Wildfires can affect big game for decades, negatively and positively, and here's why

F&G actively works to rehab fire damage when needed

Wildfires can burn more intensely in winter range, and may consume all the vegetation over tens of thousands of acres. Severe wildfires can burn nearly all vegetation, so there are few surviving plants left to naturally regenerate the landscape. When that happens, Fish and Game often tries to speed the recovery of important wildlife habitat.

But to compound the challenge, much of this land often includes invasive plants, such as cheatgrass and other plants that often germinate quickly after fires and spread faster than native plants, such as bunch grasses, sagebrush and bitterbrush. That mean it can be harder to re-establish the slower-growing sagebrush/bitterbrush/mahogany plant communities and sustain them for long periods before the next wave of fires burn through.

Research has shown that a landscape restored with healthy, native vegetation is more resilient and resistant to wildfire. So, in theory, the sooner an area can be restored to its native state, the more resistant it will be to weed infestation and future wildfires.

It's usually a public/private land partnership

Idaho's land ownership is a mix of federal, state, tribal, and private lands. Fish and Game gets involved in most long-term fire rehabilitation plans across all ownerships. As rangeland r ehabilitation plans are developed, land managers will typically reach out to develop potential partnerships.

At a minimum, Fish and Game will provide technical assistance about desired seed mixes and priority areas for wildlife. The department will also often provide additional funding, especially when private lands (or state-owned lands) are involved. In these circumstances, Fish and Game usually tries to ensur e there are no gaps in rehabilitation efforts.

Boosting recovery after recent burns

For example, the Paddock Fire north of Emmett recently burned about 190,000 acres in the summer of 2024 that is traditional winter range for about 4,500 mule deer and 1,000 elk.

The department worked with Mule Deer Foundation to plant 40,000 sagebrush, bitterbrush, and rabbitbrush seedlings on some of the most densely populated winter range. And Fish and Game crews and volunteers collected sagebrush seeds during fall that will be given to a nursery to grow into seedlings for future plantings.

Fish and Game also works to reduce the spread of invasive weeds by applying herbicides, followed by seeding of perennial grasses, shrubs, and forbs. Crews have recently done this on burned areas south of Bruneau and on about 20,000 acres of rangeland near Salmon.

That work benefits more than just big game animals.

"These shrubs are also important in these drier habitats because they provide habitat for many other plant and animal species," said Regan Berkley, Fish and Game Wildlife Manager for the Southwest Region.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.