Fire Danger and Other Hazards

[Swede]

This may not seem directly related to elk hunting, but it is. Early season archery elk hunters, more than any other I know of, go into area of extreme fire danger. I have my stands in canyons filled with dead and down timber. Fire could race through there in minutes. Fuels management with the Forest Service seems to be a thing of the past.
I hunt these extreme fire danger areas, but am on the alert for the first sign of smoke. I have notified many people I hunt with to get out of the canyon, and into a large clear area at the first hint of smoke if they don't know the source. Awareness and forethought is 90% of safety.
Do you think about your vulnerability and the vulnerability of your camp when you are out? What other potential hazards do you deal with and how are you addressing them?

[Old school]

Good topic Swede, I was just wondering about fire danger the other day and hadn't ever considered how I'd escape in the event of a fire while I was on the mountain. I may hunt Idaho this year and had heard about areas being closed off due to fires, etc... how do you find out if your area is closed off due to fires? Would hate to drive all the way to my spot only to find I cannot hunt it.

Only thing we've tried to prepare for would be a medical emergency of a deep cut or broken bone and how to get help.

--Mitch

[Swede]

Every Forest has a web site. You can check there to review the fire danger level. It is very rare that the Forest Service closes their land. They will eliminate off road motor vehicle use and open fires, etc. way before they close the land. You may be required to carry fire tools in your truck.

[RAMMONT]

The last time I voiced my opinion about fire hazards I was told that if it bothered me so much I should stay out of the forest, the guy lived in a big city back east so I guess I can understand his ignorance about the realities of fire dangers out west.

Yes, I stay aware of the possibility of fire, I've lived my whole life in the west (Arizona, Utah, Montana) and wildfire awareness is something that's been ingrained in to my thinking.

A good fire incidence website can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/. You can choose the state of interest and see real-time fire information including maps.

[saddlesore]

3 years ago,we had one here that burned 15,000 acreas, almost 500 homes. It stopped less than 500 yards from my place. Darn right I think about it. I don't build campfire when elk hunting. I have put out fires that others have left burning.I turn one camp into the FS three years ago and they did get fined.

If I smell smoke, I'm lookin.

[Swede]

For those that are not familiar with western wildfires, let me clarify something. I am not overly concerned about that high blue haze that covers the mountain ranges every summer. Sure it is from a fire or fires, but they may be hundreds of miles away. I am referring to local smoke. If you can't be sure, be nervous and alert. Always have an escape route and plan when you are in dry heavy fuels, especially on a mountain. Know this, you won't go far trying to outrun a fire.

[Roosiebull]

I could certainly see the concern on the east side of the state, the fuel over there is going to burn very fast if set ablaze. I have to deal with fire danger over here on the west side too, not as a personal hazard, but all of the timber company closes for archery season, all of the places I grew up hunting are closed for the whole season.

it never gets scary dry over here, stuff is still relatively wet even when it's really dry, like the past 2 years, lots of green left at the end of august.

I don't see much potential hazard here, the local wildlife is intimidating in thought, but in reality, they are not dangerous to people. I would say the biggest hazard during archery season is quite a bit of traffic on single lane forest service roads, some think they are the only ones on the road, and some are so scared they will not get over. I deal with it by driving like I will encounter another vehicle, because I likely will driving out in the evening, or driving in during the afternoon.

2 years ago we had a heck of a wind storm opening day, it blew about 60 or 70, I stuck it out until about 9am, after about the 5th full sized alder broke within eyesight, I got out of dodge until it mellowed out later in the day, that was feeling pretty dangerous.

we have to deal with big wind later in the fall, and the trees are big too, some times there are lots of widow makers coming down, and I think the hazard level is high there too. I try to stay on the calm sides of big ridges when it's like that, I don't care to be killed or almost killed by a tree or huge branch, always another day.

I took a good friend I work with on his first elk hunt a few years ago, he was rifle hunting. long story short, his first day ever elk hunting he killed a small bull, the wind picked up very strong in the late morning, we were in big 2nd growth timber, and on the windy side of the ridge, it took us until evening to pack that bull out of that canyon, and we were lucky we were unscathed, it was blowing 80ish, and lots of big branches coming down, it was so windy you could not hear them breaking.

I think the only thing that kept us alive that day was the good Lord, it was a very nervous day, and we had to get that elk out of the woods, sure felt good to get that thing back to my house without injury.

[Swede]

I don't know about you Roosie. You put your obligation to an elk carcass above your life and obligation to be there for your family. Tsk Tsk. But I am sure you have planned well for your family, just in case.
I agree that the rate of spread for fire on the west side is generally slower that on the east side. The road systems are better too in many areas.

[cohunter]

I know Colorado is crazy dry this summer. Snowpack was good, so things got off to a good start, but if we don't have some rain soon wildfires are going to impact more than a few hunters. I've barely seen a cloud in the past two weeks or any measurable moisture since the last snowstorm in mid-may. Hot, dry and WINDY.

[Roosiebull]

I don't know about you Roosie. You put your obligation to an elk carcass above your life and obligation to be there for your family. Tsk Tsk. But I am sure you have planned well for your family, just in case.
I agree that the rate of spread for fire on the west side is generally slower that on the east side. The road systems are better too in many areas.

in my defense, it was a warm southerly, probably mid 50's day and night, and the following day was not forecasted to be much better. I also was trying to set an example to a new hunter, that you are responsible for getting an elk out of the woods in good shape if you kill it.

sadly enough, I think it was the following morning, a man was killed while elk hunting from a fallen tree not far from my house (about 5 miles as the crow flies)

I do try to minimize my exposure to that type of weather, but there is no getting around it, every year, some of the biggest storms are not forecasted to be anything special, never know how bad a southerly will get until it's over, but I would rather be in the woods than on the ocean, those are the most stressful days in my life....happy to see it let up when it does.

[Swede]

Roosie, I appreciate your commitment to getting the meat out. Sometimes we are forced to make a decision and neither way is good. I took a friendly jab at you, knowing you are a good person with perfect intentions. Just stay safe. I can't make fun of you if you are not around.
I lived and worked for the Siskiyou National Forest, stationed just south of where you live now. We were in Gold Beach. I really enjoyed my time there, and sometimes think of going back or to some place like Bandon. What I really liked was how the storms would come through then everything was bright and peaceful right after. There is no place like the Southern Oregon coast.
We had 100 mph wind gusts every winter. When it started to storm I came in from the woods. I remember having to pull over and stop, because the wind and rain were blinding. Usually those intense storms lasted just a few hours. I remember several times motor vehicles, and at least one camper were literally blown off Highway 101. One morning I watched all the asphalt shingles fly off the roof of the new mobile home just set up in the park below our house. I do remember the storms we had there.