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December 1994 survey was likely due to poor ground conditions (patchy snow cover) and the use <br />. of a fixed-wing aircraft for the survey. These factors likely affected the observers' ability to <br />detect animals and resulted in under counting. Considerably more elk were observed a month <br />later, January 1995, when the area was surveyed from a helicopter. The high elk densities <br />observed in 1996 and 2003 were likely influenced by excessive snowpack during those years in <br />the higher elevations of the Williams Fork Mountains. The deep snow likely pushed the <br />ungulates out of the higher elevations and north into the survey area where reduced snow depths <br />made walking easier and forage more accessible. The elevated density observed in January 1998 <br />of 14.2 elk/mi2 could not be explained by snow depth, as snowfall was minimal during winter <br />1997-1998. <br />Herds were widely distributed over the expanded area during each of the ten surveys. <br />However, herds were always conspicuously absent from the agricultural fields and grasslands in <br />the northwest, north-central, and southeast parts of the area. Because there were no tall grasses <br />or shrubs in those habitats, the vegetation was typically covered by snow during winter. <br />Consequently, there was little readily available winter forage for big game in those portions of <br />the survey area. <br />A total of 30 mule deer in six herds were observed within the expanded survey area in <br />2003. Mule deer herds ranged in size from 1 to 15 animals, and averaged 5 individuals. Mule <br />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/mil (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 aircraft 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 bare, south <br />facing slopes. <br />2003 Seneca II-W Mine Wildlife Monitoring <br />Page 5 <br />S:A.ldR~!-0~'!6:tY~PSrtpybY ^aY:a+-.:6X[.Ti.~SYb!iM.IY.W :.:.M1.F°1:~4RT.y u ••.•.••~b: "..~3.!d~i%YfiY[.} ~F."^S4is.~ 'f!'?i- i.~:e r:.. v..-..g.yv..:. Xl~.:<.W¢y'OeG-.%Y'3.fiVb:Y -Yt AN ik?~ •. y1~:~!!':!'.2iRSl$$"tJP!a+i34.1 <br />