Suitability of Grazing Enclosures for Deer and Livestock Research on the Kerr Wildlife Management Area, Texas

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Abstract
An evaluation was made of the suitability of small rectangular 96-acre deer-proof enclosures for the study of deer response to heavy, moderate, and light continuous livestock grazing. Differences in plant composition and degree of availability in the enclosures from the growth in larger, operational-size pastures in Kerr County, Texas, are attributed to the constant grazing pressure in the enclosures[long dash]an extreme continuous-use system of grazing not normally practiced by private landowners in the area. The production of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virgini-anus) under all livestock grazing pressures is poor because the animals must constantly compete with livestock. Free-ranging deer, however, tend to avoid livestock, and to use those pastures being rested from them. Also, extreme continuous-use by livestock, even under light grazing pressure, quickly eliminates all preferred and some staple deer foods. Under these conditions deer cannot be forced to use the less palatable forbs and grasses as livestock do. Deer used particular sites in the enclosures for feeding and resting, and were more discriminating in their foraging habits than livestock. All of the acreage in each enclosure was used by livestock in feeding. Free-ranging deer seem to have a small home range that is definite in size and shape and that provides handy access to preferred feeding, resting, and cover sites. Apparently deer will show this preference even under penned conditions, and adopt a proportionally smaller home range. In the Edwards Plateau region of Texas, small continuous-use enclosures appear to be adequate to demonstrate livestock-range principles, but unless operationally modified, they are not suitable for measuring deer population dynamics as affected by livestock grazing pressures.

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