Late summer fires displacing Mule deer?

[awbowhunter]

I have been wondering how some of these larger late summer fires will effect Mule deer.

With the areas burned being open and no regrowth until next year, i suspect that will bump deer into new areas for bedding and food.

Opinions?

 

[270Hunter]

I killed one of my biggest bucks ever in a very fresh burn that looked like the moon. It was a super hot fire that scorched the ground and he could’ve went somewhere else close by with living brush and vegetation but he chose to stay in the burn. That fire came through in July , I watched him live in that burn from July to October 4th.

 

[CC11]

A guy we know was doing a service call out in the unit we deer hunt that just had a good fire go through. Said there was a bachelor group of bucks with a couple of studs in the middle of the black just doing their thing. This was within a few days of the fire burning throught that area.

 

[RockAndSage]

I wouldn't worry about it, partially because of the evidence guys have shared above. Burns can have fresh food start emerging fairly quickly with a little rain.

 

[IDusmcWAPITI]

Good shares. Like anything else scouting will improve the odds but Inhad also been curious about the impact of the fires.

 

[skahunter831]

Man what a cool thing to think about. They're mysterious little buggers, aren't they?

 

[AHayes111]

This one might have displaced a few mule deer.

 

[dusky]

I killed one of my biggest bucks ever in a very fresh burn that looked like the moon. It was a super hot fire that scorched the ground and he could’ve went somewhere else close by with living brush and vegetation but he chose to stay in the burn. That fire came through in July , I watched him live in that burn from July to October 4thView attachment 746793.

If that's not evidence, I don't know what is. Nice buck!

 

[ThreeOhSeven]

Considering there's currently a 10k acre very close to an area I frequent, this is reassuring to read.
Nice buck @270Hunter

 

[hunterjmj]

Best year we had in the area I hunt was after a big August burn.

 

[nurpuwy]

I killed one of my biggest bucks ever in a very fresh burn that looked like the moon. It was a super hot fire that scorched the ground and he could’ve went somewhere else close by with living brush and vegetation but he chose to stay in the burn. That fire came through in July , I watched him live in that burn from July to October 4thView attachment 746793.

Exactly mule deer have high site fidelity!

 

[BGNRSLK]

How high would you put recent burns on your list as far as spots to check out? Specifically compared to older burns or areas that may have less pressure?

 

[TaperPin]

How high would you put recent burns on your list as far as spots to check out? Specifically compared to older burns or areas that may have less pressure?

In ten years of working on fires in prime mule deer habitat in Wyoming, I rarely saw deer on fires - fires burn relatively slowly compared to how fast deer can walk. Likewise, I rarely saw deer on old burns - in other words fewer deer on burns compared to a drainage over that didn’t burn.

I have no doubt other areas are different, the size and extent of burned area, and time since the fire comes into play, but with small and medium size fires I wouldn’t go out of my way to glass them, let alone walk them. Elk are different and regrowth and elk go hand in hand.