Wildfires - Effect on Hunting

[gamehunter6o]

Great news for the Donald as I hear the smoke is headed East and he'll welcome a smokescreen.

[VFX_man]

We flew over my house yesterday. The fire burnt up to the street behind mine. Deer were in my yard eating my garden...

Definitely a good news/bad news moment. Glad to hear your house was fine.

[va7bkl]

I've said this numerous times on HBC.....understand habitat....look for that habitat....game becomes easy to find

I have head this said a few times, but even after the research I have done, I still don't "understand habitat", specifically how to recognize good habitat from bad. How do you learn this? Let me clarify...I can pick out decent habitat for any given ungulate, but once I start walking the area, I can't seem to use my current knowledge to find a honey hole. If I find one, it is purely by accident. And if the animals move out of that honey hole, I can't tell where they might have gone to. I just haven't been able to find much on the subject although I have done a lot of reading. I am aware of the "general" comments you always hear about good habitat for "X". Sometimes I find game where I wouldn't expect it, and don't where I would. I've tried to make connections between different plants, trees, and topography in association to where I have found a lot of game, but nothing stands out...I am still missing something... Time and experience learning an area (and trail cams) is all I've got right now to determine if an area is good or not. I wish knew the key habitat features to look for to narrow down a potential area. Cause when I find a honey hole while scouting (lets say in the fall), then find (a week or two later) the animals are gone when I go back to hunt there, I just don't know how to tell where they might have gone to...and don't tell me lower cause some areas I go to just don't have much of a lower option, and sometimes this happens before their usual transition from summer to winter range anyway, so I know they are still close by, just not sure where to start lol

[Linksman313]

I have head this said a few times, but even after the research I have done, I still don't "understand habitat", specifically how to recognize good habitat from bad. How do you learn this? Let me clarify...I can pick out decent habitat for any given ungulate, but once I start walking the area, I can't seem to use my current knowledge to find a honey hole. If I find one, it is purely by accident. And if the animals move out of that honey hole, I can't tell where they might have gone to. I just haven't been able to find much on the subject although I have done a lot of reading. I am aware of the "general" comments you always hear about good habitat for "X". Sometimes I find game where I wouldn't expect it, and don't where I would. I've tried to make connections between different plants, trees, and topography in association to where I have found a lot of game, but nothing stands out...I am still missing something... Time and experience learning an area (and trail cams) is all I've got right now to determine if an area is good or not. I wish knew the key habitat features to look for to narrow down a potential area. Cause when I find a honey hole while scouting (lets say in the fall), then find (a week or two later) the animals are gone when I go back to hunt there, I just don't know how to tell where they might have gone to...and don't tell me lower cause some areas I go to just don't have much of a lower option, and sometimes this happens before their usual transition from summer to winter range anyway, so I know they are still close by, just not sure where to start lol

What region and near what township are you located VA7BKL? Would love to help with a little more info, how many cams are you currently running, do you currently put down salt or any other attractants near your cams? what time of the day do you do most of your scouting (morn/midday/evening)?, can you identify current feeding and sleeping locations in your hunting area, do you utilize scent control sprays/sticks etc.. when you are scouting? just a few for starters. Pm me if needed

[bloody bellies]

what happens to all the chickens

[rocksteady]

what happens to all the chickens

the adults fly away.

[Sportster]

With all of the nitrogen being put
Back into the soil, in should be a smorgasbord for all the animals come next spring.

[Ourea]

With all of the nitrogen being put
Back into the soil, in should be a smorgasbord for all the animals come next spring.

Absolutely sportster.

Deer can hit burns the minute any green up begins.
It can come earlier than the next spring.
The same summer a burn can have game forging in it if there has been any amount of precip sufficient for some regen.

[kendoo]

I wonder how many deer & sheep died in the fires aroud Cache creek & Ashcroft area looks like fire traveled faster than they could run'

[Jal]

Pine Beatle kill?
Are the fires in those areas?