METHODS 



Owls were surveyed using the song playback technique (Fuller and Mosher 

 1981) from vehicle and snowmobile along survey routes from 24 February to 4 

 May, 1989 • Survey routes were selected to include a variety of forest types 

 and elevations. See Figure 2 for route delineations and Table 1 for a list of 

 routes by District. 



There were twenty- five survey routes which included areas of three Ranger 

 Districts on two National Forests. Wise River and Wisdom Ranger Districts were 

 included on the Beaverhead National Forest, and Sula Ranger District on the 

 Bitterroot National Forest. 



Surveys started one half hour after dusk and lasted approximately four to 

 five hours or until 2300 or 2400 hours. Routes were selected to be eight to 

 ten miles long with playback stations between one half and one mile apart 

 depending on topographic and/or habitat variation. At each station I listened 

 for calling owls for two to three minutes, played one species' call for two to 

 three minutes, and listened again for two to three minutes. This was repeated 

 three times per station. Boreal calls were played most often, but 

 occassionally great gray ( Strix nebulosa ) or saw-whet owl ( Aegolius acadicus ) 

 calls were played at alternating stations. Survey report forms were completed 

 for each survey attempt, and owl observation forms filled out for routes where 

 owls were heard. See Appendix I for sample report and observation forms. 

 Approximate locations of owl responses were mapped on U.S.G.S. Topographic maps 

 (7.5 min.). These sites were then visited for habitat analysis during the 

 summer months of I989. 



