antelope were observed on the plateau tops in all seasons with 

 the most, 13 percent, occurring during the winter months. 

 Antelope were also seen on the lowland topographic features during 

 all seasons. The fall and winter seasons, with 18 and 15 percent 

 of the antelope respectively, had the most antelope observations 

 of the lowland topographic categories. 



Use of exposure : Antelope were observed on every exposure 

 in every season except the north exposure during the winter 

 months (Table 37). There were more antelope on southerly 

 slopes than on northerly slopes in every season. Forty-two 

 to 51 percent of the antelope were on the southern exposures 

 in all seasons except summer 1980 when 70 percent were observed 

 on the southerly slopes. Usage of the northerly slopes was 

 relatively uniform, ranging from 19 to 32 percent. There were 

 more antelope on easterly exposures than westerly in every season. 

 Usage of flat lands was highest during the fall and winter 

 months. 



Use of slope: Antelope use of gentle and medium slopes was 

 predominant throughout the study (Table 38) ranging from 82 

 to 97 percent of total observations. In the summer of 1989 

 medium slope usage was at its highest point, 66 percent and 

 gentle slope usage was at its lowest point, 31 percent. Their 

 positions were reversed in the 1979 spring when 51 percent of 

 the antelope were observed on gentle slopes and 44 percent 

 were seen on medium slopes. 



Flat land usage was low in all seasons except fall with a 

 16 percent usage level. The only season with much usage of 

 steep slopes was winter with 12 percent. 



Sharp-tailed Grouse 



Three active sharp-tailed grouse dancing grounds were located 

 during the study (Figure 30). They average 14.7 male birds 

 per ground in 1980 (Table 39). In an earlier study, Knapp 

 (1977) reported three dancing grounds which were not located 

 at this time. Sharp-tailed grouse have been documented as 

 abandoning grounds in other southeastern Montana studies 

 (Martin 1980). 



Sharp-tailed grouse were observed in several locations some 

 distance from known dancing grounds (Figure 30). Because 

 these grouse are known to remain close to dancing grounds it 

 is possible that grounds exist near PK Creek in the northeast 

 portion of the study area, somewhere in the Horse Creek drainage, 

 along the ridge between Trail Creek and East Fork Trail Creek 

 and along the South Fork Corral Creek drainage. 



71 



