Reducing ungulate pressure on post-burn areas in mosaic burns
The present invention, in one embodiment, is a method of reducing ungulate pressure on burned sub-areas within a mosaic burn area. The method comprises identifying an unburned sub-area within the mosaic burn area and providing at least one highly palatable, portable, self-limiting, animal feed supplement in the first unburned sub-area. The highly palatable, portable, self-limiting, animal feed supplement attracts the ungulates to the first unburned sub-area and increases the length of the ungulates' stay in the first unburned sub-area. The ungulates are attracted to the first unburned sub-area by the supplement in preference to the burned sub-area with new growth.
1. A method of reducing ungulate pressure on a burned sub-area within a mosaic burn area, the method comprising:
identifying a first unburned sub-area within the mosaic burn area; and
providing at least one highly palatable, portable, self-limiting, animal feed supplement in the first unburned sub-area to attract the ungulates to the first unburned sub-area and to increase a length of stay of the ungulates in the first unburned sub-area, the supplement causing the ungulates to be attracted to the first unburned sub-area in preference to the burned sub-area with new growth.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a highly-palatable, portable, self-limiting, animal feed supplement in a second unburned sub-area once the supplement in the first unburned sub-area is exhausted.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising relocating the animal feed supplement to a second unburned sub-area once the first unburned sub-area has been grazed to a predetermined level.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the predetermined level of grazing is lightly grazed.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein the predetermined level of grazing is moderately grazed.
6. The method of claim 3 wherein the predetermined level of grazing is heavily grazed.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the ungulates are selected from the group consisting of cattle, sheep, goats, lamas, horses, deer, elk, and bison.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the ungulates are cattle and the animal feed supplement is provided in the first unburned sub-area at a weekly rate of approximately 0.7 to approximately 10.5 pounds of supplement per animal unit.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the ungulates are cattle and the animal feed supplement is a liquid provided in the first unburned sub-area at a weekly rate of approximately 10.5 to approximately 35 pounds of supplement per animal unit.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the ungulates are cattle and the animal feed supplement is a liquid provided in the first unburned sub-area at a weekly rate of approximately 5.2 to approximately 17.5 pounds of dry matter supplement per animal unit.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the ungulates are cattle and the animal feed supplement is a block provided in the first unburned sub-area at a weekly rate of approximately 1.4 to approximately 31 pounds of dry matter supplement per animal unit.
12. A method of modifying the natural foraging patterns of ungulates within a mosaic burn area that includes burned and unburned sub-areas, the method comprising identifying a first unburned sub-area within a mosaic burn area; and supplying in said first unburned sub-area an ingestible adapted to be ingested by ungulates.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the ingestible attracts the ungulates to the first unburned sub-area.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein the ingestible increases the duration of presence of the ungulates in the first unburned sub-area.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein the ingestible is selected from the group consisting of water, livestock cake, beet pulp, grain, silage, hay, and straw.
16. The method of claim 12 wherein the ingestible is selected from the group consisting of chemically hardened blocks, protein blocks, pressed blocks, liquid feed supplements, and granular feed supplements.
17. The method of claim 12 wherein the ingestible is selected from the group consisting of mineral blocks, granular mineral supplements, salt blocks, and granular salt supplements.
18. The method of claim 12 wherein the ingestible is a highly palatable, portable, self-limiting, animal feed supplement.
19. The method of claim 12 further comprising supplying the ingestible in a second unburned sub-area once the ingestible in the first unburned sub-area is exhausted.
20. The method of claim 12 further comprising supplying the ingestible in a second unburned sub-area once the first unburned sub-area has been grazed to a predetermined level.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein the predetermined level of grazing is lightly grazed.
22. The method of claim 20 wherein the predetermined level of grazing is moderately grazed.
23. The method of claim 20 wherein the predetermined level of grazing is heavily grazed.
24. The method of claim 12 wherein the ungulates are selected from the group consisting of cattle, sheep, goats, lamas, horses, deer, elk, and bison.
25. A mosaic burn area adapted to reduce pressure by ungulates on a burned sub-area within the mosaic burn area, the mosaic burn area comprising:
an unburned sub-area within the mosaic burn area; and
a highly palatable, portable, self-limiting, animal feed supplement located in the unburned sub-area,
wherein the animal feed supplement is adapted to attract the ungulates to the unburned sub-area and to increase a length of stay of the ungulates in the unburned sub-area.
26. The mosaic burn area of claim 25 , further comprising an ungulate located within the unburned sub-area.
27. The mosaic burn area of claim 26 , wherein the ungulate is selected from the group consisting of cattle, sheep, goats, lamas, and horses.
28. The mosaic burn area of claim 26 , wherein the ungulate is selected from the group consisting of deer, elk, and bison.
29. The mosaic burn area of claim 26 , wherein the ungulate is a bovine.