S-3 Ranch
Well-known member
Feel sorry for guys that finally drew permits and units are buried in ash and char
New Mexico is going up in flames
- Thread starter S-3 Ranch
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David658
Well-known member
A good friend drew the Caldera first bow hunt. If the winds blow it north, well, crap.
Huntin' Fool
Well-known member
Fires don't kill very many big game animals. I've hunted recent burns for decades. The hunting is usually excellent.
Summer rains will create a nice green up.
Summer rains will create a nice green up.
David658
Well-known member
Got it, but a burn is a burn. We get so little precipitation here in a good year that it could be a century or three for the forests to restore. Or more. Getting tired of the smoke and brown sky, and not being able to be in the woods.
Valley1320
Well-known member
Yep it sucks but its part of life and at least we can be thankful we had good moisture last year at least in our parts. Hopefully NM will start getting some rain soon.
JustinsDad
Well-known member
The last few fires we had here in California decimated the game population. The winds blew the fire so fast going from mountain top to mountain top then burning the canyons the animals didn’t know which way to run. They got surrounded and swallowed up by the fire. Tons of dead animals were found together. It’s starting to recover now but some fires can be bad for game. Others if it burns slow are good to clear out all the old growth and provide more natural feed. It depends on the fire. I think NM will be OK. I hope so.
The SW is very different than the rest of the west moisture wise for sure. Takes forever for some of these trees to grow to decent size. A 6" pinion can be a hundred years old they say.
I have been lucky in that I got to see the Gila with old growth trees, before the last 10 years of fires that has decimated the groves.
Got to roam the Sierra's through miles of wilderness of old growth groves, that are now gone.
I have been lucky in that I got to see the Gila with old growth trees, before the last 10 years of fires that has decimated the groves.
Got to roam the Sierra's through miles of wilderness of old growth groves, that are now gone.
Nemont
Well-known member
My daughter and Son in law live in White Rock and were put on notice to be prepared for evacuation. Didn't happen but they had to do the, "what do we take and what do we leave drill".
Nemont
Nemont
Huntin' Fool
Well-known member
After California's 3rd-largest wildfire, deer returned home while trees were 'still smoldering'
When a massive wildfire tears through a landscape, what happens to the animals?
Wildfires impacting big game & how to track fires
In a year full of flames, you need some tools to track wildfires
The last few fires we had here in California decimated the game population.
The science shows that that is not true. In fact - the opposite. The lack of fire is what has hurt our big game herds. Old growth is important but not for feed.
I predict that deer herds in California will increase following recent fires.
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S-3 Ranch
Well-known member
Yeah fire is a double edge sword, short term no bueno
After California's 3rd-largest wildfire, deer returned home while trees were 'still smoldering'
When a massive wildfire tears through a landscape, what happens to the animals?phys.org
Wildfires impacting big game & how to track fires
In a year full of flames, you need some tools to track wildfireswww.gohunt.com
The last few fires we had here in California decimated the game population.
The science shows that that is not true. In fact - the opposite. The lack of fire is what has hurt our big game herds. Old growth is important but not for feed.
I predict that deer herds in California will increase following recent fires.
long term fire creates new green growth and cover that support animals
I know when we burn the ranch in Texas after a rain it exploded in new growth
Intensity of fire heat makes a huge difference in regrowth. Fast moving ground fires are good.
Hot crown jumping and wind shifting reburns take a long time to come back.
Seen elk & deer run right through flames and make it and found lots of dead ones after a hot fire.
Hot crown jumping and wind shifting reburns take a long time to come back.
Seen elk & deer run right through flames and make it and found lots of dead ones after a hot fire.
LopeHunter
Well-known member
I was just in Santa Fe and the smoke was annoying depending on wind direction. I spoke with a local who recalled a hurricane dumping rain on NM years ago which seemed impossible so I quickly researched to find out that NM used to have remnants of Pacific and Atlanta hurricanes drop rain in autumn most years but that moisture source all but stopped a couple of decades ago. Maybe will restart this year.
MarvB
Well-known member
Hanks right here^^, a lot of potential regrowth centers directly around the intensity of the fire. Fought quite a few fires that had too much sustained heat and the soils can become hydrophobic and actually repels water rather than absorb it. Plus with the monsoons you can get massive amount of soil erosion due to the instability of nothing left to hold it.
Sad anyway you cut it.
Sad anyway you cut it.
RoughCountry
Well-known member
The Hermits Peak fire started as a prescribed burn by the USFS that got away from them, it’s joined now with the Calf Canyon fire and has created a monster. They need prayers and rain.
S-3 Ranch
Well-known member
Dang now the San mateo mountains down south , has fired up outa control
My place was a homestead that grew corn & beans, raised cattle. 1927-1950's. Mostly off monsoon moisture, but also snowmelt. There is a 5ac tank 1/2 mile away that supplied water to the fields.
The regular snowfall and consistant monsoons stopped in the 60's. Now the monsoons can be fenceline rains. 4" in one spot and dry across the road. I got 14" last year and my neighbor got 6" 5 mi away.
I could set my watch on the 1pm monsoon storm in AZ in 1975. I do remember hurricanes dying out in NM.
belshawelk
Well-known member
Yes. Quick moving fires are not too bad. Lots in Oregon and most have recovered well. Take the fire last year in DeBeque Colorado. An all around great game area for deer, elk, pheasants and others. It almost burned to Utah. It burned so hot and slow it looks like the moon. Nothing will grow for years and years. Nothing.
