Elk and wildfire

[Sharpend60]

The area Ive been early scouting just started burning up. Not quite the exact area... bout 10 miles south. It could easily get to where Ive been poking round. Ive got a peg on a large herd alreay, just hoping to keep up with em till sept when Ill try to shoot one...

My question for those of you in know.
How far do the elk run?

It stands to reason they will show up in the former burn area. I doubt there will be much new feed by the time season opens up. They will probably have the area closed anyhow. Good thing I drew tag for a large unit...

[stevem]

I don't think elk will go far past the active burn area.  When I was an active fire fighter for the Forest Service we often saw elk in the burned out areas checking things out.  But with a high burn intensity there likely won't be much food for a year, but just outside the burn should be good as ever.  There is an exception, and if the burn is major, they will often seed and mulch immediately.  In this case come Sept. there may be heavy grass.  Also, even major burns often leave a large percentage of unburned islands, which elk will find and use.  About a week or two after the fire is out you might nose around the agency where the fire is located and ask for a burn intensity map.  You want to find where the unburned areas are.

[old_goat2]

last year we had a pretty intense burn and when I hunted turkeys in an adjacent area, there was a ton of elk and deer in it and I seen more turkeys than usual which wasn't many still, lol, so for what it's worth, cause I don't have any idea what it was like during elk season, but immediately following the fire, the adjacent area was good.

[Sharpend60]

Sounds like I'm in good shape.

Stevetm, I'm referring to the Tres Lagunas fire burning up above Pecos. Not far from you.

[monterey]

They will be herded differently by sex and age than what they are now anyway.  If you can follow them all summer without too much disturbance you should have a pretty good handle on them for the opener.

One year I hunted in the smoke of an ongoing wildfire a short distance away.  Did not seem to have any effect on the elk.