Deer, Brush Control, and Livestock on the Texas Rolling Plains

Abstract

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were observed by spotlight in the Rolling Plains of Texas to determine deer use of habitats and how deer were influenced by brush control practices and grazing by livestock. Deer densities were greatest in the bottomland habitat. The sand shinnery oak habitat, the mesquite-juniper redland habitat, and the sandyland ecotone habitat supported moderate densities of deer. Influence of deer use from brush control practices varied in each habitat. Chaining bottomland habitat was detrimental to deer: the larger the area chained, the lower density of deer it contained. Herbicides had little detrimental effect and in some situations may have been beneficial. Grazing by sheep was negatively related to deer densities except in the bottomland habitat. In mesquite-juniper redlands and mimosa-erioneuron uplands, replacing sheep with cattle should increase deer populations.