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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION <br />• Ground and sky conditions during the 28 December 1994 survey were less than ideal. <br />Snow cover was very patchy over most of the area; there had not been any snowfall in the area <br />for at least one week prior to the survey date. Deep snow accumulations were limited to the <br />agricultural fields and grass pastures in the northwest, north-central, and southeast portions of <br />the 84-miZ survey area. Sky conditions changed from high-thin broken clouds at the start of the <br />survey to thick overcast during the last hour of the flight. Given the ground and sky conditions, <br />visibility was rated as poor during the survey. <br />A complete listing of all observations made in the 84.5-miZ area is given in Appendix I. <br />All sightings are also plotted on Exhibit 1. A total of 163 elk, in 21 herds were seen during the <br />survey. Observed elk density on 28 December was 1.9 animals/miZ; herd size averaged 7.8 <br />• animals/herd. The herds were widely distributed over the area, but were noticeably absent from <br />the agricultural fields and grasslands in the north-central part of the area, and immediately <br />around the Seneca II-W Mine permit area (Exhibit 1). <br />Almost all of the elk seen were in mountain brush habitat. A herd of 13 elk was <br />observed in reclaimed grassland at the Seneca Mine; two herds, totaling 8 elk, were recorded <br />in agriculture. <br />In addition to elk, one herd of 36 pronghorn was recorded during the survey. The <br />pronghorn were in grassland habitat just west of Twenty-mile Road, near the middle of the <br />survey area (Exhibit 1). Surprisingly, no deer were seen during the survey. <br />Observations made within the 35-miZ area around the Seneca II-W Mine are listed in <br />Table 1. Eight sightings of elk (50 animals) were made within that area; none of the eight herds <br />. were on the Seneca II-W permit area. The density of elk in the 35-miZ area (1.4 animals/miZ) <br />was slightly less than the density in the entire 84-miZ survey area (1.9 elk miZ). However, <br />199J Seneca II-W Mine Big Game Aerial Survey Page 3 <br />