How do current/recent wild fires impact elk/deer?

[wannabemtnman]

Being newer to western hunting and never having hunted burned areas it's looking like I won't have much of a choice based on the current condition and where I have two different tags this fall.

In most of the western states there are currently wild fires raging and here in CO it's super dry there are 4 fires that are still cranking. After talking with some forest service workers who have been battling these fires, the indication is that the only thing that'll stop them is snow.

My question is around how animals react to very recently burned areas? By recent, I mean from this summer. With all of the browse and feed being torched is there anything that would drive them back this fall/winter? How many years does it take for good browse to come back? How far do elk or deer seem to stray from burn areas during a fire?

I have a 3rd season mule deer tag in one unit that's burning and a 4th season elk tag in another that's burning solid right now. By the time my seasons come up it's likely the fires will be out but it's definitely changing my e scouting as I can't get into most of the areas on foot due to road closures.

Should I look at trading in these tags for the year or will elk/deer hold up in higher concentrations around the burn areas? Not sure what to do at this point and feedback is welcomed.

 

[Beendare]

I've seen some weird things in these burns....I think the answers; It depends.

If You are talking full blown firestorm- every thing flees of course and it takes awhile for animals to return.

I was hunting U9 in AZ archery season for elk one year and I shadowed a 360-ish bull for about 5 miles over hill and dale...and right through a controlled burn! It didn't bother them one bit though the smoke was so thick I could hardly breath.

The funny thing was I jumped one of the biggest mule deer bucks I've ever seen on the hoof....bedded in that burn...shocked the heck out of me so much I followed it up with a call to the biologist. I mean the ground was still hot...charred completely black.

He said they probably like that soot as it helps with no ticket or fleas. ...and nobody is usually going to bug them in there.

I'm not sure that helps you...

______

 

[Wellsdw]

A slow creeping “backing fire” is a good thing and will only push game out briefly. For example, I’ve seen an elk rub that was Less than 24 or so old in the “black”. I know it was fresh because the unburned shavings were on the ground in the ash. Also fire can expose green grasses that were exposed during a low intensity fire. But as stated above, an intense head fire will push game out. Fire can also work to concentrate animals.

 

[.204smokechaser]

All depends on the severity of the fires whether or not there are animals around. First order and second order fire effects are measured from the fire intensity and severity. From experience during active fires and doing rehab, there will be a lot of elk and deer in the burn scars once the fire dies down eating the new shoots for the high nutrient values as well as eating moss and lichen off the trees that fall down. Active fires do have animals on the move and for some reason lightning makes them move around. Saw 240 elk on Wednesday going from fire to fire started by lightning. Heck had a 5x6 bull eating old man's beard off a big grand fir that I felled when I showed up to one of my fires yesterday morning.

 

[wannabemtnman]

Thanks for the info - the two tags I have this year in burn areas are 3rd and 4th season so they should be out by then but I'll be curious to see how those fires affect winter forage and what both elk and deer will do that time of year.

 

[Huntindog45]

i used to be in the fire fighting business. I was always amazed at how fast we would see critters back in the burn areas. there is stuff in there they like, including rolling around in the ash. Obviously huge,hot fires that cover thousands of acres and burn very deeply have different impacts than fires that are only a couple hundred acres. Long term fire is always good. if i am planning on hunting a new area one of the first things i look for are places that have burned in the last 3-5 years.