Prescribed fire is a great way to set back plant succession and improve habitat on a hunting property. While many land managers once avoided fire due to safety concerns, improved techniques, training and information has brought controlled burning to the forefront of habitat improvement techniques.
Prescribed fire can be used safely and effectively in old fields, food plots, hardwood forests, pine forests, and mixed forests. It can be used in both the dormant season and the growing season. You can burn small and large “units” of habitat. It’s a versatile tool.
Over the years, we’ve published numerous articles regarding the safe use of prescribed fire and its role in habitat management. We have compiled those website articles on this page as a one-stop resource for those interested in potentially trying prescribed fire where they hunt.
Benefits of Prescribed Fire
Food Plots, Feed or Fire: The Real Costs Per Pound of Deer Forage – Learn the cost per pound of protein produced for deer. No surprise, prescribed fire is the cheapest!
Try Bow-Range Burning for Archery Attraction – This experiment showed that very small burn units burned at just the right time of year can greatly enhance hunting success around deer stands.
Burning Questions: Can Fire Reduce Tick Abundance? – Yes, it can, if other conditions are met. Learn how fire can prevent tick trouble.
Preparing for Your First Prescribed Fire
Get Ready to Use Prescribed Fire – This article is a good starting point with a look at planning, site preparation, firebreaks, developing a burn plan, ideal conditions, and more.
Fire Up Your Deer Hunting With a Prescribed Burn – Take look at some of the many benefits of fire, examine whether fire is the right tool for situation, and walk through the steps for preparation all the way through your first fire.
A Guide to the Most Important Weather Factors in Prescribed Fire – You should time your burning to coincide with the “just right” conditions that ensure safe, effective fire. This guide teaches you the desired weather conditions that help you control fire and smoke for safety.
Methods, Locations and Timing
4 Ways to Light a Prescribed Fire – From backing fires to flanking fires, how you light a prescribed fire relative to wind direction determines the intensity, speed and results of the fire.
The Best Fire Frequency for Deer Habitat – How often should you burn? This article looks at various considerations and benefits of different time-delays between fires.
Burn Outside the Box: Try Prescribed Fire at a New Time of Year – Traditionally, most landowners burn in the dormant season (winter) when weather conditions are most stable and predictable. But there are many advantages to burning in spring and summer as well.
How to Use Growing-Season Fire in Hardwoods for Better Deer Habitat – Yes, you can use prescribed fire in hardwoods without harming mature trees. This article looks at why you might want to.
5 Takeaways From My First Growing-Season Prescribed Fire – Following the advice of experts and new research encouraging diverse fire timing, Lindsay Thomas Jr. conducted his first growing-season burn. Read about the lessons he learned and the results.
Safety Concerns
Avoid Prescribed Fire Injuries With These Tips From a Physician and Woodland Firefighter – Don’t just plan for safe fire where forests and wildlife are concerned. Plan for your own health and safety as well. These tips from an expert will help.
Prescribed Fire Near Power Lines Could Zap Your Wallet – Do you have power lines running through the land you hunt? Be especially careful with fire around these areas.
Podcasts and Books
Podcast: Learning to Burn Safely and Effectively with Wildlife Biologist Shan Cammack
Book Review: Guidebook for Prescribed Burning in the Southern Region
Fire Needs Sunlight to Work Best
Prescribed fire can’t produce a burst of understory forage and cover without any sunlight reaching the ground to fuel plant growth. In shaded, mature forests, open the canopy at least 30% with forest stand improvement techniques before you burn. Learn more about forest stand improvement at this link.
NDA Videos Related to Prescribed Fire
While prescribed fire can be conducted safely and effectively, it should only be done so with the guidance of a trained professional. If you are interested in conducting a prescribed fire on your property, and you’re not sure where to start, contact your state wildlife and/or forestry agency for guidance. They may be able to provide training or assistance with your burn.