The spring, summer, and fall diets of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), elk (Cervus elaphus), cattle (Bos taurus), and domestic sheep (Ovis aries) were analyzed in mountain brush and Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis) habitats. Pronghorn and deer diets consisted mainly of sagebrush and bitterbrush. Graminoids were the major component of elk, cattle, and sheep diets, with a small portion consisting of forbs and shrubs. Cattle diets, in both habitats, rarely consisted of sagebrush. In the summer and fall, bitterbrush is more important in deer diets than sagebrush. To enhance forage availability and selection, sagebrush, bitterbrush, and other shrubs should be managed and not eradicated. Pronghorn rely on sagebrush in the mountain brush habitat type, while bitterbrush and grasses are important for the other species. Management should work towards increasing a mosaic of plant species to benefit many wildlife species.
Citations and enhanced abstracts for journals articles and documents focused on rangeland ecology and management. RSIS is a collaboration between Montana State University, University of Idaho, and University of Wyoming.