Justin Young, left, and his dad Lance hunted the Esperanza Fire burn in Zone D16 to tag this fine mule deer. Photo courtesy of Lance Young.

In the past few years, fires have raged over wide areas of the Angeles, Los Padres, San Bernardino and Cleveland national forests.

These fires are tragic when they damage private property and cause loss of life. Unfortunately, the media is fond of using phrases like "thousands of acres of national forest were destroyed . . . "

The problem is, that part isn't true.

Fire doesn't destroy forests, it regenerates them. Many of the plant species here have evolved to use fire as part of their life cycles.

While massive fires do burn with great intensity, much of what burns up is quickly replaced with green growth that begins to emerge from the ground almost the moment the smoke clears. The plants that return first are often those that actually improve the forage for game species.

But how should you tackle hunting in areas where most of the cover -- for deer and hunters alike -- has been removed?

Bowhunters in particular are at an apparent disadvantage when trying to get within bow range of a buck that's living in a moonscape of burnt, blackened soil with no cover. It's pretty hard to still-hunt when the land is almost barren. And it's very difficult to put a tree stand up where all the trees have burned and most have fallen. Those left standing are dangerous to approach, and you surely wouldn't want to climb into one!

Jerry Maytum is a veteran bowhunter who has taken a number of trophy bucks in Southern California's national forest lands, and is an expert at this very type of hunting.

"Actually, the burns have made the hunting better," said Maytum, who serves as the measuring chairman for the California Bowmen Hunters Big Game Record Book.

"In many parts of the national forests here, the brush was so thick that the mountain lions had it easy."

Burns mean more quality food for the deer. "In the next three to five years, some mammoth bucks will be taken in Southern California," said Maytum.

"What you want to do is find oaks in the bottom of canyons," he said. "Especially if there is water, which is often hard to find during the archery season."

Even the worst wind-whipped fire doesn't burn the landscape evenly. Pockets of unburned cover, especially in ravines and canyons, often escape the fire that blows over the top and moves on. After a recent burn, these small pockets of cover can be deer magnets both for bedding cover and for food. This is especially true of small, untouched stands of oaks.

"Scout these small habitat areas, looking for tracks," said Maytum.