fireweed"whats eating it"

[dino]

Hey guys this may sound like a dumb question to some so take it easy on me. I hunt an area with an old burn that seems to have a ton of fireweed that gets eaten during the early growth stage of this plant. I always watch what deer are eating and even take a pic of the plant. I have watched them eat one heck of a lot of different plants but I have never witnessed them eating fireweed,probebly because I don't scout the burn during the summer scouting season. I see lots of deer tracks in this burn and I am pretty sure its deer eating the weed but not 100%. It is a low moose pop also. Am I right or is it possibly just moose and elk?

[frenchbar]

yup deer eat it.more en likely elk n moose 2

[Big Lew]

Yup, deer eat it, just about everything eats it when it's young and tender before the seeds are ready to leave. If there are range cattle in the area, they chomp down on it. I've watched bears eat it. We can eat it as well.

[Gateholio]

Deer, moose, bear everything eats it...

[BlacktailStalker]

Elk love fireweed, one of their fav's. I've watched deer eat it too. Usually if the tops are mowed down, good place to hunt. If its untouched, probably not! Once the frost hits it they abandon it.

[HarryToolips]

I've seen lots of sign around it in certain areas..I'm sure they only touch it in the early season when it's green and full of nutrients. We can eat it too, it got lots of vitamin C..

[wrenchhead]

I watch the deer eat it at work, they just walk around with their neck level just moving their mouth eating the tops.

[4 point]

Fireweed honey is the best.

[hunter1947]

Elk love fire weed, one of their fav's. I've watched deer eat it too. Usually if the tops are mowed down, good place to hunt. If its untouched, probably not! Once the frost hits it they abandon it.



X 2 I agree I have also saw elk eating the fire weed they leveled the fire weed down 8 inches from the top ,,I took a picture years ago with a cow elk her mouth was full of fire weed

[The Dude]

Agree with all the above, esp if it's on cattle range, then cows will chow down as well. I think it's like Chlorophyl Candy-Floss for all ungulates and ruminants :D

[Walking Buffalo]

It could have been me. I eat the stuff every spring.

Pick it before the leaves start to open up and you have spring greens similar in texture to asparagus.
I'm surprised that Fireweed is not being commercially harvested....

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy10/keetspics/DSC02994.jpg

[Husky7mm]

Elk love fireweed, one of their fav's. I've watched deer eat it too. Usually if the tops are mowed down, good place to hunt. If its untouched, probably not! Once the frost hits it they abandon it.

I read the frost makes many things eatable in the late stages, or end of growth, natural silage, brakes down the toxins in the plant....... IIRC fireweed was one of them. I have seen mule deer in the RED bedded right in the fireweed and until they moved I never knew they were there.

[IronNoggin]

It could have been me. I eat the stuff every spring.

Pick it before the leaves start to open up and you have spring greens similar in texture to asparagus.
I'm surprised that Fireweed is not being commercially harvested....

Damn! Learn something new every day!
Had to check it out: http://www.ehow.com/how_4499650_get-food-from-fireweed-plant.html
And it very much appears I've been missing out all these years :confused:

Got more in common with those critters than I thought! Good, relatively easy Grits I am always into! :mrgreen:

Thanks for Sharing WB!! :-D

Cheers,
Nog

[Big Lew]

Four things we looked forward to each Spring, stinging-nettle tops, fiddle-head tops, Indian licorice, and fire-weed stalks. Used to chew the licorice, but cook the others in copious amounts of butter, salt, and pepper.:-D

[The Dude]

I never knew we cold eat it. I assume it grows back, and the deer are none the worse for forage, so win/win.
I'll keep my eyes open when looking for fiddleheads.

Slight segue: Are all types of ferns in BC ok to eat at the Fiddlehead stage?

[4pointer]

Are all types of ferns in BC ok to eat at the Fiddlehead stage?

Not sure if all are edible but you will find that some are more bitter than others. I steam them and clean em well before eating. When spring bear hunting, I'm usually foraging for fiddleheads while on the prowl.

[Gateholio]

I've never eaten fireweed. I guess I should actually start carrying my edible wild food manual around with me. Fireweed is on the list for this spring! :)