Fire Impact on Hunting Areas

[huntersrwg]

Just curious on what you guys have seen as far as a fire pushing the game out of an area. I know that in the following years the burn areas are where the game will be to eat the fresh shoots and growth but what about the year of the fire? Do you find that the fires push everything out and if so how far away from the actual flame zone and how fast do you see animals returning?








"99% of the failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses" George Washington

 

[TOPGUN]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-16-12 AT 09:14AM (MST)[p]The only one I've seen in Wyoming where I hunt every year was in August and there was enough moisture after the fire that there were as many animals back in the area by the October hunting season as before. I believe how hot a fire burns and how much moisture the area receives in a timely manner will determine what you will see in the season immediately after a fire. That's my take on your question, but it's mostly conjecture made by doing some reading on the subject.

 

[bonepicker]

+1 It seems to be dependent on the amount of moisture but also the intensity of the fire. Fires coming through heavy timber or mahogany can really take a long time to recover because the heat sterilizes the ground for a year or two. A fire in sage, grassland or medium to light juniper can draw animals in within weeks of the first fall rains or summer thunderstorms from what I have seen. Still, right after the fire, even in ideal conditions, is not nearly as good 1-3 years after.

 

[Castnshoot]

I agree with the 2 posts above. I have see them right out in a fresh burn not long after the fire.

 

[beech18]

+3. My observations has been about the same. Ive hunted in and around afew differnt fire areas in Montana. Acouple fires Ive hunted in that area the same year of the fire. I remember seeing deer and elk in the charcol landscape. I think its dependant too if it took all the landscape or bounced around where it left pockets untouched.