Just curious if anyone has any hunts coming up this fall in the Gila area. I hear that this fire is in that area.

I traveled to the location of the Texas Bear Creek fire that occurred last year. It burned almost 50,000 acres. The fire occurrd about 3 months before deer hunting season.
For most folks that hunted that Texas area after the fire, game was very sparse. I believe much of the large game migrated to areas that were not affected, but a few game cameras did show the occasional deer wandering through the decimated area. (When I say decimated, I mean there were large areas thad had nothing left except bare dirt!) It took some rain and 5 months before any significane amount of new growth began to show.

Right now there is a USFS directive that was issued a few days ago restricting access to a large part of the northern Gila area (basically a big section of the 16 hunting zones) where the fire is burning and it goes through the end of the year. If it is not at least partially lifted by the time hunting seasons open, it will mean that the NM G&F will probably allow any hunter with a tag for the affected area to turn it in and get their money back. This fire within just it's first week was already declared the largest wildfire in NM history.

Over 250,000 acres as of yesterday and still growing. Only about 18% contained. Officials expect it to burn relatively unabated through the month and into July when the monsoons (hopefully) start and give them some relief. They're fighting wind and extremely dry conditions (relative humidity in the single digits).

I'd say a good portion of Units 16A and B and some of 16C and 22 is or will be gone before it's over. If it keeps burning north and east, it might even make it to Units 15 and 16D.

Sounds and looks bad, was on the news out east here last night.

I just got off the phone this morning with a buddy that is working on that fire. After the briefing this morning they are acually starting to cut back on crews and moving firefighters and equipment out of the area. The firefighters have a good line built that will help stop the worst part of the fire. Some of the other area's of the fire have burned up to area that burned back in 2004. The southern part of the fire has slowed down due to reaching some rocky terrain with not must vegatation to burn.
Crews will be there for at least two more weeks doing clean up etc.
In most area's the fire moved quickly and didn't get as hot as the Yellowstone fire back in 88 so the grass and hopefully tress will start to grow back. Just pray that the monsoons come this year.
One more thing the tree huggers are worried about the wolf population getting hurt because their pups are still in their dens and can't escape the fire.

Steve

Yep; don't worry about 1/4 million acres already burned and more to come, but worry about a few friggin wolf pups that shouldn't be there to begin with if it wasn't for them and the Feds!!!

Absolutely horrible fire, the smoke where I live is wreaking havoc on alergies, asthma and most everyones nerves. The great part of the Gila is its great expanse, and with that, the resilience of game to seek forage just out of the fires reach. I don't think it is gonna affect hunting much, as long as the hunt isn't done amongst the ash.

I'll hopefully be archery hunting 16D. After talking to a few people in Reserve it looks like they've got the northern end of the first pretty well stopped.

Does it look like it can get up to unit 12? That is just above the Gila I believe...thinking about buying a tag there, but don't want to if it is ash..

I know a person very high up in the USFS Fire Management Division in Albuquerque and they are not really trying to do much with this fire at the present. The ghost town there and places where there are possible damage to structures have been secured. They see the fire as a good thing, burning in places that really needed burned. The fire is not burning "hot" in fire management terms so they are pretty much content to let it continue on it's natural path. As far as to the total scope of acreage that it will consume and specific areas that will be affected I really don't have any info on that.

This is a reversal in USFS ways of thinking and dealing with wildfires as in the past it has always been supression that was the upmost of concern. That way of thinking is what has caused a lot of the forest lands in the Southwest being choked to the max with abundant fuel loads on the forest floor. So hopefully this fire will have a major positive impact for the Gila and surrounding areas. May be a pain this season but will be a big plus for many years to come.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

One more thing the tree huggers are worried about the wolf population getting hurt because their pups are still in their dens and can't escape the fire.

Gee. That just breaks my heart. NOT!
Paul B.