Late season wildfires are putting a crimp in the annual Deer Hunt.
According to a Nevada Department of wildlife press release hunters are being asked to avoid the areas where the fires have burned. Currently, the Midas-Tuscarora Road and County Road 766 (north out of Carlin) are closed to recreational and hunting traffic.
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As of Monday the Dunphy Complex Fire had burned over 160,000 acres of habitat in Hunt Management Area 06. The any legal weapon deer hunt opened on Wednesday.
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The Dunphy Complex Fire is composed of three separate fires; the Chukkar Canyon Fire, the Indian Creek Fire and the Izzenhood Fire. The Izzenhood Fire is approximately 42,000 acres and 80 percent contained and is mostly deer winter range north of Battle Mountain. The Chukkar Canyon Fire is approximately 51,000 acres and is 30 percent contained and is northwest of Carlin in the Mary’s Mountain area. The Indian Creek Fire is approximately 69,000 acres and is 10 percent contained and runs north along the west side of the Maggie Creek Drainage and just south of and around the town of Tuscarora.
The most popular hunting areas of Area 06, the Independence Mountains and the Bull Run Mountains are currently unaffected by the fires and hunters should have no problems hunting these mountain ranges.
As long as fire conditions don’t change, hunters should also be able to hunt the north and northeastern side of the Tuscarora Mountains, though they should travel to these areas using routes that avoid the Midas-Tuscarora Road and County Road 766.
An approaching cold front will continue to bring gusty winds to the fire area today but widespread rainfall and much cooler temperatures are moved in by early Wednesday helping fire fighting efforts.
For updated information on fire locations, acreages, and containment from the Bureau of Land Management, please visit http://www.inciweb.org.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org.