Mule Deer and Fire Activity

[MLHSN]

I'm curious what the experts know?

How does wildfire activity affect mule deer migration when a large area of their migration route is burning?

When they do migrate, do they shoot straight through the burn area or go around?

What about when their winter range has burned?

Will they hold up high when there is late fire season activity?

Any reading recommendations on the subject?

 

[RockAndSage]

Not an expert, but always come back to the foundational basics: food, shade, security. They're just not going to be in an area with no food. However, burns (especially in timbered areas), are particularly good for food growth for mule deer, with that ground cleared of brush and the sky cleared of canopy. Burns and logging cuts are generally the first places I look for when hunting timber.

There will be a bunch of threads that will come up if you run a search here for things like "burns", packed full of guys' personal experience killing muleys in burns.

 

[Lowell]

Not an expert, but always come back to the foundational basics: food, shade, security. They're just not going to be in an area with no food. However, burns (especially in timbered areas), are particularly good for food growth for mule deer, with that ground cleared of brush and the sky cleared of canopy. Burns and logging cuts are generally the first places I look for when hunting timber.

There will be a bunch of threads that will come up if you run a search here for things like "burns", packed full of guys' personal experience killing muleys in burns.

There you go. Agree