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MANAGING RIPARIAN HABITAT FOR BULL TROUT USING STOCKMANSHIP.
Author
Cote, Steve
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2016
Body

In Central Idaho, there are mountainous grazing allotments with canyons and narrow creeks that are Bull Trout habitat. Bull Trout are a threatened species and, at least in areas like the Little Lost River drainage, affected by a number of difficult to address resource issues like dewatering, predation and in-stream barriers. One element that can be readily addressed however is improved streambank cover and habitat complexity (and sediment and temperature to some extent). Stubble height and other standards on riparian areas have been increased in an attempt to enhance this element but it has proven nearly impossible for ranchers to meet these with traditional riding and management. Experience has shown that remarkable positive apparent trends can occur however when collaborative efforts produce a good range resource plan and Bud Williams stockmanship is employed. Time after time, precise control over the time that riparian soils and vegetation are exposed to cattle has resulted in improved soil conditions and bio-diversity. A video has been produced showing association riders that have obtained this control over the results of grazing, getting one herd to stay where they put them and eliminating riparian loafing behavior. There are some key riparian soils and plant factors to consider that are discussed also. The future challenge, in my view, is not proving whether this tool has the potential to help improve range resources significantly, but how to get riders and ranchers to adopt it completely and sustain its use. Good stockmanship is not hard to do and produces profound changes in livestock behavior but requires fundamental changes in ranchers (riders) beliefs about handling cattle. Widespread use of stockmanship depends on facilitating changes in this belief and the training of more teachers and riders.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Corpus Christi, TX
Collection
SRM Annual Meeting Abstracts