ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



Literally hundreds of people contributed at one time or 

 another or in one way or another to maintain the study through 

 nearly 30 years and complete data analyses, writing, and 

 publication. Within the Montana Department of Fish and 

 Game/Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which provided basic support 

 throughout, the list would include all Wildlife Division 

 Administrators and Research Supervisors, Wildlife Managers in 

 Administrative Regions 4 and 6, and nearly all Wildlife 

 Management and Research Biologists that lived or worked in 

 central and eastern Montana during the course of the study. 



Among all however, the contributions of several 

 individuals stand out, for without them, the study may never 

 have continued beyond the first few years. These include the 

 late Wynn G. Freeman, Allan L. Lovaas, and James L. Mitchell, 

 all of whom encouraged and provided funding within tight 

 budgets for continuing population surveys and studies during 

 the period 1963 through 1974. Both Freeman and Mitchell were 

 also instrumental in developing and supporting subsequent 

 intensive studies that began in 1975. Mitchell's unwavering 

 support continued through his retirement in 1988. 



In addition, perhaps above all, we gratefully acknowledge 

 the support and assistance of Regional Wildlife Biologist, Dr. 

 C. Robert Watts. Bob Watts moved to Lewistown in 1969, and 

 soon became an integral part of the study. He has since been 

 a most outspoken advocate of continuing and expanding the work 

 as well as an active participant in planning, in field 

 studies, including aerial surveys, trapping and monitoring, 

 and vegetation studies, and in review-editing our writing. He 

 has at times been principal researcher, vital assistant, 

 friend, outspoken supporter and critic--both our "prop" and 

 our "conscience". Without all this, the study would not be 

 what it became, if indeed it had continued at all. 



We also owe thanks to other Wildlife Division employees 

 for special involvement or contributions. These include 

 especially Research Biologists John G. Mundinger, David F. 

 Pac, Duane B. Pyrah, and Gary L. Dusek, and Research Ecologist 

 Henry E. Jorgensen, all of whom were involved in various 

 aspects of planning, data collection, analysis, and/or review 

 editing drafts of the manuscript. Several graduate students 

 from Montana State University, including Eugene 0. Allen, 

 Craig J. Knowles, Thomas J. Komberec, Robert G. Trout, Arnold 

 R. Dood, and Shawn J. Riley, also provided assistance and/or 

 data from thesis research studies on and adjacent to the area. 

 Others providing field assistance included Craig Knowles, John 

 Roseland, William Steery, and Al Rosgaard, Jr. Assistance in 

 statistical analysis was provided by Terry N. Lonner, Ray 

 Mule', Bill Hoskins, and Steve Martin. Margaret Morelli typed 



ii 



