Habitat Use of Feral Horses and Cattle in Wyoming’s Red Desert

Abstract

Habitat selection by feral horses (Equus caballus) and cattle (Bos taurus) was studied with a series of 16 flights, between November 1977 and April 1979, during which the locations of cattle and feral horses were mapped. The C7 coefficient of association and percent occurrence in different vegetation types and near water sources and ridges were used to compare and describe the habitat use patterns. Cattle and feral horses showed seasonal patterns relative to vegetation types and distance from water sources, and horses showed a seasonal use pattern in regard to areas near ridges. Possibilities for direct competition between cattle and feral horses in the Red Desert were strongest for forage during the fall and in severe winters, and for water during the summer.