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• As these tables and figures indicate, mule deer concentrate on the western <br />• <br />portion of the mine plan area and the area just west of the mine plan area <br />during the winter months. As snow depth increases, deer are forced further <br />west onto the Iles Mountain area or the south facing slopes of the Williams <br />Fork Mountains south of the mine plan area. Snow depth is a major influence on <br />mule deer activity. Loveless (1967) found that snow depths of 10 to 12 inches <br />seemed to impede movements of mule deer and that depths of 20 to 24 inches <br />essentially preclude the animals' use of an area. Gilbert et al. (1970) found <br />that snow deeper than 18 inches essentially precluded mule deer use. Snow <br />course data for the proposed Trapper Mine mine plan area, Table 2.4-4, reveals <br />that snow is generally at least deep enough to impede deer movements and is <br />often deep enough to preclude deer use of much of the proposed mine plan <br />area. Map M19 illustrates approximate snow course locations. <br />2-150 <br />