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survey was started on the east side of the area at 09:30h completed in the west at 14:1Oh. <br />Two PRES biologists were in the helicopter with the pilot. The locations of all big <br />game, mammalian predators, and raptors sighted during the survey were plotted on a 1:24000 <br />topographic map. The habitat animals were in and their activity were also recorded. <br />RESULTS AND DISCUSSION <br />The sky was clear during the 23 January survey. Snow cover was 80-100% over most <br />of the azea, but was not very deep and did not appear to be an impediment to animal movement. <br />Deep snow accumulations were limited to the agricultural fields and grass pastures in the <br />northwest, north-central, and southeast portions of the 84-miZ survey area. Given the sky and <br />ground conditions, visibility was rated as good during the survey. <br />• A complete listing of all observations made in the 84.5-mil azea is given in Appendix I. <br />All sightings are also plotted on Exhibit 1. A total of 613 elk, in 80 herds were seen during the <br />survey. Observed elk density on 23 January was 7.3 animals/miZ; herd size averaged 7.7 <br />animals/herd. <br />Elk density in January was ahnost four times greater than the 1.9 elk/miZ observed during <br />a survey of the area completed on 28 December 1994; observed herd size during the December <br />flight (7.8 elk/herd) was very similar to the herd size recorded in January. Although poor <br />ground conditions and the use of a fixed-wing aircraft during the December survey may have <br />affected observers' ability to detect some animals, it is very likely that the number of elk in the <br />area increased after the first of the year. Mild weather prevailed in the region through the end <br />of 1994, and it is probable that many animals that might winter in the survey area were still in <br />. the higher reaches of the Williams Fork Mountains to the south on 28 December. After the first <br />of the year, colder temperatures and additional snowfall probably pushed more animals north <br />1995 Your Mine Site Big Game Aerial Survey Page 3 <br />