Subject: Grazing eastern Washington
Date: Feb 13 23:27:07 1996
From: Kelly McAllister - alleyes at tssnet1.tss.net


Cud enthusiasts:

Intense grazing by large herds of ungulates was not part of the
pre-settlement, post-glacial period in eastern Washington. However, grazing
ungulates were present throughout this period, including bison and antelope.
The existence of bison and antelope in this area is acknowledged by
Daubenmire (1970. Steppe Vegetation of Washington), who stated that numbers
of both declined during the "past several thousand years." Small numbers of
bison and antelope persisted to the time of white settlement (Buechner.
1953. Some Biotic changes in the state of Washington, particularly during
the century 1853-1953). Other native ungulates that grazed (and still do)
the shrub-steppe of the Columbia Basin include mule deer, elk, and bighorn
sheep. I don't have a pro or anti-cow point here but this is my
understanding of what has been documented.

Kelly McAllister
alleyes at tssnet1.tss.net


Mike Smith wrote:

>The Columbia Basin had been ungrazed by *any* ungulates for milennia until the
>arrival of horses in 1730 (Daubenmire 1970 - Steppe vegetation of
>Washington). Prior to that, the last ungulates were probably early forms
>of bison, antelope, and perhaps some mastodons prior to the last
>glaciation, about 12,000 years ago. Warming events caused the local
>extinction of these critters (I suppose if that hadn't done it, the sudden
>inundation of water probably would've!). The point is, from approximately
>12,000 years ago to 1730, there were no grazing ungulates in the Columbia
>Basin. Cows got here in 1834, sheep in 1860, and by 1900 severe
>overgrazing had denuded most of the shrub-steppe vegetation in the state.
>In fact, that period (around 1900) was probably the lowest point for range
>condition, having improved since then (see Daubenmire, or Franklin and
>Dyerness 1988 - Natural vegetation of Oregon and Washington).