October 2021 - 34

An aerial view of the Mullen Creek fire that burned 176,000 acres in southeast Wyoming in 2020. (WGFD photo)
F
ire can be a devastating
and powerful force. Initial
observations and thoughts
of wildfires in our open spaces tend
to be about destruction.
Much of the West has been hit hard in recent
years by wildfires, including Wyoming. Last year
much of the 176,000-acre Mullen Fire burned
within the state's border in the southeast portion
of the state. Whether it is from a distance or up
close, it is difficult not to see the remnants the
fire left behind.
34 | October 2021
However, fire also can be a benefit to forests
and its inhabitants - albeit over time. Biologists
with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department
toured the Mullen Creek Fire burn area by aircraft
and on foot this summer to assess the impacts of
the wildfire on wildlife habitat, and they saw some
positive changes.
Patchwork of burns
Right away, biologists noted a natural mosaic
- or mixture - of burned and unburned areas
within the perimeter of the wildfire, and a variation
in burn intensity across the landscape. While
the areas that burned hotter will take longer to
recover, biologists are optimistic the fire produced
long-term benefits for mule deer, elk, moose and
bighorn sheep.
" We saw interesting fire behavior where one
hillside was 100 percent consumed, and then an
adjacent hillside was left unburned, " said Ryan

October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2021

October 2021 - 1
October 2021 - 2
October 2021 - 3
October 2021 - 4
October 2021 - 5
October 2021 - 6
October 2021 - 7
October 2021 - 8
October 2021 - 9
October 2021 - 10
October 2021 - 11
October 2021 - 12
October 2021 - 13
October 2021 - 14
October 2021 - 15
October 2021 - 16
October 2021 - 17
October 2021 - 18
October 2021 - 19
October 2021 - 20
October 2021 - 21
October 2021 - 22
October 2021 - 23
October 2021 - 24
October 2021 - 25
October 2021 - 26
October 2021 - 27
October 2021 - 28
October 2021 - 29
October 2021 - 30
October 2021 - 31
October 2021 - 32
October 2021 - 33
October 2021 - 34
October 2021 - 35
October 2021 - 36
October 2021 - 37
October 2021 - 38
October 2021 - 39
October 2021 - 40
October 2021 - 41
October 2021 - 42
October 2021 - 43
October 2021 - 44
October 2021 - 45
October 2021 - 46
October 2021 - 47
October 2021 - 48
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/wyoming-wildlife-may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2024-e-edition
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-iak-special-issue
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/dec-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/January2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/September2020
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com