game4lunch

Any of you who live in or near the Rockies have undoubtedly seen the devastation of the bark beetle.
Likely will turn much of our beautiful forrested mountains into high elevation prarie some day soon.
Sad, but it's "nature taking it's course".
But I had to chuckle recently when the local Nat'l For. office issued a warning to hunters this fall to be especially careful in the woods, as the beetle kill trees may fall on you!
I do believe that if a tree falls in the woods . . . weather you are under it or not . . . it will make a sound!!!
So I'm curious, any of you had a tree fall near you while hunting?

Colorado Luckydog

No, but it sure is sad looking at the devestation that the beetles are causing. I'm not sure where this will end up, but I do have a little bit of good news....everywhere you look there are new trees. I don't know if I just never paid attention before, or if there was not as many. Everywhere you look there are new trees growing, thousands of them.

EKM

Always gotta be careful where you stand.

Always gotta be careful when the wind blows.

homers brother

The Forest Service has taken to closing selected campgrounds now in response to the damage too, where the danger of a tree falling across a tent or RV is actually quite real.

And, in spite of all those new trees growing underneath all those snags, all it takes is one lightning strike and they'll be incinerated along with all the rest of the abundant fuel.

Thank your local environmental-obstructionist group. The policy today of "do nothing" is just as disastrous as wanton clearcutting was decades ago. Ahh, yes - "fire is a natural process", they'll say. Some even describe the beetlekill as a natural process. Well, so is polio.

onebigelk

I haven't had any trees fall on me or close to me, but several years ago
I had a homemade wooden ladder stand that was crushed by a very large
oak tree that had fallen on it. The platform was still hanging by the chain
way up in the tree. Would have very interesting if I had been sitting there
when it fell.

Howler

Let's show everyone what we're talking about when we speak of "beetle kill" and the devistation. Here's a pic. taken not far from Granby, CO. Notice all the brown out there. And this same scene goes on for millions of acres in central and northern CO.

Howler

Now, compare that last pic. to this next one which was taken this summer in the southern part of CO., not far from South Fork, CO. You'll see a striking difference. Notice, all green trees in this pic.

tasai

Sept 1st, opening day for elk and deer in Teton county, WY. A warm, heavy snow fell at 8,000 ft and up. An early snow for these parts, and the first time I was in the woods for the first snow of the year. I heard 3 trees fall. I don't know if they were beetle kills or not. They could have been snags. They were pretty exciting though. I have never heard one go down before. The last one fell within 100 yards of me while I was napping. I awoke and the first thing I did was reach for an arrow. I thought the herd bull I was dreaming of was coming right for me. I recently saw a picture of what happens when a tree falls on an elk. If you haven't seen it before I'll try and post it here.

mongorunner

POST IT!

Bocajnala

the damage out there is amazing...and sad. I spent two weeks in wyoming and colorado and there was so many dead trees. Acres and acres and acres, mile after mile sometimes...