“Typically what we see with fires is there’s a short term loss in food. One would hope that the animals had a chance to get out of the way, at least the larger ones … People often think that a fire is so damaging but the main message is fire is incredibly important and regenerates and renews food on the landscape. So in short order here, we’re going to probably see a flush in food which is going to create more wildlife on the landscape and overall I think that’s going to be a good thing for everybody,” says Adam Ford, Canada Research Chair in Wildlife Ecology and Assistant Prof. in the Department of Biology at UBC.
Animals starving in the reduced food period is a possibility but we won’t know for sure without better monitoring, something that’s not done very well in B.C., says Ford.
“If there’s only so much food on the landscape for these animals to eat. We call that carrying capacity and the animals have to share that. If we’re thinking of things like mule deer or moose, if there’s not enough food to go around it means everybody is going to be a little bit hungry or skinny. That’ll make winters harder. So nature has a way of working out that problem. The animals that are too skinny or too unhealthy don’t make it through the winter. So, from the hunting community, I could see why they would say if we can maintain our hunting season, we’re going to have fewer animals going into that winter, which will mean that the animals that are not removed for hunting are going to have more food available … The animals that are not hunted will be healthier and that’ll probably help kick start the population more rapidly in the following year.
“On the other hand, I could see why people don’t want to add any more pressure to the animals that are there by hunting them. Those are all valid questions.”
Better monitoring is needed to make better decisions, says Ford.
“So when these situations come up whether it’s a fire or a dam or a new road is built or a housing development, whatever it is, we get a better handle of what the impact of our activities are on species.”
From a wildlife perspective, it’s exciting to see wildfire come back, says Ford.
“Maybe not this year but soon, it’s going to mean more animals. So I think if people could have patience for that … I know this conversation in a hunting community on whether they should or shouldn’t be hunted, my guess is, that’s going to have a trivial effect on the population. Typically we don’t see hunting, the way it’s managed, have huge impacts on wildlife populations.”
Other things like creating roads for salvage logging is where the conversation needs to shift too, he says.
“Honestly, I think we don’t have the tools right now to answer these questions. I can give you my opinion … This is a really really important opportunity for B.C. to understand the effects of fire because it sounds like, from the climate change people, that this problem isn’t going away.”
He says they put out a proposal to study the effects of fire in the Okanagan last year, which wasn’t funded, and will be doing so again this year.
“If we think of these really really large fires, I mean 200,000 hectares, it is an opportunity. It’s terrible to lose property and when people are evacuated, but if we just keep the conversation framed around wildlife, it’s going to be a good thing having fires back.
If we had been keeping up with our homework, we would have the answer to whether we should hunt or not hunt already, says Ford.
There are a number of restrictions in place for hunters in the Cariboo Fire Centre, including a campfire ban and the off-road vehicle prohibition that was implemented on Aug. 4.
According to the BC Wildfire Service, area restrictions apply to Crown land within the perimeter of the Gustafsen fire and within two kilometres immediately beyond and including the perimeter of the Canim Lake fire as well as the area including and surrounding the Elephant Hill fire (see map).
For the most recent fire ban related information, visit http://bc fireinfo.for.gov.bc.ca/.