It was discoverd many years ago
that one of the major food sources
for the Mule Deer and Pronghorn
Antelope populations in this area is
Antelope Bitterbrush. Much
research has been put into this
plant species. Many experiments
have been conducted to determine
the best way to plant and nuture
the species: from platning single
seeds, multiple seeds, seed beds,
seedling and started plants.
According to many experts on the
plant, the best success in getting
the plant to grow is accomplished
by mimicing nature.
It was found that when the seeds
fall off of the plants, mice and
squirrels gather the seeds up and
then bury the seeds in little caches
for future use. These caches
usually contain ten to twenty
seeds. Some of these caches are
forgotten or lost during the winter.
These forgotten "dinners"
eventually will sprout plants.
In my efforts to increase the
amount of browse food available
on the property, I am trying all of
the various techniques to produce
bitterbrush.
I am using the "mouse technique"
and planting eight to twelve seeds
in one spot. I am spreading forty to
fifity seeds in beds. I am growing
seedlings at home that will
eventually be transplanted on the
property. And, I am fertilizing and
trimming existing plants to see if I
can get them to be productive
again.
In addition to the plant being hard
to grow, it must also be fenced off
because if it does grow, many of
the local wildlife will eat it before it
can mature.

An example of a healthy Antelope
Bitterbrush plant

It is a little difficult to tell in these
photos but these are examples of
some of the plants being impacted
by the Juniper trees. These photos
were all taken in areas where the
Junipers had been thick and now
are gone.
The vegetation has very few
leaves and does not look very
healthy.
Hopefully, we will get a wet winter
and the combination of moisture
and sunshine will bring many of the
plants back to vitality.
In order to help nature accomplish
this, over the next couple of years,
I plan on using saws and shears to
remove dead branches from a lot
of these plants. We will then
fertizlize the area around them and
see if we can speed the process
up some.

Wintertime
Bitterbrush plants

Last January, I made a trip up to the property for a meeting with the US Fish & Wildlife Service. While I
was there, I tried planting some bitterbrush seeds. Twelve seeds into a 1 1/2" hole.

Bitterbrush seed is $45.00/lbs

Labor: It takes about 1 hour per
seed planting because of the prep
work and the fencing required.
Treating existing plants will be
extensive hours of labor.

Covered in yard cloth to keep the spring weeds for competing with the bitterbrush.

Staked and fenced to keep the cows and critters from eating the seedling when it comes up.

And like everything else I do up here, it was supervised by my ever-present helpers.

And then I did some planting this spring after the snow was gone.

So far, the winter plantings are doing better than the spring plantings. This fall, planting will be the priority
task on every visit. Planting bitterbrush in areas where there is already some growing and planting thousands
of pounds of grass and wildflower seeds in the areas where the Junipers have been removed.

Antelope Bitterbrush (Purshia Tridentata)