Blue grouse are present in 12 western states and 4 

 Canadian provinces (Aldrich 1963). The overall range of the 

 species is closely associated with the distribution of true 

 fir and especially Douglas-fir (Beer 1943). In Montana they 

 are found in the coniferous forests of the west and in iso- 

 lated mountain ranges east of the divide (Mussehl et al. 1971) 

 In contrast to the ruffed grouse, which are generally seden- 

 tary year-round (Gullion 1967) , blue grouse usually move to 

 higher elevations in fall, spend the winter there, and return 

 to lower areas in spring to breed and raise young (Zwickel 

 et al- 1968, Mussehl 1960 and Bendell and Elliott 1967). 



During the report period, 57 observations of blue grouse 

 were recorded (Table 13) . Eighty-three percent of blue 

 grouse observations were recorded at 1,280 m (4,200 ft) and 

 above, with all observations between 914 m (3,000 ft) and 

 1,830 m (6,000 ft). Blue grouse were found in 12 habitat 

 types. Sixty-one percent of the observations occurred in 

 subalpine fir habitat types (ABLA/XETE, ABLA/LUHI, ABLA/MEFE 

 and ABLA/CACA) and 22 percent in Douglas-fir habitat types 

 (PSME/SYAL, PSME/PHMA and PSME/AGSP). 



The ruffed grouse is the most widely distributed of all 

 native American Tetraonidae (Aldrich 19 6 3) . They are cur- 

 rently residents of 38 states and 13 Canadian provinces or 

 territories (Gullion 1977) . In Montana, ruffed grouse are 

 found primarily west of the Continental Divide and in the 

 scattered mountains and associated drainages of Central 

 Montana east of the divide (Mussehl et al . 1971). 



Although ruffed grouse are widely distributed, the uni- 

 fying criterion is that successional or climax vegetation 

 stages include deciduous trees, especially of the genera 

 Betula and Populus (Johnsgard 1973). Gullion (1969) indicates 

 that on a continent-wide basis, the highest population 

 densities of ruffed grouse correspond to the distribution 

 patterns of aspens {Populus spp.). Aspen is important winter 

 and Slammer food for adults and provides valuable brooding 

 habitat. On the study area 3 species of Populus were noted 

 including quaking aspen {Populus tremuloides) , black cottonwood 

 {Populus trichocarpa) and plains cottonwood {Populus deltoides) . 

 Other deciduous trees present on the study area which may 

 be used by ruffed grouse included water birch ( Betula 

 oceidentalis) , paper birch {Betula papyri f era) , willows 

 {Salix spp.), mountain alder {Alnus sinuata) and thinleaf 

 alder {Alnus inoana) . 



Drumming counts have been used effectively for obtaining 

 indices of male ruffed grouse (Dorney et al. 1958) . Appendix 

 18 contains results of 4 drumming routes conducted on the 

 study area along Stanley, Keeler and Ross creeks. These 



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