I'm hopefully going to draw a unit 6 muzzy tag for elk which will allow me to hunt the area around Walden. I was looking up by the Wyoming border area or south around the Arapaho ridge area. I know there is a great deal of beetle kill along the border and into the wilderness area, but was wondering what the beetle kill was like South of Walden.
beetle kill areas
- Thread starter hunttrap
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Slugz
Veteran member
I have no info on the area just a comment on safety and wind. I've only been scared in the woods once, like heart racing scared. I was hunting a beetle kill area that was roughly 5-7 years old I think. Lots of great shoot grass in there that all wildlife loved. Then the wind kicked up, snow started to blow, and the wind kicked up more. Trees were coming down all over. Loud as all hell. I unloaded my gun, slung it and started to run to the nearest edge. I ran to near exhaustion. It was just a plain bad idea to be in there with weather coming at me. Be safe.
mallardsx2
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- Jul 8, 2015
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dan maule
Veteran member
Had a very similar experience in Idaho, it was the scariest experience I have ever had in the outdoors!
With some weather and wind it can get pretty real in beetle kill quick. Fires make pretty quick work of it too, lots of hunters in Western Wyoming found that out this year.
I guess it depends where you want to go. I hunted GMU 7 there last year and spent some time hiking and scouting pre-season in 6 and 7. There's beetle kill in there but not so dense where I was scared to hike through it. The one thing that did stand out in my memory was the mosquitoes. We poked around the southern section of Medicine Bow in August, and they sure were a nuisance at that time.
I don't know if 6 was much better than 7, but we ran into a few archery hunters near Shipman Park in September that were complaining it was their worst year there. It stayed hot late into the season. There was a big wildfire just over the border in Wyoming last year that you could see (and smell) all the way from Walden.
I don't know if 6 was much better than 7, but we ran into a few archery hunters near Shipman Park in September that were complaining it was their worst year there. It stayed hot late into the season. There was a big wildfire just over the border in Wyoming last year that you could see (and smell) all the way from Walden.
I was looking at 161 and it appears there has been a fire around that area every year for the last few years. I'd imagine it won't be much different this year with all the dead trees. My original plan was hit the zirkle wilderness, but I'm thinking a backup or two in the other area units is going to be smart.
Bonecollector
Veteran member
Little off topic but beetle kill of ash trees has been devastating in Ohio.
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Dos Perros
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- Jul 1, 2015
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Bonecollector
Veteran member
This is an excellent reason to stay focused in the "workout thread" portion of the forum. Can be life altering in more ways than one! 
gretch6364
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- Aug 24, 2011
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I have hunted a lot of beetle kill, and it has probably helped the elk in Colorado. Issue is going to be getting through it to hunt, but that is also good for the elk.
As for being scared during windy times, I have yet to hear of a tree falling on someone unless they were sleeping. They don't just explode and it isn't like a video game where they all fall at one time. Also, they are lodgepoles and don't tend to be overly large...if one is on its way down, step to the side...lol
As for being scared during windy times, I have yet to hear of a tree falling on someone unless they were sleeping. They don't just explode and it isn't like a video game where they all fall at one time. Also, they are lodgepoles and don't tend to be overly large...if one is on its way down, step to the side...lol
Access through the beetle kill will be tough, ID imagine there may be game trails I could follow or something. Just won't be as easy to bushwack straight through an area to get over a ridge.
This is a great point for those of us who roam a lot of forest service roads. I've seen trees fall even in areas without beetle kill. I have a big winch and the only time I ran across this myself I was able to winch it off. I also carry a chopping axe and bow saw - they take a lot longer than a chain saw but at least they'll get you out. Whatever you carry, plan for the worst!