The Gila is Burning

[dustyboots]

http://inciweb.org/incident/2870/

Hope it doesn't torch everything

[Doe Nob]

Its insane how quickly that one grew.

[buckbull]

I read the cold front that went thru had winds up to 60mph and really spread. Humidity of 3% isn't helping.

[Colorado Cowboy]

About the only thing you can say is a couple of years AFTER the burn, habitat and hunting generally improves a bunch.

[xtreme]

When we were going it to our bear stand the smoke was at the end of our valley, less than three miles. We thought the smoke might wreck our plans, as the smoke came to our stand, but the bear did't seem to notice.
Gila fire is about to become New Mexico's largest fire, I read.

[Muleys 24/7]

Hopefully they can get a grip on it, years ago the local moutains had a BIG fire and lots of big trees that took decades to grow all burned up. Now it's just real thick bush everywhere without the canopy of trees. The hunting was better for a few years but now everythings not a very plesant sight.

[Jeremy]

I would be pissed if I drew a tag there this year and it was torched.

[Wapiti7]

Guessing that's what UtahMountain Man is thinking (see his post about 16a Elk). Bet most of the good stuff in 16a will be gone by the time this is all said and done (which in my opinion is the best unit in the state). Though, I think we need to keep this in perspective, as my buddy's dad grew up in that unit, logged that part of the forest for years and years and now has a bunch of land that will be torched. If they wouldn't have run him and the other loggers out of the logging business because of the damn spotted owl, bet this thing wouldn't be nearly as bad.

[BKC]

Don't get me started about that damn spotted owl!

[dhershberger]

I agree with BKC! They would rather sacrifice the whole Gila forest for a stupid owl than to just cut down trees that would thin out the forest! And guess what, the fire just burned all of the spotted owl habit! THE FOREST SERVICE IS FULL OF IDIOTS!!!!!!! There goes the best elk hunting in New Mexico-------------down the drain!!!!