In the grizzly bear project conducted by the Montana Unit, the huge beasts are live-trapped, immobilized, and 

 tagged to permit later recognition on their natural range. Here, Unit personnel are attaching ear tags of yellow 

 plastic. (Photo by F. C. Craighead, Jr. ) 



Cedar Island red sqidrrel study. — Branch per- 

 sonnel have studied red-squirrel populations on 

 23-acre Cedar Island in Flathead Lake in western 

 Montana for the past 4 seasons, giving primary 

 attention to squirrel population dynamics on foi-- 

 est-tree seed crops. Squirrel numbei's during tlie 

 fall were very similar in 1959-01, varying from 8 

 to 13 animals per acre. But, in the fall of 19(52, 

 there were 21 per acre. The 1 1 sijuirrels per acre 

 the previous fall had survived the severest wintei' 

 in 6 years; and tjiis high survival may liave been 

 related to the good crop of Douglas-fir cones in 

 1961. The ponderosa seed crop in 1962 was ex- 

 cellent, and its possible influence on overwinter 



survival of the 1962 squirrel population will be 

 watched with interest. 



M%de deer investigations. — Further infonnation 

 on the effects of snow on mule-deer behavior was 

 obtained by Colorado Unit personnel during late 

 January and February 1962, a period of unusiuiUy 

 deep snow at middle and high elevations (8,500- 

 12,000 feet). The significant result was spectacu- 

 lar concentrations of animals on areas well below 

 most transition ranges, where ap|)reciable numbers 

 of deer remain during open winters. For example, 

 the annual midwinter count by the Game and 

 Fish Department on Cedar Ridge in Middle I'ark 

 showed 723 deer in 1962 as conqiai-ed with about 



28 



