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• nutrient levels that meet these increased needs for both livestock and big game better than woody <br />dominated native vegetation. Again, the large numbers of deer and elk present on reclaimed areas at <br />the Seneca II Mine appear to demonstrate the utility of a herbaceous forage resource to big game. <br />Early greening spring grasses contribute significantly to mule deer diets in the Rocky Mountain and <br />Intermountain regions (Willms and McLean, 19781. Yoakum and Dasmann (1971) also reported <br />pregnant does benefit directly from the availability of green forages during the critical early spring <br />period. If the winter has been severe, the need for succulent and nutritious spring forage is even more <br />critical. Big game select out those forages highest in nutritive quality when available and also those <br />that are greening and succulent IMereszczak et al., 1981 and Armstrong, 19751 To a lesser extent, <br />these benefits will benefit other wildlife species. <br />Various studies show mule deer and elk prefer succulent forages more than woody species during <br />various times of the year. Miller et al. 11981) found big game selected up to 52 percent grasses in <br />their diets during the period of March through June. Forbs accounted for 38 percent. The big game in <br />this study also tended to congregate in areas where palatable forage occurred legato, similar to Seneca <br />reclaimed areasl. The study site was in forested areas with brush understory and clear cut areas <br />seeded with palatable herbaceous forage. While these opened areas covered only 31 percent of the <br />area, 66 percent of the big game diet came from them. The value of forage plants available to deer <br />and elk is an important consideration in addition to structural characteristics of a habitat. Carpenter et <br />al. 119791, in a study near Kremmling, Colorado, found mule deer selected a large amount of grasses <br />and forbs during the winter months of January and February when snow cover was minimal. Over 50 <br />percent of their diets consisted of grasses and forbs in a 30-day grazing trial. In a study by Willms et <br />al. 119791 on big sagebrush range in British Columbia, it was found deer selected 68 percent of their <br />early spring diet as grasses and forbs. <br />While big game and livestock will benefit from the increase in herbaceous cover, various bird species <br />and small mammals will also benefit from the addition of this habitat component. Food and nesting <br />cover will be increased for small mammals and some birds. Large statured herbaceous species such as <br />basin wildrye have been included in the seed mix to enhance this cover component. Basin wildrye will <br />also provide winter grazing and covet when snowpack increases IMajerus 19921. Raptors and other <br />predators will have increased potential for hunting success because of the more open areas and <br />increase in the population of small mammals. <br /> <br />TR-36 <br />13-7 <br />Revised 12104 <br />