Officials on the Ozark-St Francis National Forests are informing hunters that visiting prescribed burn areas on the forests might just help them find turkey this hunting season, which began on April 19.
Annually, thousands of acres of forestlands are treated with prescribed fire to restore and support fire-adapted ecosystems.
Most prescribed fires are conducted in the dormant season between October and April as part of a comprehensive plan to manage fuels and improve habitat at the landscape level for many species of wildlife, including wild turkey.
“The highest populations of wild turkeys can be usually found in areas where prescribed fire is conducted,” said Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests’ Fire Management Officer, Josh Graham. “Prescribed burning can improve hunting success by decreasing the litter layer and creating bare areas of soil where turkey can easily find insects and new plant growth. Quail and turkey favor food species and semi-open or open conditions that can be created and maintained by burning.”
Hunters can find the prescribed fire areas on both the Ouachita and the Ozark-St Francis National Forests using the maps located here: https://go.usa.gov/xHkJ2
