90 



their greatest usage during the spring and summer of 198I with 

 58 and 46 percent of the antelope observations respectively. 

 Outside of spring 1980, antelooe most heavily used southern 

 exposures during fall and winter, 65 and 67 percent respectively. 

 No antelope were observed on eastern slopes during the fall and 

 winter months. Western slopes supported 50% of the antelone 

 observations during the winter months. Spring 19BI followed with 

 kO%. Only during fall 198O, 135S, and summer 198I, 5%, were any 

 antelope observed utilizing flat lands. 



Use of slope : No antelope were observed using steep slopes (Table 

 3a) . During the fall season, more antelope were observed on 

 medium slopes than on combined gentle slopes and flat lands, 

 65% and 3555 respectively. Gentle slopes supported more antelope 

 during the spring seasons, 100 and 6I percent for I98O and 198I 

 respectively. During the other three seasons, antelope were 

 evenly distributed between medium and gentle slopes. 



Sharp-tailed Grouse 



Twenty-one active sharp-tailed grouse dancing grounds were located 

 during the study (Figure 53). They are distributed fairly evenly 

 except in the southwest portion of the study area, which is 

 primarily ponderosa pine uplands. 



While the total number of males observed remained constant (Table 

 39), the number attending active dancing grounds decreased from 

 17.8 in 1980 to 10.8 in I98I. This amounts to at least a 395? 

 decline in the pre-nesting sharptail population. A similar decline 

 for 44l sharptail dancing grpunds occurred in Fish, Wildlife and 

 Parks Region 7. Male attendance dropped from 16 per active ground 

 in 1980 to 10 in 198I and a 50^ drop in the sharptail population was 

 indicated (Knapp et al. 198I). 



One ground located in 198O received no usage in 198I (Table 39). 

 Sharp-tailed grouse have been documented to abandon grounds in 

 other southeastern Montana studies (Martin 1980a; 1980c). 



No broods were observed on the study area. Knapp et al. (198I) 

 reoorted average brood size, in I98O to be 1.7 in FWP Region 7. 

 Drought conditions, which caused a lack of adequate cover, 

 resulted in either poor nesting success or lower brood survival. 



Merriam's Turkey 



One sighting of turkeys was made about 100 yards to the west of 

 the study area in the Rye Grass Creek drainage (Figure 53). 

 Turkeys may utilize the wooded, southwest portion of the Greenleaf- 

 Miller study area. 



Ring-necked Pheasant 



Ring-necked pheasants were observed along creek bottoms 



throughout the Greenleaf-Miller study area. Rosebud Creek supported 



( 



C 



