Burn areas?

[Z Barebow]

I am cyber scouting a new area in a new state (MT). Much of the area was burned ~10 years ago. The upper reaches of the drainages were spared. These unburned basin areas look to be anywhere from 1/2 to 1.5 square miles. But all of the mid range and lower parts of the drainages are burnt. When I look at it from Google Earth, I see nothing but sticks. (It is my suspicion that there is plenty of seedling growth, but I won't know until I put boots on the ground.) I hope to take a scouting trip prior to season, but no guarantees.

The access into the area is from the lower elevations. (~6K) The upper basins (8500-9K) are quite a ways from access (2-5 miles of rugged hiking)

My question is how do elk behave in this type of area? Do they actually live in the burn areas? (I don't see much in the way of shade) Do they feed in the burns at night and then retreat to upper basins for shade/cover during the day? I think there is enough water in the upper basins, as I can see old snow in some of basins via GE. It can be hot yet in Sept (80's in lower elevations) so I am thinking the elk would be in the upper basins regardless of the burnt areas because of the elevation, but I have been wrong before!

Trying to get a feel as I have never hunted an area such as this.

Thanks in advance.

[cnelk]

With the fires that we had around here last year, my good buddy who whitens a lot skulls saw several elk and deer that were just black from being in the fire area. Antlers, tongue, hide.
The grass had regrown enough for them to feed in those areas

Yes they really like burn areas! Especially the edges where there is cover

Good luck

[Swede]

Cnelk has nailed it. Deer and elk both love the new growth that sprouts up from a recent burn. It sounds like your area still has enough unburned area to offer good bedding places and hiding cover which is a plus.

[mtnmutt]

Hayden Burn. CO largest and hottest wildfire in 2002. 10+ years later...

The new Aspens have grown well in the less steep areas and provide great food areas for the elk. The herd numbers are strong in this area.

The steep areas of the burn look like Mars or a wasteland with only puny aspens and other vegetation barely holding on. These areas have gravel, not soil.

The fire burned so hot, it destroyed the soil or the monsoons came and washed away what good soil was left in those steep areas.

The elk feed at night in the large aspen areas and get back into timber before first light.

I tried hunting in and around the Hayden Burn area, but the network of 4x4 trails drove me nuts and the private land makes it a little difficult to navigate far from the 4x4 network of trails. The place is overrun with atvs and motorbikes in September.

Lots of people hunt there with great success.

The fires have proven to rejuvenate the forest and the elk love the area.

10 years later, 2012 was another CO wildfire year of hell. I don't think those fires burned as hot as Hayden, so they may recover faster.

It depends on how hot the fired burned in your area. You can tell quickly by looking at the soil. If it looks like gravel then it isn't going to have an abundance of food for elk, but there will be some vegetation trying to take hold.

[Swede]

Mtnmutt you nailed this very well. Certainly burn areas can be too charred and not recover their vegatation. Elk will not live on a moon scape. A good area to look over is where the Forest Service has had Spring burns. Sometimes they are ignited under the forest canopy, so they may be hardly visible on Google Earth, and since they grow back very rapidly GE can totally miss them. I like hunting what is called a "dirty burn", where much vegetation is left while some is burned over. A dirty burn maintains a good portion of the landscape only lightly burned, or not effected, The area will get some regrowth and fresh succulent vegetation in varying amounts.

[ElkNut1]

I too agree with the above posts, we hunt elk in burned areas every year. We kill them in or near them for the reasons above. The elk I took last year I was standing in an old burn & the elk was in a small pocket that was very green, he was within 1/2 mile of his normal bedding area, that is close in these parts.

The problem that arises with big hot burns as the years go by is the tremendous downfall that starts to accumulate on the ground & can be difficult to negotiate!

ElkNut1

[Indian Summer]

Definitely Paul. That's where those reflective tacks come in handy. There's usually a way to weasel through that stuff.

Burns are great. Elk are right back in there pretty quick too as long as it didn't go through white hot. There is a type of mushroom that pops up almost immmediately after a burn. You'll see tracks pressed into the ash that go from shroom to shroom. Of course when things start to regenerate the grasses and small saplings are high in nutrients. But before that happens the edges of green and burn are super high potential spots. There will be rub lines along those seams. Elk will bed in small patches and be easy to see and get on. Also... interestingly, elk bed in the same spots generation after generation. I've seen them continue to bed in those spots ever after it was burned. yep... right out in the open. There are other reasons the spot is idea for them. vantage points, thermals etc all come into play. Also of interest is how hard it can be to see elk in the burns. Once there's snow it's obviously way easier but when there isn't they can hide right out in the open.

As an added bonus the racks get really dark making the tips look even whiter. Makes for an awesome looking set of antlers.

Once you hunt some burns you'll be looking for them in the future. You'll also be looking at some of those areas with endless timber saying "Man this place could sure use a good burn". I love them.

[WapitiTalk1]

Some great comments here gentlemen. One cautionary note when targeting burn areas for elk (I speak mainly for WA and OR as I've seen the following occur in these states), recent burns bring another type of hunter in force ... "mushroom pickers". I'm not a mushroom expert, I grab some boletes and pines when I see them, but I do know that a recent burn draws droves of the mushroom pickers and they can and will wander quite a ways from the roads to seek their ground dwelling quarry. Just a thought/consideration when targeting burns for elk hunting.

[JJ Overkill]

my wife and i took the wheelers out today, we leave where the hayden fire went through. its making a SLOW recovery. anyways, we dropped into a pocket of timber that was lush and green. i told my wife it looked very elky. we rounded a corner and bumped a small herd of elk. they just sat there for about 1 min and then took off. as we drove out i looked around and we where basicly in a huge bowl. the surounding hill sides were void of any trees and very little vegitation. in all we saw two herds that totaled around 30 elk. id say give it a shot and look for thoughs pockets ya never know what they might hold.