National Forest vs. BLM

[WI avidhunter]

Any major differnces in the quality of hunting between National Forest and BLM land? I'm looking at two different units in CO for Elk Hunting. Both units have a lot of public land. One of them is almost all National Forest the other being almost all BLM.

 

[npaden]

Typically BLM land is range land terrain (no trees) and National Forest typically is forested.

Elk can be found on range land especially late season, but I would check the estimated populations of elk for the unit being almost all BLM land. Just because it is in Colorado doesn't mean there are elk there.

 

[MThuntr]

Typically BLM land is range land terrain (no trees) and National Forest typically is forested.

That is not necessarily so...A lot of BLM is forested and a good amount of Forest Service is Grasslands. Nearly all of the National Grasslands are administered by the USFS. You're gonna want to look at Ortho Imagery and topo maps on GoogleEarth or similar to find out what is actually there.

Both USFS and BLM have specific rules for use. The local Forest Service or BLM office will have that information.

IMO, anything with a road that can be driven will be have somebody driving on it during hunting season. Get away from the road and the hunting will be better regardless of which agency manages it.

 

[mdunc8]

That's why he said "typically" and not "all".

 

[npaden]

Of the BLM’s 253 million acres (1,020,000 km2), the Bureau manages 55 million acres (220,000 km2) of forests and woodlands, including 11 million acres (45,000 km2) of commercial forest and 44 million acres (180,000 km2) of woodlands within 11 western States and Alaska.

21.5% are woodlands I guess. That's a lot more than I would have thought. I can't recall ever seeing wooded BLM land. I would say that 78.5% would still qualify as "typically" though.

I'd take even money odds right now that the piece of BLM land he is talking about isn't woodlands.

 

[Horn Seeker]

:hump: Yeah, what MDunc said...

In "general"...if I'm elk hunting, i'd be prone to going to National Forest, but there are some good spots on BLM in various states of course. In MT... by far more elk and better elk hunting would be on Forest. In CO?? I suspect its the same. Either state and any other state has exceptions to the rule though!

Like Npaden said, take a look at the lands on google earth and see what kinds of cover the BLM has versus the Forest... there is not "rule" as to whether BLM would be better or worse than Forest... site specific.

 

[MThuntr]

Wow, I "typically" stand corrected! As I said a GoogleEarth search will reveal cover and terrain.

 

[mdunc8]

Wow, I "typically" stand corrected! As I said a GoogleEarth search will reveal cover and terrain.

You started it

 

[MThuntr]

Yeah, I guess so. It wasn't my intent to sound like I was lecturing or whatever. What the mind speaks isn't necessarily what get typed.

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

blm roads seem to be alot rougher than forest service around here,

 

[Gerald Martin]

Typically

 

[Oak]

I've killed 20-something elk in Colorado, and I don't recall ever killing one on National Forest. I may be forgetting one somewhere.

 

[jlmatthew]

I've killed 20-something elk in Colorado, and I don't recall ever killing one on National Forest. I may be forgetting one somewhere.

Dang Oak, you just gave away your secret spot! There goes hunting on BLM this fall