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ADF&G is asking hunters to avoid active wildfire perimeters

Hunting / Source: Pixabay via MGN
By Gilbert Cordova | Posted: Thu 6:46 AM, Aug 22, 2019

ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - Alaska Department of Fish and Game is asking hunters to avoid active wildfire perimeters.

Wildfire troopers say areas of concern are popular game management units along the highway system between Homer and Talkeetna where several wildfires are currently burning as moose hunting seasons open.

“With general-hunt moose seasons opening Sunday in Game Management Unit 14A, fire crews working the Deshka Landing Wildfire have expressed concerns about having 200 firefighters in the Willow Swamp area with hunters nearby potentially shooting in their direction,” said Alaska Wildlife Troopers Captain Rex Leath.

Officials add anywhere around the perimeters of:

the Deshka Landing Wildfire
the McKinley Wildfire, currently burning between Willow and Talkeetna
the Swan Lake Wildfire, being fought on the Kenai Peninsula around Cooper Landing
and the North Fork and Caribou Lake wildfires north of Homer
are all areas where there are safety concerns for firefighting crews being caught downrange of hunters seeking moose and other big game.

As for hunters, there are logistical challenges like road closures due to fire activity, poor visibility or air quality from smoke, and getting caught in the paths of rapidly moving fires.

“There’s a large chunk of the hunting public, for example, that uses Deshka Landing as the main access point for hunting in (GMU) 16B,” said Eddie Grasser, director of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Wildlife Conservation. “Hunters need to be aware that trucks and trailers left near fire perimeters could impede firefighting activity or even become vulnerable to fire.”

Even while hunting well away from active wildfires this hunting season, hunters are asked to take extra precautions to see that new fires aren’t ignited.

Makes sense.

Oh, crap. Here I was planning on just that - having herds of moose run over me as they were fleeing the fire. Like in Bambi.

I have no inclination to be anywhere near a wildfire perimeter.

I would be way more afraid of a fire than being shot.

And this is a game dept press release!
Tells you what they think of hunters.

I like fire- in a fire ecology.

People are more unpredictable. Go heeled.