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Food Selection and Location
Humans – love variety
Animals - Food preferences do exist But… survival prevails
In the wild – balance is key
Riparian areas
Provide important corridors for movement Lakes Bogs Streams Marshes
Human use can impeded wildlife travel for food sources
Safety
Safety Trade-off between food
and safety
“Edge” Transition between
ecological areas Provides food and safety
Competition
Limited food – leads to competition
Competition – affected by season Spring/summer Fall/winter
Browsers Grazers Intermediate Feeders
Mule Deer and Cattle
Competition – typically not serious Cattle stocking rates – don’t have a great
influence on mule deer Summer months – mule deer prefer forage not
previously grazed by cattle
Mule Deer & Sheep
Antelope Bitterbrush Sheep – ate throughout summer Mule Deer – ate mid- to late-summer
Competition existed
Elk and Cattle
Summer Substantial overlap in diet Differences in elevation preferences
Spring/Fall Habitat and diet overlap Differences in timing of use
Elk and Sheep
Diets are similar, but the actual graminoids and shrubs differ
Winter months Largest potential for overlap
Bighorn Sheep & Cattle
Both consume graminoids But differ in preferences Bighorn sheep – rugged terrain, higher elevation;
decreases competition
Geographic differences Montana B.C. Colorado
Pronghorn Antelope & Cattle
Competition dependent upon Habitat selection Season Drought Forage Availability