if you’re headed to Idaho or Montana in September- start your prayers now

CorbLand

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Mar 16, 2016
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Walked out of work the other day and there was a ton of smoke in the air. Thought, well, something finally lit up in the mountains around here in Northern Utah. Thankfully it was blowing in from southern Idaho but just been waiting to see the unit I hunt light up.
 
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Salmon River Solutions

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Rokslide Sponsor
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Jul 5, 2018
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North Idaho
We got a tiny bit of rain here in North Idaho yesterday. Don’t see anymore in the forecast up here, but my elk hunt area opens aug. 1st down south and I think it’s going to get some rain Saturday and Sunday!
 

Marble

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May 29, 2019
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2021 is on track to make 88 look like a mild fire year.

If the unit you’re planning on hunting isn’t already burning, looks like a good chance in the next six weeks or so it could be.

The silver lining is if the unit you’re hunting is still there, you won’t have to worry about scent control- you and everything else will smell like smoke in ten to twenty minutes.

Pray for rain (or snow) and lots of it.
Last year with the smoke I still got busted....

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk
 

Finch

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Feb 12, 2014
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VA
It was pretty smoky here in Virginia last week due to the fires out west. I just can't imagine the "boots on the ground" guys out there fighting it day in and day out.
 

Will_m

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in 10 years, we will be thanking this year. most of the fires around me are natural lighting caused. they definately help the ecosytem in the medium and long run.
I just wish it would burn the deadfall with it. Seems like it just burns up everything green and then a bunch of matchstick deadfall is scattered on otherwise bare terrain.

But otherwise I agree that its natural and beneficial.
 
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
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Idaho
There has been 1.7" of rain this month here and currently a flash flood warning out for southern 7C Idaho right now. Watched a single tree across the river catch fire and get put out by .5" of rain in 20 minutes last week.



Haven't really worked hard this summer as we haven't had a fire season like they thought we would.
 
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
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Idaho
Those of you who hunt (including I) up on the Nez Perce-Clearwater and Potlatch Deltic better have a backup plan or two. Still looking quite scary up there.
 
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in 10 years, we will be thanking this year. most of the fires around me are natural lighting caused. they definately help the ecosytem in the medium and long run.

Amen, except in my opinion, it’s more like immediate benefit. Many times, in just months.

Fire is as natural as it gets. In the west, we need fire. Fire suppression efforts, especially on naturally occurring wildfires (ie lighting strikes) have crushed beneficial habitat.

Everyone gets their panties in a wad over fire. The sky is not falling. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to see properties/infrastructure/buildings burning, but in most forest habitats in the west, it’s EXACTLY what they need.

There is NOTHING better for ungulate habitat.

People need to stop listening to Smokey the bear and the news.

People panick about a fire in their units 🤣🙄 i literally change hunting plans to HUNT burned areas. 😎
 
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Hoping it rains out there. It's a double-edged sword. Hope lightning doesn't ignite more fires.
 

downthepipe

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Joined
Dec 21, 2015
Messages
226
Location
SW IDAHO
Fire is as natural as it gets.
There is NOTHING better for ungulate habitat.
I get your point, but I contend that this only true with habitat over 4,500 feet elevation. My anecdotal evidence is fires under this elevation tend to char the landscape and reduce habitat to mostly noxious weeds with little to no benefit for winter range ungulates.
 

Spike elk

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Wait, so is everything on fire or is it a slow fire year? Opposing reports.
Talked to a dude from the BLM a couple of days ago that runs a fire crew. He said it has been a really slow fire year for them in Southern Idaho. Currently they were working on removing some old stumps at the BLM complex where they are based out of. Rained like the dickens last night in central Idaho. In the end it will all probably average in with most years.
 
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Wait, so is everything on fire or is it a slow fire year? Opposing reports.
As of this morning's sit report, we are just under 400k acres behind the 10 year average acres burned year-to-date nationally. Media does blow shit out of proportion quite often when it comes to fire season.

That being said, a few areas in the west have had a big fire season so far, but lots of areas are very quiet.
 

jmcd22

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Dec 4, 2017
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Idaho
There has been 1.7" of rain this month here and currently a flash flood warning out for southern 7C Idaho right now. Watched a single tree across the river catch fire and get put out by .5" of rain in 20 minutes last week.



Haven't really worked hard this summer as we haven't had a fire season like they thought we would.

Was in 7C a few weeks ago and it was so effing dry and smoky. We had a few thunderstorms brew up right above us with some decent winds. They never materialized...thankfully. Glad the area hasn't gone up...was really worried about it after the horrendous winter you guys had.
 

CorbLand

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As of this morning's sit report, we are just under 400k acres behind the 10 year average acres burned year-to-date nationally. Media does blow shit out of proportion quite often when it comes to fire season.

That being said, a few areas in the west have had a big fire season so far, but lots of areas are very quiet.
Based on your screen name I am going to assume you fight fires?

If so, do you think the lack of fires, even with how dry its been, is partly because of the lack of storms? Less lighting to start them?
 
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