, if some brain surgeon decides that the slope is too steep. My kid just got back from two weeks on a fire north of Mcall, Idaho. They cut trees down and if they were not positioned just right along roads and trails, there was a hippie chick that was some king of employee with natural resources, that would come along and tell them that it had to be moved to look more natural and so that the weeds would grow up better.

He was in Alaska earlier and they did not even want them to back burn. They declared an emergency,so 15,000 acres were back burned and a piece of Fairbanks was saved. That is stupidity and ignorance that has caused our forests to be in such bad shape now. It will take a lot of time to undo the damage.