"BURNS"

[Holehog]

I have spent several days scouting 3 - 8 year old "HOT" burns in Eastern Oregon. The kind of fire that kills it all.

It is all standing and downed dead trees, forest floor is lush green and in some cases new tree growth of about 5 feet.

The deer and elk are plentifull, especially in areas adjecent to unburned timber and a good water source. In one case I found 7 branch antler bulls laid up in an open meadow during the middle of the day. As daylight fadded, they got up and fed their way 200 yards into the unburned timber.

I hear tale of how well burns produce but have no experience hunting them. I lack of confidence due to such long range visibility. Is the place to concentrate on the adjecent unburned timber?

Anyone care to share success's or pointers in hunting of this kind, Please do!

 

[meadecreek]

Hot burns could take a bit longer to recover, as far as grass and forbs regeneration. Burns can be great "general" areas to hunt around. Still need water and some hiding cover around to provide the total package.

So, if there is food, cover, and water, then those areas will likely be holding elk, unless they have been bumped around. It is worth scouting out.

 

[ELKMASTER101]

burns ar easy to scout,
walk the perimiter and look for the trails,
See which way the trafic flows. where they go in and out.
elk and deer are very perdictable.
they will follow the same pattern for weeks.
which makes a set-up EASY for either bow or gun.

 

[easymoney]

Burns that have not burned everything out are more preferable. The bad ones that scorch to the ground are worse than no burn at all, as they leave no cover or food.
I hunt an area that got burned badly in 2002, but along the edges there are loads of animals. They just don't hang out in the wasted landscape.
The worst part about hunting burns is there is not much cover, so they can see you better than you can spot them...
Good luck.

 

[Hornseeker]

IN the last 4 years I've hunted in some high intensity burns, the fall after they burned, and they were LOADED with elk and even moreso with sign. I couldn't believe it. I'm not sure what they were doing in the burns, other than traveling, as the ground was bare, black, ashy earth. There weren't really defined trails either, so it wasn't like they were just trucking right through, they were wandering.

ANyhow, do not look past a good fresh hot burn.

 

[ELKMASTER101]

The burns help release salts and other minerals in the wood
which ends up in the coal,
not being a chemestry major, this is what i heard.

 

[Anaconda]

Rolling in ash helps with bugs also.
Once the grass starts growing back, it is very good grass, tender and full of minerals. Find trails and set up on the edges, or use camo and get out in it.

 

[ghost hunter]

While on the subject, how long does it take a burn to start being very productive, and how long will that last before it looses its ability to draw and hold animals?

Ghost Hunter