My elk unit is on fire

desperatehills · Jun 20, 2016

The Jack fire has consumed 33,000 acres within unit 5B south. From the national forest service website it appears to be a lightning caused fire that is burning the grass below the trees so they are letting it run its course and only maintaining the perimeter. Many of the areas I intended to scout over the 4th of July have burned.

What is your experience with elk and wildfires? Far as I know Arizona doesn't have a option to turn the tag back in so I don't want to waste 11 years of applications and not hunt. The fire map looks like half the unit has burned. Might be a great year to have a unit 6 or 5B north tag.

Can anyone report first hand how this fire will affect the September archery season?

azbiggame · Jun 20, 2016

the elk will be back on the unit soon after the fires stop, and burn areas will have tender grasses by time of Your hunt dates arrive, in my experiences with ... my worries will be when Monsoon rains come about possible mud slides and what may happen to the roads.The roads in this unit are already BAD, and possibly could get untravelable if BAD CAN GET Worse ... Good Luck,
Bruce & Silver Grand

huntazido · Jun 20, 2016

I have a tag in a neighboring unit and I'd be happy to trade it with you if they would allow it. Don't worry. As soon as rains come, it will green up real quick. This is a good healthy fire. The forest along with wildlife will be better off because of it and I predict you will have a great hunt.

Good Hunting

creed · Jun 20, 2016

I have the same tag. What azbiggame said about the roads is true. I was stuck right in the middle of the 93 RD in 2013. Bring chains. You might need them.

WapitiBob · Jun 20, 2016

Those Elk aren't going anywhere.

Codylee1985 · Jun 21, 2016

I've lost a couple trail cams due to Fires this year...

desperatehills · Jun 22, 2016

That sucks Cody. Were any of your SD cards OK? I have seen some great time lapse video from game cameras in fires.

I spoke with Luke the biologist yesterday and he reaffirmed what most MM'ers are saying. My scouting trip next week might be limited but the hunt itself should be great

Codylee1985 · Jun 22, 2016

No it entirely melted the plastic dangit!!
I was hoping for at least some good pics but no such luck, oh well it should help the area in the long run!

Jagerdad · Jun 25, 2016

Sending the Camera in for Warranty is a ???

but there will be a site offering the public claims for property losses due to the fire. The following link may help: http://azfireinfo.az.gov/

Plus, it may be educational to simply try being reimbursed. Being Polite is half the step and, you seem to be a good sport.

Gator · Jun 26, 2016

Rain green grass, Bad roads tells me there will be some great spots way back in on those roads that wouldn't have a lot of hunters. Just be prepared to travel those roads with spares, gas, chains, winch,(even if it just a hand one)
Now me I hoping all your Big Bulls have moved down to unit 22N for the year. LOL

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
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Twabbis · Jun 27, 2016

There was a fire on my home unit several years ago and the elk were bedding down in the ashes just days after the fire had gone through that area. And even now most of the elk will be where the burn was.

desperatehills · Jun 27, 2016

The closed area has been reduced and some of the areas that I wanted to look at this weekend are accessible. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

RdRdrFan · Jul 4, 2016

>The closed area has been reduced
>and some of the areas
>that I wanted to look
>at this weekend are accessible.
>I'll let you guys know
>how it goes.

Any updates? How much of the unit ended up burning up and how bad was the fire? General location??

desperatehills · Jul 5, 2016

I am sitting in the Phoenix airport awaiting our flight so I'll be short. The fire burned north of the 211 rd and over turkey mountain to the 704 rd. There is some evidence of the fire off the 93 rd but none up on hutch mountain and the 135 rd. The portion of the fire I saw looks like it only burned the under grasses with little damage to the trees. The elk I found were in the pinion flats. The few places I could access that had burned didn't appear to have much activity yet. With 2" of rain Friday night it was tough to get around. We often would drive as far as we could then hike. We covered 25 miles in three days. The country was more open than I expected. When we were hiking we would come to big open flats and need to hike a long ways to get a new view. We did see 100+ elk of which 8 were branch bulls. None of them were huge but they still have a month to grow. I am sure the bigger bulls were off by themselves and will be around when the rut starts.