[pct-l] Hunting seasons.....

[Georgi Heitman]

The PCT thru Hunting Zones....
Yes, hunting not only occurs in sections that the PCT passes thru...this
year it's somewhat likely to be screwed up.  Here in Shasta County at the
Hideaway at Old Station, we offer orange vests to hikers starting
mid-September when rifle season begins.  The fires during the first week of
August has left large sections of our zones barren wastelands, where the
deer and bear went I have no idea.  My thought is that the part of the trail
between the northern boundary of Lassen Volcanic Natl Park and Subway Cave
may be loaded with both...it didn't burn.  There was a very recent burn in
LVNP, on the PCT that forced NOBOs to use the alternate trail from Twin
Lakes to Badger Flats.  The trail has reopened but the fire will have
scattered the deer that lived there in all directions, some to the north and
out of the Park.  Deer left the Sugar Loaf Peak area behind our home in
droves,. crossing over Hwy 89, Hat Creek and into that same area, basically
to the north and east of the Park.  When that zone is open to hunters,
hikers should indeed, be wearing orange.  We can provide the vests we have,
(we ask those who need one to mail it back to us so we can offer them to
other hikers).  But there are 10 unprotected miles between the Park boundary
and Old Station.  Best buy a cheap lightweight plastic vest of bright orange
in Chester.  Last year's neckerchief from GottaGo, Yogi, et al, would be
perfect!
>From Subway Cave north thru the Hwy 44 trailhead and several miles beyond on
the Hat Creek Rim is just grim.  I walked thru that burned over area for
maybe a mile and a half yesterday with two NOBOs.  On my return hike, I
watched and listened very carefully...there wasn't a sound nor a sign of
anything moving, not a bird, not a chipmunk or squirrel, nothing til I was
in sight of my van.  Then a chickadee followed by a fledgling chirping for
food zipped by me.  Those poor birds were in the wrong place to find much,
tho on the ground all around me there were pine seeds, unburned that had
popped out of pine cones that were so warmed by the fire and hot ground that
they burst open.  There are no small animals around to collect them for
food...when we get some fall rain, they may be the first hope for the
recovery and renewal of this area.  The Rim doesn't have a very good history
of regrowth, as anyone who's walked thru it knows....there's just no water
up there, but one can hope.  That's been a very popular hunting zone in the
past and probably will be again this year, ther burn doesn't seem to extend
much past the former treeline, so game shouldn't have run too far and are
probably making their way back as close to home as possible.  I'll try to
get the opening dates of the two zones that affect the trail and post them,
but the zone on the Rim is late enough that it should only be a problem to
true SOBOs....are there any out there?,  and section hikers.  I guess, if it
were me, I'd be in orange from Lassen N.Pk. to Burney Falls St. Pk.  Beyond
there, I don't know, but all around Old Station and north toward Burney,
(the town of),we have a long bear season that overlaps deer season.  As
GroundPounder Bill would say:  Be Prepared!
FireFly