New Sheep and Wildlife Habitat

[cpwrestler]

Setting aside the obvious concerns about health, safety, and loss of property, is anyone else interested/excited about the new habitat this summer’s wildfires are creating?

I’m still relatively new to BC so I’m still figuring out where the fires are in relation to habitat, but it seems to me like the two biggest fires are right in the heart of sheep country with the potential to open up a ton of winter range. While the short term impacts will be hard on wildlife, it seems to me like the burns could be a huge boost to the habitat for our sheep. In the next 5-10 years, could there not be a big boost to the carrying capacity of these ranges?

And obviously the same goes for moose and the ungulates living at lower elevations... seems like some short term pain for major long term gain.

am I crazy?

[monasheemountainman]

Will open up a lot of territory for winter range, easy pickings for wolves too though so kind of a double edged sword IMO

[Weatherby Fan]

No your not crazy.....as I always take note of current burns so I can hunt them in the future, it’s not rocket science and most hunters know the benefits of a year or two old burn.

[325]

Will open up a lot of territory for winter range, easy pickings for wolves too though so kind of a double edged sword IMO

My understanding is that sheep can avoid predators better when country is opened up, as they can capitalize on their fantastic vision.

[one-shot-wonder]

The last 2 fire seasons have been tremendous for countering the ingrowth and rejuvenating the forests in a number of ecosystesm that need to be maintained by fire. Here is a recent article demonstrating numerous benefits from wildfire, when you look at this fire activity it is more lemonade than it is lemons in my opinion.
https://www.castanet.net/news/Pentic...mountain-goats

Thankfully some of the more beneficial fires for wildlife are in parks/protected land or extremely steep terrain and will likely not be subject to salvage logging. The logging that has occurred this past winter/spring of many of the 2017 fires is disturbing to say the least.

[boxhitch]

Tough to make a blanket judgement about fires as they all have different effects,
depending on burn rates, slope, speed, intensity, elevation, fuel type and and.......you get the idea
Some critters need mature growth at critical times for protection from preds and winter weather
Double edged sword for sure

As for sheep specifically, many areas recognized to have population declines have not been burnt at all
and another has had more than one fire burning close enough together to join and become continuous
wonder how that hampers escape from the bbq

[bearvalley]

Tough to make a blanket judgement about fires as they all have different effects,
depending on burn rates, slope, speed, intensity, elevation, fuel type and and.......you get the idea
Some critters need mature growth at critical times for protection from preds and winter weather
Double edged sword for sure

As for sheep specifically, many areas recognized to have population declines have not been burnt at all
and another has had more than one fire burning close enough together to join and become continuous
wonder how that hampers escape from the bbq

It’s good to see someone that knows what they’re talking about explain the pros and cons of a fire.
Listening to the continual drivel of habitat, habitat, habitat gets a bit old while what in some cases is prime wildlife habitat burns to a scorched wasteland.
As you say, the differance between a controlled habitat burn and an out of control wildfire is like night & day.

[Wild one]

Tough to make a blanket judgement about fires as they all have different effects,
depending on burn rates, slope, speed, intensity, elevation, fuel type and and.......you get the idea
Some critters need mature growth at critical times for protection from preds and winter weather
Double edged sword for sure

As for sheep specifically, many areas recognized to have population declines have not been burnt at all
and another has had more than one fire burning close enough together to join and become continuous
wonder how that hampers escape from the bbq

Agree with this

Burns can provide food but in my opinion in some areas loosing big timber is more of a negative then the benefits of the feed

I am no expert but past burns have not increased moose or deer numbers in my area but I don’t think feed was ever the issue.

No doubt fire will benfit some areas but it is not the end all to BCs ungulate population issues

[Pemby_mess]

All good points so far. Especially regarding the differences in the specific characteristics of fire, in different circumstances.

I was just driving through the lower mainland yesterday and was somewhat astonished by all the mature deciduous growth being weakened and killed by drought. That is one observation making me less optimistic about the benefits to wildlife supposedly initiated by changing climactic conditions. I am tempted to consider any individual fire as necessary and positive for creating wildlife habitat, yet this supposed "transition to a new normal" concerns me greatly.

when you consider fires of unprecedented intensity, burning everything down to mineral soil, combined with longer and hotter drought conditions, the benefits to wildlife habitat seem to evaporate somewhat, no?

[Pemby_mess]

I think one positive for habitat to come out of the recent fire seasons, is a renewed commitment to forest management - especially around communities. Rekindled enthusiasm for controlled burning in the shoulder seasons is likely to benefit ungulates immensely.