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<br />' ences in home range size between elk using mine and control areas, elk were <br />divided into four groups: <br />1 <br />1. Yearlings (elk less than two years old prior to the start of the <br />' calving period). <br />2. Summer Migrants (elk which move to substantially higher elevations <br />' during June or July). <br />3. Mine Elk (elk which calved and summered in close proximity to active <br />t surface coal mines). <br />4. Control Elk (elk which calved and summered at elevations similar to <br />mine areas). <br />Statistical analysis among these four groups indicated that for general <br />' calving home ranges (May 15 - June 30), yearlings (7.84 mil) and summer mi- <br />grants (5.53 mil) had significantly larger mean size than mine (1.62 mil) and <br />' control (2.32 mil) elk. Mine and control elk were not significantly different <br />(Table 11). For refined home ranges (May 25 - June 15), yearlings (2.82 mil) <br />' had significantly larger mean size than summer migrants (0.94 mi2), mine (0.56 <br />mi2), and control elk (0.66 mi2). Summer migrants, mine and control elk were <br />not significantly different (Table 12). <br />The above statistical analyses were complicated by differences in sample <br />' size (number of locations used to calculate home range size) between mine and <br />control elk. All elk were located at weekly intervals at least 5 times during <br />' the calving period during aerial surveys. However, many elk, particularly <br />those at CYCC where access was sufficient, were located much more often. On <br />' the average, mine and control elk were located 16 and 8 times respectively <br />between May 15 and June 30. Because increasing the sample size (number of <br />locations used to calculate home range size using minimum convex polygon <br />' method) can increase home range size, a second analysis was done. During this <br />analysis, only 5 aerial observations were used to calculate home range size <br />' for mine and control elk. Average home range size for mine and control elk <br />were 0.55 mil and 0.80 mil, respectively, and there was no significant differ- <br />' ence (Table 13, Minimum Home Range Size During Calving Based on 5 Aerial <br />Locations Between May 15 - June 30). <br /> <br />-10- <br /> <br />