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deer were only observed on three portions of expanded area (Exhibit 1), and typically within <br />. mountain brush habitats. Over the 10 years of big game surveys, mule deer densities in the <br />expanded area have been relatively low and ranged from 0 to 0.75 deer/miZ (Figure 2). The lack <br />of deer observations during the December 1994 survey was likely due to poor ground conditions <br />(patchy snow cover) and the use of a fixed-wing aircrafr for the survey. <br />During aerial surveys, most mule deer have typically been seen in three distinct portions <br />of the survey area: the northwest (north and west of Seneca II-W}, extreme northeast, and <br />extreme south central. Most deer have been associated with mountain brush habitats, but those <br />in the south central portion of the survey area were often on steep, exposed/relatively baze, south <br />facing slopes. <br />r~ <br />u <br />• <br />Figure 2. Mule deer density on the expanded survey area during winter aerial surveys <br />from 1994 through 2003. <br />0.9 <br />0.8 <br />0.7 <br />_v <br />~~ 0.6 <br />d <br />~ 0.5 <br />a' <br />v 0.4 <br />b <br />v 0.3 <br />0 <br />~ 0.2 <br />0.1 <br />0 <br />- - 0.75 <br />- ._ <br />_... - 0.54 <br />... _ 0.40 <br /> <br />1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 <br />Year <br />E~anded survey azea: 84.5 mil (1994-1995), 89.5 mil (1996-2003). <br />2003 Yoas[ Mine Wildlife Monitoring <br />Page 6 <br /> <br />