Procedure: 



For convenience the entire area was divided 

 into three units, with a two-man crew assigned to 

 each (see map). Field work for the season of 1941- 

 42 began on November 10, 1941, and ended 

 April 30, 1942. During this coverage 23 headquar- 

 ter and field, or stop-over, stations were used. 

 Travel on the trails and cross-country was ac- 

 complished by the use of snowshoes; motor to- 

 boggans were used to travel between stations and 

 by the project leader during inspection trips. This 

 relatively new type of winter travel was found 

 to be very satisfactory. The use of the toboggans 

 made possible a far more complete coverage 

 than would otherwise have been secured. 



The following objectives were set up as a 

 guide to the field work: 



1. To secure a census by species of the fur 

 bearing animals in the area, this to be accomp- 

 lished by supplementing the numbers actually 



(top) — Motor toboggan in use on fur survey, North Fork 



of the Flathead. (bottom) — Overnight camp near the crest 



of the Whitefish Range. 



seen by those definitely determined by an an- 

 alysis of the tracks. 



2. To record all possible information per- 

 taining to the feeding habits of the marten, as 

 well as the other fur bearing species. 



3. Information secured pertaining to the 

 day-by-day cruising radius of each species. In 

 this way the average size of the home range re- 

 quired for each will be obtained. 



4. All possible information secured in re- 

 gard to the rate of increase which may be 

 expected for each of the fur bearers studied. 



5. Information obtained regarding the com- 

 patibility existing between individuals in each 

 species, and also between the species. In this 

 way the population densities that may be ex- 

 pected under exsiting conditions of food and 

 cover may be determined. 



Findings: 



The first winter's census work indicated the 

 following number of fur bearers to be inhabiting 

 the area: 



90 pine marten 157 beaver 



18 Canadian lynx 20 mink 



3 otter 4 wolverines 



6 fox 1 bobcat 



Information pertaining to the rate of increase 

 of the various species will be obtained from the 

 second season's work (winter 1942-43). It is thought 

 that this data may be applied in similar areas 

 throughout the state. 



It was found that the marten during the win- 

 ter months preferred the denser types of timber. 

 These appear most typically on north and east 

 exposures and along the creek bottoms. Recorded 

 information pertaining to the location of the mar- 

 ten tracks is as follows: 81 per cent in dense 

 spruce timber, 8 per cent in lodgepole pine tim- 

 ber, 7 per cent in Douglas fir timber, and 4 per 

 cent in open parks within the sub-alpine zone. It 

 was found last year that whenever possible 

 marten avoid natural openings and burned off 

 areas. Marten were noted as ranging the lower 

 elevations (3,500-4,500 feet) during the early 

 months of the winter. They change their field of 

 activity, however, to the slopes, ridge tops, and 

 high benches at elevations ranging between five 

 and six thousand feet during January and Febru- 

 ary. They then return to the lower ranges used 

 during the earlier portions of the winter. Rather 



[72] 



