Elk season along with deer season sucked! The forest service ripped a large portion of the roads out in the name of reducing fire dangers in unit 346. Total BS! A few years ago, there was a lightning caused fire near where we hunt/camp; the area had been thinned in the 1950-1960s and the fire was not very hot and burned brush and some of the smaller trees in the area.
The study that the FS posted on their web site also cited the cost of road maintenance as a factor in ripping out the roads. I have been hunting the same area since the mid 80s and have never seen the FS doing any work on the roads, ever! The campers/sportsmen keep the roads cleared of down falls during the summer/fall. By ripping out the coverts and roads, and cutting trees down to block the roads, sportsmen cannot even walk the roads to get to their hunting areas.
Sad state of affairs that will negatively impact sportsmen who camp and hunt in the area, thus less tag sales and fewer hunters spending money in the local communities and supporting wildlife enhancement. During both seasons, I only observed a few does and cows as well as a bunch of pissed off old timers who had previously hunted the area for the last 40 plus years.
They also bulldozed a ton of small trees and put them in the river. One of the local business owners said the FS was trying to enhance the fish stocks. I think someone at the district has lost their mind and is trying to limit public access and use of the National Forest land in the Little Natchez. I can see more efforts to rip out the few roads in the area in the future to continue this process. Guess it is time to start looking for a new hunting area out of state.
