Laserfiche WebLink
r`1 <br />u <br />V. DEER A*TD ELK '•1nNITORIAIC PRnGR.4M - 1994 <br />Page 12 <br />This is the third annual report on deer and elk monitoring at the Edna <br />t4ine. Included in this report are data for the period of January 9, 1984 <br />through December 29, 1994. As in the past, efforts were concentrated on <br />evaluating the seasonal habitat importance of the T4offat area. The purpose <br />of the monitoring has not changed from 1991 and is designed to determine <br />(1) seasonal deer and elk use both on and off the permit area, (2) impor- <br />tance of the permit area as win+,er range, (31 importance of the permit area <br />for fawning and calving, (4) if lands ad,iacent to the permit area are <br />capable of supporting additional animals (i.e. are the current populations <br />below the carrying capacity of the range), and (5) change in use of the <br />areas during the life of the mine. <br />Since the monitoring program :vas initiated in 1981, aerial surveys <br />have been made to observe deer and elk activities during all seasons of the <br />year. The majority of flights are made during the winter and late spring <br />to observe wintering and calving and fawning activities. The study area <br />has been delineated into three areas: Moffat area, remainder of the Edns <br />permit area, and those lands outside the Edna permit area that are within <br />the study area identified in the permanent program permit application. <br />Deer and elk observed have been classified according to area of occur- <br />rance. These observations are shown on Tables I and II. As shown by the <br />data, deer and elk feeding on the Moffat area declines with the onset of <br />winter and decreases to near zero as winter progresses and snows become <br />deeper. Tlumbers of deer and elk observed away from the Moffat area (but <br />within the study area) also decrease as winter progresses and the snow <br />