Black Sagebrush: Mule Deer Winter Preference and Monoterpenoid Content

Abstract
Wintering mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) preference was determined for 7 accessions of black sagebrush (Artemisia nova) grown on a common garden. Preference as expressed as percentage of current annual growth eaten varied from 0.0 to 82.7%. An accession called Pine Valley Ridge was significantly preferred by the deer over the other 6 accessions. We also attempted to relate monoterpenoid content to preference. We found no significant relationship between the two.