... how close is the fire?

We have fires burning though probably not as close, but have almost continual smoke/haze. Some days the ground visibility is down to 1 mile, most days more. Getting used to the smell of smoke.

I think, and I say I THINK, the big player is that the deer and elk undergo a change in diet, and maybe other stuff. Since their diet changes their habits and routines change. Summer they seem to enjoy the green stuff, alfalfa, grasses, whatever, then this time of year I see them pass up the good stuff (in the field I am waiting in), and go off and eat wierd stuff. And the elk have vanished altogether.

Also - it has been VERY DRY up here - which may have an effect on habits.

My hunch is that the fires don't bother them until they get REALLY CLOSE.

Just my thoughts.

SH

The fire that is giving me the most fit is about fore miles away from me as the crow flys,it is always smoky.the fire is about 20,000 acers and going strong.
the fire fighters are doing every thing they can,but is very steep and rugged up there.it just seams to me the animals have vanished!was just wondering what every body though .need rain,Thanks Serious Hunter

... four miles is pretty close. An elk or deer can travel four miles quite quickly - so that's maybe not it, but they may want to move out ahead, so that they don't have to `run for their lives' at the last minute ... but my guess is that, especially the elk, probably don't like all the activity (assuming the `fighting' involves people, trucks, perhaps aircraft) ...

Where I have been hunting the deer and elk are somewhat used to people ... but when there gets to be a certain threshhold of activity, e.g., trucks and tractors, e.g., harvesting a field, they move out, for a while.

my 2 cents

interesting ... let's see what others have to say.

I'd pipe up and give you my thoughts if I knew but I'm not experienced with hunting wapiti when fires all around them. I will suggest this, next year and the year after....I know where I'd be hunting.

I think that a fire would absolutely bother both deer and elk. They can, I am certain, detect the smoke in the air long before we can and I'm sure their instincts tell them to get out of town.

in the short term it will displace them. In the long run it will feed them.

Thanks guys,the smok is so bad tonight that i had to were a dust mask just to load a cord of wood for tomorrows delivery in town.(Committments).The wind is starting to come up,but it looks like we are going to get some rain off and on tonight and mabe tomarow.for sure they say on Sunday,here hopping

http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/news/fire/

check out this website for some fire info.

http://gacc.nifc.gov/nrcc/predictive/intelligence/intelligence.htm

Hopefully the cold spell that we are having right now, along with some scattered showers will help to get the fires unter control. The air Quality was a heck of a lot better today than it has been. I just took a trip today up the 55 along the Payette up to Cascade Lake. The hunters were out in full force. I went into a gas station in Cascade to see the place full of guys decked out in Cammo. Also there were many nice palaroids hanging above the register of guys with Trout, Mule Deer, Elk, Cougar, and Turkey. I did a little off road driving and didn't see any game (it was mid-day), but I did see plenty of Deer tracks. The terrain looked like it would be very hard to hunt where I was though, it was very densely vegitated and steep. And on my drive back to town I saw many many trucks with utility quads driving up the road. It's definately hunting season, I wonder how many people will b e up there when rifle season opens?

Good question Happy,i would have to say about the same if not more,but you also have some Grouse hunters out now also.We went out this weekend and saw a lot of deer but only one buck,and he was so small,he was questionable .no Elk to be seen or heard,put in a lot of miles on my tired feet with no luck. driving home on saturday late afternoon,i did miss on a Bear at 250 yards running away from me as fast as he could go ow well thats wy they call it hunting right will try again next weekend,or maybe one night after work