Management practices and options to provide habitat for wildlife in the Great Basin of southeastern Oregon deal with both vegetation treatment and protection, livestock management, maintenance or distribution of water developments, protection of wildlife areas through road closures or fencing, and direct manipulation of wildlife through hunting, trapping, or other...
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations in south-central Oregon are near their lowest levels since census efforts began in 1961. I investigated fawn survival, cause-specific mortality, and factors contributing to mortality from 2010 – 2012 to identify potential causes for the decline. I also explored pre-parturition and parturition site characteristics.
I...
I studied sexual segregation in mule deer (Odocoileus
hemionus) and white-tailed deer (Q. virginianus) in
different environments and at different population
densities to test the hypothesis that sexual segregation
occurs in ungulates as the result of different
reproductive strategies; females select habitat and behave
in manners primarily designed to promote...
An important segment of outdoor recreational activity in
eastern Oregon is based on the harvest of deer. The deer population
can be altered in two ways. Rangeland, which provides feed and
cover for deer, can be improved through public or private investments
or hunting regulations can be changed. This study...
The specific objectives of the study were to determine the
sociological and economic considerations of the private landowners
and managers in Grant County, Oregon regarding their tolerances
of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)and deer hunters on their properties,
determine the attitudes of hunters who hunted deer in Grant
County in 1973...
A wildfire burned over 40,000 ha of conifer and mixed conifer-hardwood forest in
the Silver Creek drainage of southwestern Oregon in the fall of 1987 allowing me to
assess big game use of a large natural burn. I used fecal pellet group counts to estimate
habitat use and effects of...
In contrast with other Odocoileus species, Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) population dynamics are not well understood throughout the species’ range. Concerns over apparent long-term population declines have prompted efforts to fill basic knowledge gaps including estimates of vital rates (fecundity, recruitment and survival) and cause-specific mortality. The Oregon...
Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus, CWTD) are a geographically isolated and federally endangered sub-species for which there is a paucity of recent ecological information. I described and examined sources of variation in spatial use patterns (i.e. home range, areas of concentrated use, and movements), habitat associations, and survival for...
Intensive forest management (IFM, dense conifer plantings and herbicide applications) may alter the characteristics of early seral plant communities that function as major habitat resources for a host of wildlife species, including cervid herbivores such as Cervus elaphus and Odocoileus hemionus. Such large herbivores can also substantially affect plant community...
The potential for Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus)
to host exotic chewing lice (Damalinia (Cervicola) sp.) believed to cause deer hair
loss syndrome in Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus),
was investigated in captive deer held in pens at E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area, Corvallis,
Oregon from March 2004...
It is critical for wildlife managers to understand the population dynamics of a harvested species, particularly for ungulates, which are a valuable wildlife resource. Due to concerns that mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations in Oregon were declining, more comprehensive data on population vital rates and the factors potentially affecting them...
I examined ecological relationships and mechanisms of coexistence for sympatric populations of Columbian white-tailed (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus) and black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) in Douglas County, Oregon, from September 1997 to August 1998. Horseback transects were used to describe spatial distributions, population overlap, and habitat use for both species. Behavioral...
Recent emphasis on range improvement of sagebrush-bunch-grass
types in Oregon has underscored the need for better understanding
of their importance to deer winter range management. The
objectives of this study were to evaluate the impact of various sagebrush
control practices on the composition, production, and utilization
of deer forage plants...
Little is known about Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) because of their elusive nature and the logistical difficulty of studying them in densely forested and mountainous terrain. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has identified fawn survival as an important gap in the current knowledge of demography and...
As part of a hierarchical approach to classifying watersheds and stream habitats based on geomorphic and geologic criteria, we defined ten classes of fluvial and lacustrine habitats at the scale of valley segments. Valley segments are landscape units which encompass surface waters and the adjacent floodplains and hillslopes with which...
I studied nest-site characteristics and habitat relationships for three species ofprimary cavity-nesting birds--hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus), northern flicker (Colaptes auratus), and red-breasted sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber)-- over spatially heterogeneous landscapes in managed forests of the Southern Oregon Cascades during 1995 and 1996. The study was conducted on the Diamond Lake Ranger...
Upper Cow Lake located in Malheur County, Oregon has a surface area of 975 acres and a volume of 7,150 acre-feet of water. Chemical treatment of the lake was completed September 11, 1963 to remove an abundant population of coarsescale suckers, bridgelip suckers, squawfish, black bullhead, shiners and dace.
Approximately...
Miller Lake was chemically treated with toxaphene on September 16, 1958 to destroy a population of parasitic lamprey (E.tridentatus) and Tui Chub (Siphatelep bicolor). Toxaphene was applied at the rate of 0.04 ppm. No lamprey or fish have been collected in the lake since the chemical treatment. Work since 1959...
Upper Cow Lake located in Malheur County, Oregon, Township 28 South, Range 44 East, Section 29, was chemically treated with 2,325 gallons of liquid synergized rotenone (Pro-noxfish) on September 11, 1963 to remove an abundant population of rough fish. The lake has a maximum surface area of 975 acres and...
Big Lava Lake in Deschutes County, Oregon, was chemically treated September 19, 1963, to eliminate a population of roach and white fish. An estimated kill in excess of 400,000 fish resulted from the application of 4,620 gallons of liquid rotenone (Pro-Noxfish) at a toxicity of 2.0 ppm. Live -boxed brook...
Unity Reservoir in Baker County, Oregon, was chemically treated with liquid rotenone on October 17, 1962. Approximately 136 miles of streams and diversion ditches and seven small ponds, tributary to the reservoir, were treated with liquid rotenone prior to work on the reservoir. The reservoir at time of treatment contained...
Malheur Reservoir located in Malheur County, Oregon, was chemically treated with liquid rotenone on October 11, 1962 to eliminate an abundant population of black crappie and a smaller population of fine scale suckers and redside shiners.
Tests for toxicity indicated the reservoir had detoxified prior to December 1, 1962.
A...
Malheur Reservoir in Malheur County, Oregon, was chemically treated on October 11, 1962, to eliminate an abundant population of black crappie and a smaller population of finescale suckers and redsided shiners. A total of 1,100 gallons of liquid synergized rotenone (Pro-Noxfish) was used to establish a toxicity of 1.5 p.p.m....
The objectives of this study were to determine the
location and extent of populations of pygmy rabbits in Oregon,
and to describe several biotic and physical components within
communities that include pygmy rabbits. Interpretation of
aerial photographs, and information obtained from soil maps
and interviews with biologists and area residents,...
Home range and habitat use by pileated woodpeckers
(Dryocopus pileatus) were studied in the Coast Ranges of western
Oregon. Radio-telemetry was used to determine home ranges of 11
woodpeckers and habitat use of 14 woodpeckers after young had
fledged during summers from 1982 to 1985. Home range size for
individual...
Wildlife is an integral part of woodlands. Where there are forests,
meadows, and streams, there is wildlife. Wildlife means many
things to people, but for purposes of our discussion we’ll divide
it into three basic categories. The most common category is game—birds
and mammals that one hunts for recreation, fur,...
I investigated habitat use and home range size of northern goshawks in the southern Cascades, in the Shasta- Trinity and Klamath National Forests of northern California. My objectives were to 1) estimate the average home range and 2) describe the use of habitats within home ranges by breeding goshawks. Ten...
One of the goals of ecosystem management is to integrate management of many species and processes across a range of temporal and spatial scales. I investigated the relationship between small mammals and amphibians at 3 spatial scales. My objective
was to identify, habitat associations of forest floor vertebrates at the...
Forest floor vertebrate species presence and abundance may be influenced by the volume and cover of coarse woody debris (CWD) in managed forests. I studied macro- and microhabitat associations of vertebrate species in 18 closed-canopy stands ranging in CWD volume from 14 to 859 m3/ha. Pitfall traps were used to...
Published May 1947. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
The study of reptiles and amphibians is called herpetology. The word “herps” comes from the same root word. Herps in your landscape are fun to watch, interesting to learn about, and a benefit to your local ecology. You can attract them by adapting your yard to their habitat needs.
Relations between the diversity of juvenile anadromous salmonids and pool features
were examined in a managed and a pristine watershed in Oregon during the summer of
1990. There were no differences (p>0.05) in pool depth, velocity or pool wood volumes
between streams. However, the pristine system had twice the number...
Fish passing Winchester Dam view-window counting station on the North Umpqua River were enumerated. Figure 1 is a map of the Umpqua basin and denotes the counting station. The counts for summer steelhead, fall chinook, and sea-run cutthroat increased while those for winter steelhead, spring chinook, and coho decreased. By...
A segment of the Crooked River, Crook County, Oregon, was chemically treated along with sections of Ochoco Creek, McKay Creek, and Dry River from August 13 to November 5, 1963.' A total of 860 gallons of liquid synergized rotenone (Pro-Noxfish) was used to obtain toxicities up to 2.0 ppm in...
Structure-forming invertebrates belong to a polyphyletic group of primarily sessile and sedentary megafauna that can significantly enhance the complexity of physical habitats. A number of these organisms, including cold-water corals and sponges, are known to be slow growing and vulnerable to physical disturbance. In addition, as filter feeders, these invertebrates...
Although many people enjoy deer, these animals can be destructive to gardens, orchards, and landscaped areas. Deer damage to ornamental plants is associated with a variety of factors including increasing numbers of deer, human population shifts to rural and suburban areas, and landowners prohibiting deer hunting.
Few studies have examined both long-term and fine-scale spatial variations in
water quality of small streams in the Pacific Northwest. As such, a case study was
conducted to determine if current physical and chemical properties of water in three
streams located in the Oregon Coast Range differed from historically measured...
In spite of the progressive restrictions of the commercial river fishery during the past fifty years, the trend of the salmon populations of the coastal rivers has been downward. It is almost impossible to isolate and analyze separately the causes of this decline, and any attempt to saddle one factor...