174 



Table 92. Average group size of mule deer In the Blrney area. 



€ 



Month 



No. 

 Groups 



No. 



Deer 



Average 



April 

 May 



Sprine; 



June 

 July 

 August 

 Summer 



September 

 October 

 November 

 Pall 



December 

 January 

 February 

 Winter 



March 

 April 

 May 



Spring 



June 

 July 

 August 

 Summer 



7 

 14 



21 



5 



7 

 6 



18 



12 

 6 



18 



1 

 9 

 8 



18 



13 

 19 



39 



10 



3 

 2 



15 



35 



6 

 16 



35 



47 

 17 

 64 



7 

 65 

 45 



62 



85 



18 



165 



17 

 5 

 4 



26 



5.0 

 2.8 



3.5 



1.2 



2.3 



.2^ 



1.9 



3.9 

 2.8 



7.0 

 7.2 

 5.6 



4.8 



4.5 



2.6 



JL.2_ 



1.7 

 1.7 

 2.0 



This suggests the mule deer population in this area is either 

 declining or stable, but not increasing. 



Distribution ; Spring distribution is shown in Figure 84. The 

 deer sightings are scattered throughout the study area, but tend 

 to be aligned along the tops of ridges, with very few sightings 

 in the creek bottoms. No groups with more than 15 deer were 

 observed. Most of the larger groups (9-15 deer) were located on 

 the ridge between Zook Creek and Whitten Creek. 



Summer distribution is shown in Figure 85. Only three sightings 

 were of groups larger than 3 deer. Most of the sightings were 

 located on the ridges in the southeastern part of the study area. 

 No deer were sighted on Cook Creek or the ridges in the center of 

 the study area during either year. Mule deer are extremely difficult 



V 



