Well fire is a real concern to people that work and live in the woods. One reason why, when I was a smoker I never smoked in the woods. No matter the season. When out cutting, I would chew. Copenhagen don't start fires other then in your belly sometimes when you swallow too much.

Did you see any sign of elk? I mean like scat or tracks? That sure looks like a large area to walk around. Do elk follow trails like deer do in the woods?

My elk hunting experience was really limited. The one time I went, the guide and I sat on top of a hill with binoculars and glassed most of the day. Then we'd walk to the next hill and do the same all over again. When we'd see a "shooter" as he called it, we'd put a sneak on it. And it ended up the one I did shoot was standing in a field minding its own business eating grass.