RESPONSES OF MULE DEER AND ELK TO INTENSIVE TIMBER HARVEST AND
ASSOCIATED CHANGES IN HABITAT
Martin Vavra
Team Leader, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande OR, 97850 Phone (541-962-6561) Fax (541-962-6504), email mvavra@fs.fed.us
,
John G. Cook
Project Leader, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement
1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850 Phone (541-962-6536) Fax (541-962-6504), email cookjg@eou.edu
,
Alan A. Ager
Operations Research Analyst, USDA Forest Service Umatilla National Forest
2517 Hailey Ave., Pendleton, OR 97850 phone, (541-278-3740) fax (541-278-37370), email aager@fs.fed.us
,
Michael J. Wisdom
Research Wildlife Biologist, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850 Phone (541-962-6532) Fax (541-962-6504), email mwisdom@fs.fed.us
, and
Bruce K. Johnson
Project Leader, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
1401 Gekeler Lane, La Grande, OR 97850, phone (541-962-6556) fax (541-962-6504), email johnsobd@eou.edu
Forested habitats for mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ) and elk ( Cervus elaphus ) in western
North America have changed substantially in response to intensive timber harvest during the latter half of the 20 th
century. Few studies, however, have definitively researched the effects of intensive timber management on deer and elk habitats and populations in an experimental manner. Despite this shortcoming, much has been learned about the short- and long-term effects of timber management in relation to deer and elk requirements. In this paper, we summarize this knowledge, with emphasis on results from an experimental study of intensive timber harvest conducted as part of The Starkey Project.