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Spatial Relationships And Behavior Of Bighorn Sheep Sharing A Winter Range With Mule Deer And Elk In Central Idaho Item Info

The effects of behavioral interactions on bighorn sheep by mule deer and elk were assessed on a shared winter range. Bighorn sheep, mule deer, and elk were observed on the Cliff creek study area in central Idaho. Behavior, locations, and proximity to the closest herd of another species were determined through scan sampling. Seasonal habitat use was similar among bighorn sheep, mule deer, and elk during winter and spring. Bighorn sheep and mule deer showed a positive association, especially in spring when both species fed together in grasslands. This tendency to be in close proximity to each other probably reflects the lack of competition between these species and may reflect an antipredator advantage of mixed species grouping. Bighorn sheep and elk herds were further from each other than bighorn sheep and mule deer, and were rarely observed in mixed groups. Elk used higher elevations than sheep. Elk and sheep generally had a neutral to negative association. The low use of the study area by elk and infrequent contact between sheep and elk prevented a thorough assessment of this relationship. The one situation in which sheep and elk were consistently observed in mixed groups was when coyotes were present on the study area. Interspecific relationships, both positive associations and competition, appear to explain behaviors and distribution of bighorn sheep, mule deer, and elk on the Cliff Creek study area, but other explanations could not be statistically eliminated. Recent changes in bighorn sheep and elk numbers now provide an opportunity to compare interspecific relationships at 2 population levels to evaluate changes in these ungulate relationships on the Cliff Creek study area.

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Title:
Spatial Relationships And Behavior Of Bighorn Sheep Sharing A Winter Range With Mule Deer And Elk In Central Idaho
Creator:
Akenson, Holly A.
Date Created:
December 1992
Description:
The effects of behavioral interactions on bighorn sheep by mule deer and elk were assessed on a shared winter range. Bighorn sheep, mule deer, and elk were observed on the Cliff creek study area in central Idaho. Behavior, locations, and proximity to the closest herd of another species were determined through scan sampling. Seasonal habitat use was similar among bighorn sheep, mule deer, and elk during winter and spring. Bighorn sheep and mule deer showed a positive association, especially in spring when both species fed together in grasslands. This tendency to be in close proximity to each other probably reflects the lack of competition between these species and may reflect an antipredator advantage of mixed species grouping. Bighorn sheep and elk herds were further from each other than bighorn sheep and mule deer, and were rarely observed in mixed groups. Elk used higher elevations than sheep. Elk and sheep generally had a neutral to negative association. The low use of the study area by elk and infrequent contact between sheep and elk prevented a thorough assessment of this relationship. The one situation in which sheep and elk were consistently observed in mixed groups was when coyotes were present on the study area. Interspecific relationships, both positive associations and competition, appear to explain behaviors and distribution of bighorn sheep, mule deer, and elk on the Cliff Creek study area, but other explanations could not be statistically eliminated. Recent changes in bighorn sheep and elk numbers now provide an opportunity to compare interspecific relationships at 2 population levels to evaluate changes in these ungulate relationships on the Cliff Creek study area.
Subjects:
bighorn sheep ecology habits mule deer elk cliff creek university of idaho research paper research paper
Source Identifier:
b2-BighornSheep-037
Type:
Text
Format:
application/pdf
Source
Preferred Citation:
"Spatial Relationships And Behavior Of Bighorn Sheep Sharing A Winter Range With Mule Deer And Elk In Central Idaho", Taylor Wilderness Research Station Archive, University of Idaho Library Digital Initiatives
Reference Link:
https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/taylor-archive/items/b2-bighornsheep-037.html
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Rights:
In Copyright. Educational Use only. Educational use includes non-commercial use of text and images in materials for teaching and research purposes. Digital reproduction permissions assigned by University of Idaho Library. For more information, please contact University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives Department at libspec@uidaho.edu.
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