Table 3.13. Density estimates for mule deer in northeast Fergus County, 

 Montana, 1944-1958. 



Date 



1943 



20 Oct. 

 1944 



Sept. 

 1947 



Feb. 

 1948 



Feb. 

 1950 



Feb. 

 1951 



Feb. 

 1958 



Type of Census 



Density 



Estimate 



(Range) 



Remarks 



Unknown -- probably minimal 

 ground counts of selected 

 areas or "a guess . " 



Drive count of 4 mi 2 by 

 2 people walking. 



Aerial strip census. 



Aerial strip census. 



1.3/mi 2 

 0.5 /km 2 



Probably substantial 

 underestimate . 



8.5/mi 2 Small area sampled. 

 3. 3 /km 2 



12.6/mi 2 Reasonable. 

 4. 9 /km 2 

 (10-15/mi 2 ) +202 



Aerial strip census. 



Aerial strip census 



Attempted total kill 

 within 3.13 mi 2 pasture, 



8.0/mi 2 

 3.1 /km 2 

 (6-10/mi 2 ) 



6. 7 /mi 2 



2. 6 /km 2 



(5-8/mi 2 ) 



10.0/mi 2 

 3. 9 /km 2 

 (8-12/mi 2 ) 



7.7/mi 2 

 2.95/km 2 



Reasonable. 



+202 



Probably low. 



+202 



Reasonable. 



+202 



Reasonable, small 

 area sampled. 



Collectively, information and data on historical deer 

 numbers and trend indicate mule deer were at least moderately 

 abundant in the vicinity of our study area throughout the 

 1800s and early 1900s. Thereafter, mule deer populations on 

 our area declined to historic low levels by the early 19 30s, 

 but started to increase by the late 19 30s and especially early 

 1940s. The increase in deer numbers after the 1930s has been 

 attributed by various people to the following factors, both 

 singly and in combination: 1) human depopulation of the area 

 - both as a harvest effect and a habitat recovery effect; 2) 

 increased precipitation - the ending of the drought; 3) 

 predator control; and 4) increasingly effective law 

 enforcement. 



Most of the historically highest human population on the 

 area during the teens and 1920s had abandoned their homesteads 



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