The Abundance, Migration and Management of Mule Deer in Dinosaur National Monument

139 Pages·2016·6.18 MB·English

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All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies
5-1968
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Robert W. Franzen
Utah State University
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Monument" (1968). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1685.
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THE ABUNDANCE, MIGRATION AND MANAGEMENT OF MULE DEER IN
DINOSAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT
by
Robert W. Franzen
A thesi.s submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
in
Wildlife Biology
Approve.d~
{\failA' Professor
"'ead of Deoartment
Dean ~ Graduate Studies
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
Logan, Utah
1968
ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to express my sincere app-reciation to Dr. Jessop B• . Low,
Leader, Utah Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, for his guidance,
encouragement, and constructive criticism throughout the study period.
I am grateful to the National Park Service for providing housing
and many items necessary during the study. The invaluable cooperation
received from the Monument staff will long be remembered. The assistance
given by ranger Larry Hanneman is particularly appreciated.
I also would like to thank Dr. Jim B. Grumbles for his interest
and suggestions concerning the vegetation analysis methods used.
The assistance and cooperation of the member agencies of the
Dinosaur National Monument Cooperative Deer Study Committee proved very
helpful while I was obtaining and evaluating the field data. These
agencies provided necessary materials and respective agency personnel
donated many hours to various phases of the study.
This study could not have been initiated or carried out without
the financial support of the National Park Service and the equipment
of the Utah Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit.
Lastly, but not least, I would like to thank Dr. Juan Spil1ett
for the many hours he has spent in editing this manuscript.
Robert W. Franzen
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION 1
Objectives 2
".
REVIEW OF LITERATURE 3
Migration studies • 3
Predation .. 4
Censuses 4
Diseases and Parasites 5
Food habits 5
Winter mortality ",
Herd composition and fecundity 8
THE STUDY AREA 10
I>
History of the Monument 10
Fauna .. . 11
Flora ., 13
Climate 14
HISTORY OF THE MONUMENT DEER HERD 16
Winter ranges • 16
Past and present numbers 19
Winter mortality 22
Deer-bighorn sheep relationships 22
HISTORY OF LIVESTOCK GRAZING 24
METHODS AND PROCEDURES • 28
Pellet group transects 28
Vegetative utilization methods 29
Exclosures 31
Vegetative composition and density 32
Trapping and tagging 33
Tagged deer observations 34
Deer checking stations 35
Deer herd composition and density • 35
TRAPPING PROBLEMS 37
Trampled fawns 37
Broken necks 37
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Page
Installation and checking of traps 37
Recaptur.es 38
Livestock - . 38
G
SEASONAL MOVEMENTS 40
Yampa Bench herd 40
G
Island Park herd 46
&
Harpers Corner herd 51
Split Mountain her~ 56
DEER DENSITIES ON WINTER RANGES 59
WINTER RANGE CARRYING CAPACITY 61
Yampa Bench 61
Island Park 69
Harpe,r sCorner 69
Split Mountain 77
Deerlodge 80
MORTALITY FACTORS 83
&
Legal hunting 83
Accidents 83
Predation 86
Starvation 87
Diseases and Parasites 90
, Illegal hunting 91
HERD COMPOSITION 92
RECOMMENDATIONS 94
SUMMARY 97
LITERATURE CITED 101
APPENDIX 107
VITA 128
v
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
19 Climatological data from the weather stations in Dinosaur
National Monument 15
20 Past winter deer counts made on Dinosaur National Monument
1947 to 19670 21
30 Deer days' use per acre on Yampa Bench pellet group transects
during 1966 and 19670 Dinosaur National Monument 41
4. Deer counts made at various times of the year across the
Yampa Bench, 1.964=19670 Dinosaur National Monument 0 42
5" Dee.r dayso use per acre on Island Park pellet group trans.ec ts
during 1966 and 19670 Dinosaur National Monument 47
6. Deer counts made at various times of the year via vehicle in
the Isl.and Park area, 1962-1967. Dinosaur National Monument- 48
7. Deer days9use per acre on Harpers Corner pellet group
transects during 1966 and 19670 Dinosaur National Monument 53
8.. Deer counts made at various times of the year via vehicle on
the Harpers Corner area, 1963-1967, Dinosaur National
Monument 54
9~ Deer days'use per acre on Split Mountain pellet group
transects during 1966 and 19670 Dinosaur National Monument 58
100 Deer counts made at various times of the year via vehicle on
the Split Mountain area, 1965=1.967. Dinosaur National
Monument 58
110 Estimates of deer populations on winter ranges within
Dinosaur National Monument, 1966 and 1967 60
120 Carrying capacity for cattle, sheep and deer on the west
end of the Yampa Bench, Dinosaur National Monument, 19670 63
13. Carrying capacity for cattle and deer on the east end of
the Yampa Bench, Dinosaur National Monument, 1967 67
l4Q Carrying capacity for cattle and deer on the Island Park
winter range, Dinosaur National Monument, 1967 70
vi
LIST OF TABLES (Continued)
Table Page
15. Carrying capacity for cattle and deer on the Harpers
Corner range, Dinosaur National Monument, 1967 73
16. Carrying capacity for cattle and deer on the Split
Mountain range, Dinosaur National Monument, 19670 78
17. Carrying capacity for cattle and deer on the Deer10dge
Park range, Dinosaur National Monument, 81
1967~
18. Deer kill for hunting units adjoining Dinosaur National
Monument, 1950 to 1967
19. Analysis of 40 bobcat feces collected on the west end of
the Yampa Bench during the winter of 1967, Dinosaur
National Monument 88
20 Sex and age ratios of deer observed on the Blue Mountain
0
summer range south of Dinosaur National Monument, 1966
and 1967 93
Appendix Forms and Tables
Form 1. The "Cole" estimation method field form for determining
utilization used at Dinosaur National Monument i,n 1967 108
Form 2& Tagged deer observation recording form used in the
vicinity of Dinosaur National Monument 109
Table
1. Past sightings and the present status of large mammals that
inhabited Dinosaur National Monument from 1825 to 1925 110
2. A summary of actual grazing use at Dinosaur National
Monument from 1943 to 1966 111
3. Sightings of red streamered deer tagged on Yampa Bench
during the winter of 1966 112
4. Sightings of blue streamered deer tagged in Island Park
during the winter of 1967 115
5" Sightings of white streamered deer tagged on Harpers
Corner during the winter of 1966 119
vii
LIST OF TABLES (Continued)
Table Page
6. Sightings of red streamered deer tagged on the Split
Mountain range during the winter of 1965 121
7. Interpretation of the symbols used in the vegetative
composition and density tables 122
8. Utilization of browse species on winter range areas
within Dinosaur National Monument, as determined by
actual measurement, 1966 and 1967 123
9. The "Cole" assessment of range condition and utilization
at the pellet group transects on Dinosaur National
Monument, April 7-12, 1967 124
10. Type of deer hunting seasons held on Colorado deer herd
units 1, 2, and 10 from 1950 to 1967 126
11. Type of-deer hunting seasons held on Utah deer herd
unit 26 (Ashley-Vernal) from 1950 to 1967 127
viii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1. Location of deer winter within Dinosaur National
r~nges
Monument 17
2. Deer migration from the Yampa Bench, 1966 and 1967 44
3. The summer distribution of the Island Park winter deer
herd, 1967 50
4. Typical juniper high-lined by deer and sheep on the west
end of the Yampa Bench (Warm Springs Overlook, Sept. 9,
1967) 66
5. Mountain mahogany from the east end of the Yampa Bench
demonstrating heavy past hedging but recent good leader
growth (Thanksgiving Gorge area, Oct. 25, 1966) • 66
6. Severely hedged bitterbrush on Harpers Corner. These
plants were within 100 feet of the protected plants (Oct.
26, 1966). 75
7. Bitterbrush after one year of protection on Harpers
Corner (Oct. 26, 1966) 75
8. Severely hedged mountain mahogany on Harpers Corner.
This plant was within 100 feet of the protected plant 76
9. Mountain mahogany after one year of protection on Harpers
Corner (Oct. 20, 1966) . 76
10. The deer hunting units that adjoin Dinosaur National
Monumen't 84
ix
ABSTRACT
The Abundance, Migration and Management of Mule Deer in
Dinosaur National Monument
by
Robert W. Franzen, Master of Science
Utah State University, 1968
Major Professor: Dr. Jessop B. Low
Department: Wildlife Resources
Dinosaur National Monument, in northwestern Colorado and northeastern
Utah, is comprised of 206,409 acres and contains several deer winter
ranges. A need for deer studies developed because of winter deer mortality
and deteriorating range conditions'on some parts of the Monument.
Approximately 500 deer winter on the Yampa Bench and approximately
300 deer winter on the Island Park winter range. These are the two main
winter ranges within the Monument.
Deer on the Yampa Bench migrated an average of air miles to the
7~3
south and summered on the Blue Mountain Plateau during the summer of 1966
8
This Plateau is owned by the Bureau of Land Management and private indi-
viduals. Deer from the Island Park winter range migrated an average of
22.6 air miles to the northwest in 1967, onto the Diamond Mountain Plateau
and the Ashley National Forest. Deer tagged on the Split Mountain winter
range were found to travel to the south and west. These deer summered
mainly upon private lands.
Deer remain on Harpers Corner approximately 10 months of the year
until deep snows force them to lower elevations on Yampa Bench in early