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Manipulation of spatial grazing patterns of cattle in rangeland systems is essential for preventing resource degradation due to localized overgrazing. Practices such as fencing, water source development, and supplement placement have been used to manipulate distribution and prevent habitat degradation; however, these management actions can be cost prohibitive. Using genetic selection to breed cattle with desirable terrain use could be a more effective and less costly alternative. �Furthermore, cow body size has steadily increased over the 40 years due to selection for higher weaning and yearling weights. ��For selection programs to be successful, the relationships between traits should be understood. Our study was conducted at the Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center, near Las Cruces, New Mexico to investigate the relationship between cow body size and terrain use.� Fifteen Brangus cows (2 to 13 years of age) were tracked at 10-minute intervals in a 2635-ha pasture with rugged terrain for 12 weeks during the winter prior to calving. After fitting the statistical model for age, residual correlations were used to examine the relationship between cow weight, body condition score, linear measures of cow size, and terrain use metrics. Larger cows with bigger heart girths and heavier weights used areas farther horizontally from water than smaller cows and the associated residual correlations were 0.52 and 0.64, respectively. Cows with greater hip heights and heavier weights used areas farther vertically from water (residual correlations of 0.85 and 0.53, respectively). Although the number of cows in this study are limited, these preliminary results suggest that larger cows may be more willing to travel farther from water than smaller cows in extensive, rugged desert pastures during cool winter conditions.