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• Cover is provided by a combination of brush, aspen (Poputus <br />spp.)., and topography, and appears to be adequate to meet the <br />needs of the local deer. Water also appears to be sufficient <br />in quality and quantity to meet their needs. <br />Some important deer foods that are found within the mine <br />area are serviceberry, snowberry, bitterbrush, oak, common <br />chokecherry, and big sagebush. <br />Reseachers in similar areas of northwestern Colorado have <br />identified preferred classes of foods for the mule deer as shows <br />in Table E11-8. These study results are considered appropriate <br />for the mine complex. <br />TABLE EII-8 <br />Preferred Classes of Food for Mule Deer <br />• Percent of Diet <br /> Grasses b <br />Season Shrubs.S Trees Forbs Grasslikes Total <br /> <br />Winter 97 Z 1 100 <br />Spring 79 9 12 100 <br />Summer 94 6 0 100 <br />Fall 97 3 0 100 <br />Source: Rufeld, R.C. et al, Foods of Rocky Mountain Mule <br />Deer. <br />Numbers of deer fluctuate, depending on several factors <br />discussed previouslq; these fluctuations occur from year to <br />• <br />(~7 <br />