Procedure: 



Early in June, 1942, a two-man crew started 

 the intensive study, making Eagle Creek Cabin 

 near Gardiner, Montana, their headquarters. By 

 using two pack and two saddle horses, they were 

 able to make camp in different parts of the drain- 

 ages and to work from these progressively. After 

 each day's fieldwork, the route of travel taken 

 during the day and the amount and kind of game 

 seen was plotted on a map. A complete fieldbook 

 was also kept which contained the following data: 

 date and location of moose, elk, deer, bear, and 

 grouse seen; weather and mileage records; for- 

 age utilization figures; and the size of all bear 

 tracks measured. A rough analysis of all bear 

 feces was made. 



A total of 164 adult (40.25 per cent female and 

 59.75 per cent male) and 30 calf moose were seen 

 during the summer. This figure does not include 

 duplications. If what was thought to be the same 

 moose was seen on more than one occasion, it 

 was not recorded. The identification of individual 



animals was fairly positive, due to the wide 

 variation of their physical features, such as: size 

 and shape of antlers, size and shape of bell, and 

 size and color variation of body form. The calving 

 period in moose extends over a period of ap- 

 proximately one month, and therefore calves vary- 

 in size and color during the first three or four 

 months of their lives. This fact helps distin- 

 guish one family group from another. 



A calf crop of 15.46 per cent was found. This 

 figure indicates that the moose are increasing 

 normally in the area studied. 



Due to the surplus of bulls and the damage 

 being done the main food species, it is recom- 

 mended that a plan be put into effect which will 

 even up the sex ratio the first year and the fol- 

 lowing years allow for a harvesting of the an- 

 nual increase. In order to put the sex ratio on 

 a 50-50 basis, the limited kill of 30 mature bulls 

 is suggested, as shown in the following table: 



(Please turn to page 93) 



MONTANA MOOSE SURVEY 



SLOUGH CREEK- BUFFALO- HELLROARING UNIT SUMMER 1942 



4 



