How many seasons do you wait to hunt fresh burns year 2 or3?

[Qpulliam53]

Looking on on x maps of burns in different areas some are fresh some are 2-4 years old how long to go in and hunt?

 

[Ross]

3monthsBiggest herd I’ve seen in this country 3 months after a burn close to 50 and 7 bulls seen after I shot mine can bring them in like candy

 

[BFry]

I’m no expert, but from my experience it completely depends on the area you’re hunting. In the Oregon coast range (extremely productive), a burn can have lots of animals the next year. However, across the valley in the Oregon cascades (lower productivity) it typically takes a few years for ungulates to be there in high numbers.

 

[BFry]

If I were to put a number on it, lower productivity regions takes 3-7 years whereas higher productivity areas take 0-3 years to recover from moderate disturbance. Obviously this is dependent on the level of disturbance as well (like did the fire crown? Or was it more of a moderate/patchy burn?), along with the soil quality (highly lithic vs well-developed).

 

[trophyhill]

I've never really focused on burns, but if I did, depending on when it burned, I'd be in there the same year if it wasn't smoldering

 

[Salmonchaser]

Just depends on how hot the burn and how much fall rain. Hunted the Tee-pee butte burn while it was still smoldering. Horse creek got better after a couple of years.

 

[[email protected]]

In the area I hunt about 15 years because the hunters outnumber the elk, but in more limited areas ASAP if it wasn’t to hot. Iv seen elk behind the fire line while the fire still burns in more mild burns and Iv seen antelope rolling in the ash the next day after a fire, but I also know a spot the elk are just moving back into after a super hot fire years ago just because it’s been a moonscape since.

 

[mikechek1212]

My hunt this fall is less than a mile from an area where there was a planned burn done by the forest service in May. I’ve been wondering the same thing and done some research. Sounds like salmonchaser’s response is the general consensus from what I’ve read. Usually a prescribed burn is less intense and regeneration of plant species starts to take place sooner than a raging wildfire. Here’s a read I found interesting from the main page:

Hunting Burns

Hunting Burns is a stratagy that Jim Carr has been using for years. Find out why he thinks they are very productive and the stratagies he uses.

www.rokslide.com

 

[idahohikker]

I think year 2 and 3 have maximum use by disciples of the elk prophets, especially nonresidents looking for spots to find elk. So there will be elk around burns and not in burns from year 1 to 30, depending on a ton of factors. Elk wander. Elk generally like burns a bit more during the first ten years.

 

[sodaksooner]

As soon as it starts greening up.

 

[BFry]

I’ve often had trouble spotting animals in less hot burns or those that come back quickly. Does anyone have tips for glassing in more recent or burns with a bit thicker vegetation? Do you typically glass with the spotter or [high power] binoculars?