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Cattle grazing behavior on a foothill elk winter range in southeastern Wyoming
Author
Hart, R. H.
Hepworth, K. W.
Smith, M. A.
Waggoner, J. W.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
1991-05-01
Body

Cattle at a light stocking rate of 0.17 to 0.18 AUM/ha over a 35-day grazing season in summer preferred to graze on lowland range sites, while elk in winter preferred upland range sites. We changed stocking rates on the same pastures to a moderate rate of 0.28 AUM/ha and a very light rate of 0.034 AUM/ha to determine the effects of stocking rate on cattle preference for range sites and possible habitat overlap between cattle and elk. At all stocking rates, cattle spent significantly more time grazing on loamy range sites and less time on other sites than would be expected on the basis of area occupied by the sites. When grazing pressure was increased from light to moderate, cattle grazing time on loamy sites increased. When grazing pressure was decreased from light to very light, cattle grazed only loamy and shallow sites to the complete exclusion of other sites. Cattle grazed farther from water as stocking rate increased and as the grazing season progressed. They also grazed on steeper slopes as stocking rate increased, and as the season progressed under the highest stocking rate. Even at the highest stocking rate studied, there was little habitat overlap between cattle and elk. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/4002955
Additional Information
Hart, R. H., Hepworth, K. W., Smith, M. A., & Waggoner, J. W. (1991). Cattle grazing behavior on a foothill elk winter range in southeastern Wyoming. Journal of Range Management, 44(3), 262-266.
ISSN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/644677
Journal Volume
44
Journal Number
3
Journal Pages
262-266
Collection
Rangeland Ecology & Management (REM)
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
animal competition
sloping land
foraging
highlands
lowlands
habitats
site factors
soil types
stocking rate
pastures
winter
Wyoming
grazing intensity
Cervus elaphus canadensis
grazing behavior
cattle