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Big Game and Early Seral Habitat

Big Game and Early Seral Habitat. Doug Cottam Herman Biederbeck Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Big Game. Bears, cougars, deer, elk. Cougars  deer, elk. Brief details on bears. Early Seral Forest Habitat. Different definition for wildlife? For deer and elk: Food

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Big Game and Early Seral Habitat

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  1. Big Game and Early Seral Habitat Doug Cottam Herman Biederbeck Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

  2. Big Game • Bears, cougars, deer, elk. • Cougars  deer, elk. • Brief details on bears.

  3. Early Seral Forest Habitat • Different definition for wildlife? • For deer and elk: • Food • Cover: weather and predators • Birth, grow antlers… • Microclimate and microhabitat • Quality vs. quantity • Early seral: post disturbance to closed canopy (little or no understory).

  4. Black Bears • The real reason why I’m being brief on bears! • Omnivorous, intelligent, eat anything. • Berry producing vegetation high on the list as they ripen. • Plant species diversity - increase bear use.

  5. Black-tailed Deer • Range CA to AK • Variety of habitats • Population density • Highest in early seral

  6. Black-tailed Deer • Deer rumen: less volume:body mass • Microbial digestion relatively short time • High quality diet requirement: • Digestible • Nutritious • Forage quickly • Seek cover to ruminate • Decreased winter metabolic rate • Must gain weight/body fat in growing season.

  7. Black-tailed Deer • Plant species diversity important. • Quality is important • Majority of food is browse. • Stems, leaves woody vegetation • Preference and use seasonal.

  8. Black-tailed Deer • Important foods: • Trailing blackberry • Vine maple • Huckleberry • Grasses (green) • Red Alder • Ocean spray • Madrone • Oak (acorns) • herbs

  9. Black-tailed Deer • Non-native plants • Native increasers • Non fire managed early seral

  10. Elk • Roosevelt elk Cascades west. • Variety of habitats • Population density • Highest in early seral • Significant differences with deer.

  11. Roosevelt Elk • Elk rumen: large volume:body mass • Microbial digestion breaks down more indigestible vegetation. • Consume 50% more than deer. • Forage quickly. • Seek cover to ruminate. • Decreased winter metabolic rate. • Must gain weight/body fat in growing season.

  12. Roosevelt Elk • More capable than deer on low quality diet. • Low quality – high quantity. • Compared to Rocky Mt elk: • Significantly lower calf production due to nutrition

  13. Roosevelt Elk • Grazers and browsers: • Consume grasses (including rank) – winter and spring • Grass legume mix • Browse all seasons • Diet varies seasonally • Cover can differ from deer.

  14. Roosevelt Elk • Cover: • Thermal issues both summer and winter. • Sexual segregation. • Antler development.

  15. Deer and Elk • Deer and elk are generalists. • Deer more specialized than elk. • Reach higher densities – early seral forest habitats. • Not entirely dependent upon early seral forests. • Use and importance is much more complicated.

  16. Big Game and Early Seral ForestsChallenges • Deer numbers in western OR in decline. • Habitat suspected • Elk numbers increasing, but misleading? • Only recently reintroduced. • Lack of scientific research in PNW. • Effects of modern forestry on wildlife • Future role of federal lands • Other early seral species?

  17. Questions?

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