Manipulating Cattle and Deer Foraging Behaviors for the Consumption of Leafy Spurge and Canada Thistle

This study tested targeted grazing weeds with cattle and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Using forage manipulation techniques, we attempted to encourage cattle and white-tailed deer to graze weeds. Cattle were encouraged to target graze leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.). We established that cattle will attempt to consume leafy spurge from feed bunks but not from pasture. Two projects were developed to test targeted grazing of Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) by white-tailed deer. The first project was a behavior study using a rationed pelleted feed with Canada thistle. The second an attractant study involved testing two types of molasses (Molasses and Raffinate) sprayed onto Canada thistle. We found white-tailed deer will consume all diets of pelleted feed and will graze Canada thistle sprayed with either type of molasses. Molasses could be a viable attractant to target graze weeds. More research is needed to determine if these studies are sustainable.Camp Grafton and the North Dakota Army National Guar