Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Fire Impacts to NM Draw

How many folks drew for the area that has just been ravished by the big NM fire?

Ravaged !

Some of the prettiest country burnt by our wonderful Federal Governments, the Stuarts of the Land..... 1, 2, and 3 largest fires in state history title they have earned.

Sadly they would have been healthier with a good burn every few years. Now with beetles and no controlled burns to speak of we get these huge destructive fires. They burn too hot and decimate the soils.
The dense, even aged stands of timber don't help either.

I hope your state can get some much needed rain soon.

Sidepass . . .

Just back to see

YEP, DANGED spellcheck and failure to look before I post.

Too bad one can not go back and edit.

Guess the end result is the same with either word, one is just longer term.

Depending on the weather, the area should/could have a lot of edibles for the critters in a few years.

Went to post office this morning. About 1/2 mile down slowed for a large cow elk grazing on the side of the road. Unusual for 10am.

She looked rough and her ribs were showing. We’re Gmu 46 (100% landowner), but this is real close to Gmu 45 (Pecos wilderness and Santa Fe National Forest), hit hard by Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire. Also by extreme drought.

I hunt in unit 46. Fire stopped right at the edge of the ranch I hunt.

I hear ya. We had to evacuate twice... first time Right F****g Now!

The Calf Canyon/Hermit Peak fire has really been burning through the Pecos Wilderness/ eastern Santa Fe National Forest, so I imagine elk hunting this fall will be “different “. The fire intensity might sterilize the soil (kill off grass seeds, etc). Monsoon rains might wash off topsoil. GMU 45 hunt might be ok in western part (assuming that doesn’t burn too).

So many fires burning in NM ... what about Gila?

And around here, with a growing season under their belt, burns are an excellent hunt. Had a big burn about 10 years back. Elk stayed low not bothering to frequent their normal summer range.

Quite a few elk getting hit on I-25, from Santa Fe all the way to Raton.
They're hitting the ladies garden, south and east of Wagon Mound, almost every night, now.
Things are so dry, the barrow ditches along the county roads haven't even started to green-up, yet.
Frontage road and the Interstate are just green enough to be a "fatal attraction" to elk and antelope, though.
Our ranch house is ~ 30 miles from the burn.