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<br />' 2 groups (Control 1 and Control 2). In Control Group 1, elk were trapped at <br />the same sites as mine elk and had similar habitat use and selection patterns. <br />' Most of Control Group 2 were trapped at a location further from the mine site <br />and showed some significant differences in habitat use and selection. <br />' When the general region is used as the available habitat in determining <br />' habitat selection as done in Table 18, aspen is the dominant vegetation type <br />being selected for during the calving period. Mountain shrub and reclaimed <br />' areas are used in proportion to their availability and most other types are <br />selected against. The exception to this is found in Control Group 2. These <br />elk selected for mountain shrub and used aspen in proportion to its availabi- <br />' lity. <br />' When the average percent habitat within calving home ranges is used as <br />the available habitat as done in Table 19, most habitats are used in propor- <br />' tion to their availability. However, there was still a tendency for aspen to <br />be selected by most elk and mountain shrub to oe used in proportion to its <br />' availability. The reverse again being true for Control Group 2 elk. <br />In summary, calving habitat is characterized predominately by aspen and <br />' secondarily by mountain shrub (Tables 18 and 19). Aspen makes up approxi- <br />mately 20% of the general region, but makes up approximately 45% of most <br />' calving home ranges (the exception being Control 2 and yearling elk) and ap- <br />proximately 57% of all observations were made in aspen (the exception being <br />' Control 2 and yearling elk). Mountain shrub makes up approximately 25% of the <br />general region and about 25% of calving home ranges and is used in that pro- <br />' portion by elk during calving (exception Control 2 and yearlings). Control 2 <br />elk were the major exception. Mountain shrub rather than aspen was selected <br />by these elk. Mountain shrub made up approximately 50% of their calving <br />' ranges and approximately 60% of their observations were made there. Aspen <br />made up only 25% of their calving ranges and was used proportionately. <br />' Yearlings had 30% aspen and 40% mountain shrub in their home ranges and they <br />were used proportionately. <br />' Approximately 80% of the elk in this study selected aspen during the <br />' calving period and used mountain shrub according to its availability. <br />-14- <br />1 <br />