Wildfire! Hunter-biologists on finding wild birds, conservation, its effects

Upland Nation · Aug 18, 2026 · 58m

There's little doubt your hunting season will be affected by the hundreds of wildfires that have devastated vast swaths of bird country. So how do we make the most of it, balancing ethics, conservation, and our own passion?

Mikal Cline is the Upland Game Bird Coordinator at Oregon's Dept. of Fish and Wildlife; Justin Small is Upland Game Staff Specialist at Nevada's Dept. of Wildlife. Two biologists who hunt, they've got a unique perspective on how fire impacts birds and their habitat.

We'll learn how birds react to fire, which ones will likely survive and which won't, what they do and where…