Ragotzkie and Bailey examined the habitat use of mule deer in cattle grazed and ungrazed pastures by radio collaring 19 deer over a two year period. They found that mule deer spent most of their time (65%) in the ungrazed pastures compared to the cattle grazed areas. The authors could not find conclusive evidence on mule deer site preference because of the avoidance of cattle or because of a larger abundance of forage in an ungrazed area. Ragotzkie and Bailey feel that at a moderate grazing intensity, cattle have little to no effect on mule deer habitat selection. The one inconsistency over the course of the study period is the unusually high amount of annual precipitation received, which may have affected the grazing behavior of both animals. The authors feel that if drought conditions were to occur, the interaction between cattle and mule deer would increase.
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