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1 <br />1 <br /> <br />1 <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br />1 <br /> <br />1 <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br />All of the above were thought to be factors which would result in lower <br />productivity of the elk presently using the mine area. In order to determine <br />what impacts mining may be having on calving elk, four (4) null hypotheses <br />were tested: <br />1. Reproduction of elk using active mine areas was not different from <br />elk using areas undisturbed by mining; <br />2. The size of calving home ranges for elk using active mine areas was <br />not different from elk using areas undisturbed by mining; <br />3. Fidelity to calving home ranges of elk using active mine areas was <br />not different from elk using areas undisturbed by mining; and <br />4. Habitat utilization and selection patterns of elk using active mine <br />areas were not different from elk using areas undisturbed by mining. <br />Based on July cow:calf ratios for the past 4 years, no significant dif- <br />ferences could be found in reproduction between elk using mine or control <br />areas. Based on 5 years of calving home range size, fidelity, and habitat <br />utilization and selection pattern date, no significant differences could be <br />found between elk using mine or control areas. There has been no indication <br />that elk are abandoning mine areas. There continues to be extensive use by <br />elk within a quarter mile radius of active mining operations. In fact, during <br />the first 3 years of the study when mining was occuring in aspen habitats, <br />approximately 20% of all calving home range activity centers for elk using the <br />mine area were within 1/4 mile of active pits where blasting was occuring and <br />70% were within 1/2 mile (Table 21, Distance Between Calving Home Range Acti- <br />vity Centers and Blasting). Given an average home range size of 1.62 mil for <br />these elk it is obvious that there was a significant amount of use within 1/4 <br />mile. The increased distances between activity centers and active pits during <br />the last 2 years of the study was not the result of movement by elk but move- <br />ment of mining activity away from aspen. As previously reported in the 1984 <br />annual report, due to the close proximity of calving elk to active mining <br />operations, measurements were taken of decibal levels of blasts and haul <br />trucks. This was done at varying distances to determine what type of noise <br />-17- <br />1 <br />