Mule Deer and Elk Food Habits on the National Bison Range
Morris MS and Schwartz JE. 1957. Mule Deer and Elk Food Habits on the National Bison Range. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 21(2):189-193
The relative food habits of mule deer and elk were studied on a game range that consists mainly of grassland and forest with a grass understory. Weather records indicated a fairly normal period for the study except for an unusually dry fall in 1952 which limited fall growth of grasses and forbs. Snow and the low winter temperatures were important factors in conditioning the availability and use of forage in the winter. Grasses were the principal forage material in the yearlong diet of the elk. Mule deer made unexpected use of grass as indicated by the November and December 1951 samples. The degree of use of grass in the spring was as anticipated. Forbs were preponderant in the samples from May to November 1952. Douglas-fir was the principal constituent in the January 1 samples. The study extended from November 1951 to mid-November 1952.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Morris, Melvin; Schwartz, John
- Units
- GLAC
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, elk (Cervus canadensis), Food Habits, Forage, Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), Pauline pasture, Vegetation