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Page 4 <br />V. DEER AND ELK MOT]ITORING PROGRAM - 1 <br />Deer and elk monitoring continued through 1983 as part of the long <br />term monitoring program stipulated by MLRD. As in the past, efforts were <br />concentrated on evaluating the seasonal importance of the Moffat area. The <br />purpose of the monitoring has not changed and is designed to determine <br />(1) seasonal deer and elk use both on and off the permit area, <br />(2) importance of the permit area as winter range, (3) importance of the <br />permit area for fawning and calving, (4) if lands adjacent to the permit <br />area are capable of supporting additional animals (i.e. are the current <br />populations below the carrying capacity of the range), and (5) change in <br />use of the areas during the life of the mine. <br />Since the monitoring program was 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 were made during the winter and late spring <br />to observe wintering and calving and fawning activities. Elk and deer <br />observed were classified according to area. The three areas are: Moffat <br />area, remainder of the Edna permit area, and outside +,he Edna permit area. <br />These observations are shown on Tables 2 and 3. As shown by the data, deer <br />and elk use the Moffat area declines with the onset of winter and decreases <br />to near zero as winter progresses and snows become deeper. Numbers of deer <br />and elk observed away from the Moffat area also decrease as winter <br />progresses and the snow depths increase. Animals observed are normally in <br />small groups and are located in areas where there is less snow and suitable <br />forage is available. These areas are normally on the south and east facing <br />exposures along Arrowhead Ridge, between the Trout and Middle Creek <br />drainages and west and north of 20 Mile Park. <br />