Big Game Habitat Use and Diets on a Surface Mine in Northeastern Wyoming

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Seasonal habitat use and diets of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and pronghorns (Antilocapra americana) were studied on a coal surface mine in northeastern Wyoming. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) dominated mule deer diets from spring through fall, and fourwing saltbrush (Atriplex canescens) dominated in winter. Both plant species were well established on reclaimed land. Year-round, deer used reclaimed land more than unmined land. Pronghorn diets consisted of large proportions of native forbs in spring and summer; alfalfa in spring, summer, and fall; and sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) in fall and winter. The importance of native forages to pronghorns, as well as avoidance of reclaimed areas by fawns, resulted in greater year-round use of unmined land than of reclaimed land. Greatest dietary similarity between deer and pronghorns occurred in fall when diets of both species contained large quantities of alfalfa. Diet similarity was least in winter when deer consumed primarily saltbush and pronghorns consumed sagebrush. Improved establishment of native forbs and shrubs will reduce the potential for forage competition among native herbivores and livestock during times of low forage availability. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 50(1): 135-142 In the 10 years since large-scale surface mining activity peaked in the northern Great Plains, little data have been published on the uses of reclaimed land as grazing range and big game habitat. Mule deer, pronghorns, and livestock consume many plant species used to revegetate surface-mined land in the northern Great Plains and available forage, season, and topography influence range use patterns by these species (Bruns 1977, Amstrup 1978, Mackie et al. 1982). In some areas deer and pronghorns use mine spoils (Booth and Schuman 1981, McKell and Van Epps 1981), and livestock grazing of reclaimed land is common management (DePuit and Coenenburg 1979). Mule deer and pronghorns can compete with livestock for forage at certain times of the year, and grazing by domestic animals also can restructure the vegetation to the benefit of big game (Mackie 1978, Smith et al. 1979, Willms et al. 1979). Crockett Club, and the Natl. Wildl. Fed. We acknowledge the cooperation of the U.S. Fish and Wildl. Serv. Iowa Coop. Wildl. Res. Unit, R. B. Dahlgren, Leader, and thank D. G. Steward and D. W. Uresk for reviewing the manuscript. This is paper J-11617 of the Iowa Agric. and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Proj. 2401.