Southeast Montana Wildlife Inventory Study - Final Report 



INTRODUCTION 



In response to the worldwide energy situation, the United States 

 government has begun to shift emphasis from oil to coal as our 

 basic energy source. Because of this shift, interest has been 

 expanded in the massive coal deposits of eastern Montana, In 

 order to enhance orderly, responsible development of that 

 resource and reasonable protection for Montana's considerable 

 wildlife resource, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and 

 Parks conducted the southeastern Montana wildlife inventory 

 study on three potential coal lease areas; Otter Creek, Hanging 

 Woman Creek and Prairie Dog Creek. 



Information gathered in this study, contracted by the Bureau 

 of Land Management (ELM), will be used to (1) update the BLM's 

 land use planning system; (2) establish baseline data to assist 

 in predicting impacts from coal development; (3) assess the 

 reclamation potential of the habitat; and (4) determine habitats 

 unsuitable for mining according to the Secretary's "unsuitability 

 criteria. " 



This study was begun in April 1979 and field work was concluded 

 in June 1980. The primary game species found in the three study 

 areas are mule deer {Odocoi.tza'i hzm^onai], pronghorn antelope 



{Antilocapfia ame.fiicana] , sharp-tailed grouse {P&dioc^t^6 

 phaiiamllui) , sage grouse {CzntfLoce.Kcu6 u^opha6lana6) and 

 ring-necked pheasants [Pha6.lana.i colchicu.6] . White-tailed deer 



{0docolt2.ui VA^^ginlanui) are also found on the study area. 



Non-game bird species of special interest or concern (Flath 1979b) 

 found in the study areas were the Swainson's hawk. Cooper's 

 hawk, ferruginous hawk, golden eagle, bald eagle, prairie falcon, 

 upland sandpiper, burrowing owl, long-eared owl, mountain blue- 

 bird, clay-colored sparrow. Brewer's sparrow and field sparrow. 

 The black-tailed prairie dog {Cijnomiji tudovicianui,) was the only 

 non-game mammal of special interest or concern (Flath 1979b) 

 found during the study. 



PROCEDURES 

 Game Mammals 



Observations were made during low-level fixed-wing aerial 

 flights in a super cub airplane. Aerial surveys were conducted 

 monthly and data were compiled on a seasonal basis as follows: 

 winter (December-February), spring (March-May), summer (June- 

 August) and fall (September-November). Each study area was 

 completely covered by flying a grid transect at half-mile 

 intervals, oriented parallel to the ma.lor drainage. Flight 

 times were planned to coincide with feeding periods so that 



