Colorado's San Juan National Forest is now officially closed due to fire threats

windymtnman

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It's only June 12th, so don't panic just yet, however if you were planning on hunting some areas of Colorado this year, this could be a possible eventuality. (?)
I read numerous places, various press releases, wherein the entire 1.8 million acre San Juan National Forest has been placed under a Stage III Fire Alert. The release basically bans the public, and even some USFS employees from entering the forest. The release says the closure will remain in effect, until the moisture levels improve sufficiently enough to re-open or downgrade to a Stage Two level. Here
is a copied portion of that closure notice, as to the penalties:

"Violating Stage 3 fire restrictions or going into a closed area carries a mandatory appearance in federal court, and is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment of up to six months, or both".

The 416 Fire, as it's called, has been burning for a couple weeks, and there's been massive evacuations of residents nearing 1000 households. I live about 140 miles East of the fire, and we're getting smoke here from it daily. Our own Rio Grande National Forest, which is basically on the East side of the Continental Divide, is at a Stage Two alert level. I don't think it would take much to raise it to a Stage III as well, as we're in an extreme drought here.
I suppose there is some consideration by the USFS to the economic impacts of closing down forests, and yet the risk of burning up the resource as well as the massive costs of fighting fires probably is a higher priority.
If huge areas of Colorado were to be classified as a Stage III come hunting season, I wonder how CPW would manage this? If a solution was to allow some hunters to change their GMU's and tags, it would create an imbalance of hunting pressure, and perhaps an over harvest of game too? Outfitters would suffer as well. I suppose they'd just say it's tough luck all the way around, and better luck next year?
Too soon to say what's going to happen between now and hunting season, but this problem's out there, and needs to go away with some frequent, significant rainfall.
 
You can have some of ours. Got 6 1/2” in the last 4 days.
windymtnman, are you anywhere close to South Fork? Was out there in 2013 after that fire.
 
Talked to the state park office today in Dolores,co and they said they don't expect it to be closed during hunting season. Said monsoon season is coming up and hopefully get the rain they need.
 
As to the question of whether I live by South Fork, I'm 30 miles from there. I remember well the 2013 Fire that burned almost all Summer over there. We got thick smoke here that made it pretty tough for my asthmatic wife to breathe

I've also ridden my horse through other areas near South Fork that burned about 12 years ago. The forest does a great job of generating new growth, and it can be a huge draw for game, that can feed on succulent grasses and young trees, etc. What is not so great, is that growth tends to be extremely thick as young trees haven't died off to thin it. Couple that with all that downed, old burned timber, it's no picnic trying to get around in those forests. Visibility, noise and the ability to have a clear shot can be the norm.
 
As for monsoon season, bring it on. Thing is, my friends around Colorado are all talking about this drought. Sure it could change for the better, and quickly. The question is, will it? Living here in the center of the State, we never seem to get what I'd consider a surplus of rains or even snow in the Winter.
I don't mean to be on a downer, posting this. I just thought that there could be a whole lot of nonresidents making plans and not even being aware of a potential problem. At this point, my advice to hunters might be to think about the areas you intend to hunt, and where the water is. Springs, creeks and the like may not have any water in them. Where I live, I went up on the mountain behind me and there's minimal water in some of the major drainages coming off the 13,000 ft. mountain. By Fall, who knows.
I'm worried about the availability and price of locally grown horse hay.
 
Hoping for rain.

Though I will admit, when I left last year I had the thought that the area I was hunting could really use a good burn.
 
The comment wherein it was said; "the area I was hunting could really use a good burn" has me wondering what kind of habitat you were hunting? I can see some country profiting from a prescribed burn, such as Oak Brush, and perhaps other similar types, but I cringe a bit when I think of our mature Spruce going up in smoke. Yes, a lot of it is dead or dying from Spruce Beetle infestations, and yet if it burns, it can not only be tough to put out before it's overwhelming. The other problem is, When you have these big trees that have been burned, some will fall, some will not. The burned trunks interfere with new growth, and make for a tangled mess on the forest floor with these trees all falling this way and that like pick up sticks. Around this area, the Forest Service will close down roads and trails that have had fires for years because of falling trees presenting a risk. It's not just the trees that are already laying over a road/trail it's the trees they think MIGHT fall over. So, that's whole another issue. I don't mean to sound like a know it all here, I'm just concerned about how this problem could play out. The 1.8 million acre San Juan Forest is closed down, and here in the Rio Grande Forest, which is just as big, we're poised on the verge of shutting down too.
 
If it's still closed by August 1st I'm turning in my 75/751 muzzleloader tag. The problem then is do I get my money back or my 1 point. 600+ seems like a pricey prefrence point fee but without that point I have no chance of drawing the tag again next year.
 
I’m only kidding about any desire for a burn. I thought about it though after days of crawling over dead falls. It has become exponentially worse over the last two to three years. I really don’t know how I’d get an elk out now.
 
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As for monsoon season, bring it on. Thing is, my friends around Colorado are all talking about this drought. Sure it could change for the better, and quickly. The question is, will it? Living here in the center of the State, we never seem to get what I'd consider a surplus of rains or even snow in the Winter.
I don't mean to be on a downer, posting this. I just thought that there could be a whole lot of nonresidents making plans and not even being aware of a potential problem. At this point, my advice to hunters might be to think about the areas you intend to hunt, and where the water is. Springs, creeks and the like may not have any water in them. Where I live, I went up on the mountain behind me and there's minimal water in some of the major drainages coming off the 13,000 ft. mountain. By Fall, who knows.
I'm worried about the availability and price of locally grown horse hay.

I saw lots of hay producers cutting in the valley between Del Norte and Saguache today, of course those are all the guys with pivots...
I'm in the same boat with my hay in El Paso county. At this point I don't have enough to cut it. There is a guy locally that sells small squares if you need to get some in desperation. I think 8/9 per bale.

I can't believe how quickly the melt off from Wolf Creek went.
 
If it's still closed by August 1st I'm turning in my 75/751 muzzleloader tag. The problem then is do I get my money back or my 1 point. 600+ seems like a pricey prefrence point fee but without that point I have no chance of drawing the tag again next year.

Because you won't be able to scout? or are you worried it won't be open by September?
 
Because you won't be able to scout? or are you worried it won't be open by September?

Worried it won’t be open during my hunt. My understanding is I have within 30 days of the start of my hunt so August 8th to turn in my tag. My concern is if I don’t turn it in by the deadline and the NF remains closed during the hunt I’ll be left with a tag that I can’t use and will have essentially thrown away over 600 dollars. I’ve hunted the unit before so not scouting isn’t a deal breaker although it would be nice especially with the fires effecting the area. If the NF open after the deadline and I’ve turn my tag in I can still hunt the unit with a OTC archery tag. If it’s still closed I can find another OTC unit to hunt either way I plan on hunting elk this year.
 
Fair, although if it's going to be closed for the hunting season I would at least hope that CPAW extends the deadline to return tags...
 
Worried it won’t be open during my hunt. My understanding is I have within 30 days of the start of my hunt so August 8th to turn in my tag. My concern is if I don’t turn it in by the deadline and the NF remains closed during the hunt I’ll be left with a tag that I can’t use and will have essentially thrown away over 600 dollars. I’ve hunted the unit before so not scouting isn’t a deal breaker although it would be nice especially with the fires effecting the area. If the NF open after the deadline and I’ve turn my tag in I can still hunt the unit with a OTC archery tag. If it’s still closed I can find another OTC unit to hunt either way I plan on hunting elk this year.

Don't wait to find out, call CPW now and get the answer.
 
Not to get too much off topic, but as for the hay grown under pivots in the San Luis Valley, a great deal of that is pretty much pure alfalfa. Some is put through resident cattle herds, and then a tremendous amount goes out of here, enroute to interstate sales to others. As you may know, pure alfalfa is not desirable for a permanent horse diet. So, the supply of grass hay, or mixed hay is sometimes harder to find, without it being junk. I know some grower that may not sell what might otherwise be their surplus hay this year. Presently, I have some lined up and will pick up some shortly.
 
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