elkduds
Well-known member
If people screw up and cause more fires, it will close again. So please be careful and vigilant.
Colorado's San Juan National Forest is now officially closed due to fire threats
- Thread starter windymtnman
- Start date
Zach
Well-known member
Laelkhunter
Well-known member
It is good news that it will re-open. I was wondering what type of impact it would have on the sales of OTC licenses that are due to go on sale Aug 9 if it stayed closed for a while.
Zach
Well-known member
minimal, IMO, since there are close to 100 OTC units.
WildWill
Well-known member
Great news! Still worried it could close again but a step in the right direction. The consensus seems to be the train started the fire not some wandering hiker but who knows.
jdf
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2011
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- 473
Really hoping weather helps keep it open down the road.
My wife is excited and hopeful not to have to return her deer tag.
My wife is excited and hopeful not to have to return her deer tag.
windymtnman
Active member
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Where did you hear the SJNF is opening? I haven't seen any news release on this. Last I read, the 416 Fire was only 35% contained or so, and it would take a lot of rain to change the status.....
It sure has an effect on commerce this way.
It sure has an effect on commerce this way.
rideold
Well-known member
windymtnman
Active member
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I missed the announcement of the forest being opened again and back to a Stage II alert, so thanks for the info. It's still really dry here, and no rain in our area. My pasture is a sad state of yellow.
Returned from a high country pack trip, and there is "some" water flowing, but down from the norms.
Returned from a high country pack trip, and there is "some" water flowing, but down from the norms.
BrokenArrow
Active member
I am one of the lucky few who were evacuated during the hot part of the 416 fire. I wish my draw odds for hunting tags had been equally as good! Maybe I built some karma outta this fire somehow.
Anyway, the forest did reopen, but 3 days of red flag warnings have re-kindled what was a semi-dormant fire after Hurricane Bud gently dropped an inch of rain here. Unbelievably the storm do so with almost no lightning and little wind. It was amazing. But as someone that worked fire crews and familiar the terrain on fire basically in my backyard, I knew it wasn't gonna be long before mother nature got angry again. The fire is back to columns of smoke and grew 600 acres again yesterday after only 150 acres of growth over the last week. Today was very active as well. Not sure on the growth yet. I can tell you that the containment percentage decreased from 37% to 36%. Yes, it's only a percentage point, but in this scenario it's not good to see it going in the wrong direction. In comparison, the Burro fire (also burning and 6 miles directly west)also increased in size and lost containment of 53% down to 40%
So, they could close the 1.8 million acres of FS again at any time. Even though the forest is at stage 2 fire restrictions, I believe La Plata county is still enforcing stage 3 restrictions. La Plata county has a lot of Units 75 and 751 in it.
The containment date of the fire is projected to July 31st and that weighs heavily on monsoon rains. The long range forecast from NOAA has no real precip on the horizon and looks to be more drought conditions for the next month.
I am very optimistic that the fire will be under control enough to warrant hunting without issue by the start of archery season. Hopefully it's completely out. Even as active and in the wilderness that it is, the fire only really effects a very small portion of the national forest all in units 71 and 74. There is tons of available public land to go around. Even if you don't come near here (unit 74), units 75/751 "should be fully open to the public".
I guided some hunters right though the edges of an active fire north of Lemon reservoir (unit 75) about 6-7 years ago and it was a couple of the best seasons I ever guided. We just took advantage of elk patterns that developed in areas they weren't familiar with.
I would say google earth it and located the areas that are not effected by the fire and capitalize. You might not see very many other folks out there this year, just cause of the media attention that this fire has gotten. Just food for thought.
Also, The forest being closed has created the first human "break" that any animal in that 1.8 million acres has seen since the NF "opened". They just had a whole week and a half to themselves. I can't wait to see what that did for calves and herd migration.
Btw, I have a 74 archery buck tag and I will be hunting right around the south western edge of the fire. I can't wait to have the place to myself.
I hope that helps. Pm me anytime
Anyway, the forest did reopen, but 3 days of red flag warnings have re-kindled what was a semi-dormant fire after Hurricane Bud gently dropped an inch of rain here. Unbelievably the storm do so with almost no lightning and little wind. It was amazing. But as someone that worked fire crews and familiar the terrain on fire basically in my backyard, I knew it wasn't gonna be long before mother nature got angry again. The fire is back to columns of smoke and grew 600 acres again yesterday after only 150 acres of growth over the last week. Today was very active as well. Not sure on the growth yet. I can tell you that the containment percentage decreased from 37% to 36%. Yes, it's only a percentage point, but in this scenario it's not good to see it going in the wrong direction. In comparison, the Burro fire (also burning and 6 miles directly west)also increased in size and lost containment of 53% down to 40%
So, they could close the 1.8 million acres of FS again at any time. Even though the forest is at stage 2 fire restrictions, I believe La Plata county is still enforcing stage 3 restrictions. La Plata county has a lot of Units 75 and 751 in it.
The containment date of the fire is projected to July 31st and that weighs heavily on monsoon rains. The long range forecast from NOAA has no real precip on the horizon and looks to be more drought conditions for the next month.
I am very optimistic that the fire will be under control enough to warrant hunting without issue by the start of archery season. Hopefully it's completely out. Even as active and in the wilderness that it is, the fire only really effects a very small portion of the national forest all in units 71 and 74. There is tons of available public land to go around. Even if you don't come near here (unit 74), units 75/751 "should be fully open to the public".
I guided some hunters right though the edges of an active fire north of Lemon reservoir (unit 75) about 6-7 years ago and it was a couple of the best seasons I ever guided. We just took advantage of elk patterns that developed in areas they weren't familiar with.
I would say google earth it and located the areas that are not effected by the fire and capitalize. You might not see very many other folks out there this year, just cause of the media attention that this fire has gotten. Just food for thought.
Also, The forest being closed has created the first human "break" that any animal in that 1.8 million acres has seen since the NF "opened". They just had a whole week and a half to themselves. I can't wait to see what that did for calves and herd migration.
Btw, I have a 74 archery buck tag and I will be hunting right around the south western edge of the fire. I can't wait to have the place to myself.
I hope that helps. Pm me anytime
Last edited:
WildWill
Well-known member
BrokenArrow thanks for the update. Hopefully they get the fires under control. Stay safe.
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