Well, I’m sitting here in my camper having been evacuated by the rapid advance of the East Troublesome Fire. I may well lose my home because some first season hunters simply could not abide the Stage II restrictions and fire ban. I hunt here every year during multiple seasons and I am glad the public lands are closed. I would rather give up a hunting season than have my house burn down. The firefighting resources are already stretched very thin. One more fire might be more than we can handle. As it is, the Incident Command estimates containment of the East Troublesome fire on October 30, if we get the snow that is predicted for this weekend. I feel bad for the guys who won’t get to hunt, but there are times when recreation becomes a lower priority. I feel worse for my friend who lost his house, and for my neighbors who have evacuated 200 horses and are now trying to figure out how to feed them. The people around here are hunters, pro hunting, mostly Republican, but really aren’t in the mood to hear about people having to cancel their vacations and wanting the government to reimburse them for their gas, missed work and so on.
