The Tom Green County / Coke county wildcat fire has consumed over 170,000 acres and only 10% contained and has burned for going on 5 days now. I'm wondering what effect this will have on the deer for this area this coming season ? Does should be dropping fawns in the next month.

It is mind blowing to stand in an area and literally look for 2-3 miles in any direction and there's nothing but black.... trees are gone, underbrush is gone, cactus is gone.... nothing but black.

There's no movement of anything, even birds are gone. I figure most deer ran in front of the fire, but to escape means that had to travel literally miles away. Just curious what thoughts are on the coming season out here ?

Rick

There will be a serious affect that is for sure, and according to CNN there is no end in sight!

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/18/texas.forest.fires/index.html?hpt=T2

Hopefully they can get away. Unfortunately I imagine the fawn crop will suffer.

I would think that the deer densities in the surrounding areas might increase to unsustainable levels due to deer leaving the burning areas, causing too much pressure on what forbs are left. Not good.

I'm seeing deer feeding all day long, their struggling to get enough to eat. The only thing left is mesquite and cactus.

I think it should be fine if it would just rain a little after it burned.

After our place burned we couldnt put enough protein out there! They ate everything, but as soon as it started raining and stuff grew back you coulnt make them eat anything, they went after the native browse.

Hope yall get some rain along with the rest of us.

matt

Fire is an important part of the life cycle of the ecosystem. In the long run, it will help the habitat.

x2

X3

Nature will heal itself 1000X better than man ever could!

It really is. As much as I feel for the folks losing their homes, my place really needs a fire. We haven't been able to do a burn because of the burn-bans. Last year a neighbor called to tell me the "good news" that they had stopped a fire just before it got to my fenceline. I tried to hide my disappointment.

That said, me wanting a fire at my place is a pretty selfish thought as it would have an adverse effect on my neighbors. I hope all those negatively effected by these events stay safe and come ourt ahead in the long run.

While I am all for controlled burns, these kind of wildfires are not good for wildlife. Wildfire burns so hot that everythimg is decimated and it can take years for the cover to return. Controlled burns are target specific, wildfires not so.

My opinion... for what it's worth. I think the extent of these wildfires we are seeing in Texas is because of a lack of controlled burns in past years. There is so much fuel due to the enourmous amount of undergrowth, because of a lack of the controlled burns that can, again in my opinion, help control some of these large fires. As men of the outdoors and stewards of the land, I think it is our duty to promote controlled burns in the future and I would be willing to bet we will be seeing a huge push from the state of Texas to have a more active roll in the controlled burns.

My prayers and thoughts are with all of those being effected by these fires. May God bring us much needed rain over the next several days.

Controlled burns would have helped the situation but not completely. I do agree, we will see a bigger push for controlled burns as brush management. A big concern after the fires have passed is when moisture will return, hopefully it will return in time to prevent the soil erosion that will occur as the wind sweeps the barren landscapes.

Pray for rain!

The fuel load for these fires was created late last summer and fall. The lack of rain now with very dry humidity and high winds all have worked together to create this problem. Controlled burns in the past would have done nothing but to create more fuel for the present day. Controlled burns this year in Jan. and Feb. would have eased the problem and created buffers but not totally elimated them. Controlled burns are wonderful management tools. Uncontrolled wildfires will spell disaster for some ranges if there was not deep moisture to hold the plants over till it rains.

Thought this picture was appropriate for the discussion.


More pics

http://oneclick.indiatimes.com/photo/035ueqqeBG6NB?q=Texas

Those are scary pictures,I"m headed down to the family place today with a new Stihl,all the cedars around our cabin are coming down!

I drove along 277 last night and saw alot of the burned areas, it was raining last night while i was driving. Not a big rain, but there was some light showers directly over some of the b urned areas. If they can get some good rains, the land will look amazing and the deer herds will be very healthy.

There wont be any argument over low fence vs. high fence in the burn area for a while...

With good rain we will have some good vegetation. Bad thing is we have not had good rain so far...so underbrush where either burned or not much of it is bad. The lack of undergrowth allows predators. IN S. Texas we had not had enough rain and the fawn crop is going to suffer due to lack of undergrowth.

I agree about lack of controlled burns, they are crucial, but not just the burn, they land has to be cleared, dozed, etc....One place I hunt did a controlled burn 6 years ago and did nothing else to one pasture...Right now you cannot even walk thru it, it is too thick.

Our rancher did control burns, one pasture last year and one this past February. The burn this year was much better as the fuel was better. Finally got a start on rainfall there last night, only 1/2 inch but that's a start!

Still praying for more rain for everyone! Just checked radar and storms are starting to fire up south and west of Del Rio again this afternoon. Let's pull em into Texas!

Controlled burns done within the past couple years, not just this year, will and do help out to control wildfires (less fuel to the fire, less fire). Yes, a lot of the fire burns last year's growth but there is an accumulation of dead plant material that has gone unchecked since the once natural wildfires have been fought in the past. In our area, when the Indians were still around, they would burn the area yearly. They did this to keep the area very alluring to buffalo populations. Seems like everything is going well now... so I dont think there is any reason to stress out. Deer go to the food, no food, no deer but the regrowth (depending on the severity of the fire) might be surprising many of the people who have had fires.

Didnt even think about the hf angle.
Wow