than mule deer. Within the broad distribution, elk use was 

 also centered around areas of high density ("core areas") 

 surrounded somewhat concentrically by areas of lower elk use. 

 This dispersion pattern was much less distinct than for mule 

 deer. This may reflect the fact that elk are highly 

 gregarious, occurring in relatively large groups, and move 

 widely within relatively large home ranges. The fact that 

 there was relatively little sympatry in high density areas 

 between mule deer and elk indicates that, as elk numbers have 

 increased, differences in habitat requirements or preferences 

 have enabled both species to use the area such that they exist 

 with minimal conflict. 



Among vegetation cover types making up major portions of 

 the area, elk showed distinct preference on a yearlong basis 

 for the moderately dense Douglas fir- juniper type, the open 

 and scattered density pine- juniper-shale types, the moderately 

 dense pine- juniper-grass type, and the grassy coulee bottom 

 type. The first 3 were also preferred by mule deer. 



Elk use of vegetation cover types was different among 

 seasons (X 2 =631.7, 60 df, P<0.0001). Major contributions to 

 total chi-square value were made by selection for the river 

 riparian type during autumn, greasewood and silver sagebrush 

 during winter; and an overall lesser degree of use of timbered 

 types and increased use of the sagebrush-grassland type during 

 spring. 



Use of vegetation cover types by mule deer and elk 

 differed during all seasons (summer: X 2 =145.7, 20 df, 

 P<0.0001; autumn: X 2 =129.4, 20 df, P<0.0001; winter: X 2 =260.7, 

 20 df, P<0.0001; and spring X 2 =214.3, 20 df, P<0.0001). 

 During summer, elk used the moderately dense 

 pine- juniper-grass type more than mule deer, while mule deer 

 used the scattered and burned Douglas fir-juniper and 

 shale-longleaf sage types more than elk. During autumn, elk 

 made significantly more use of the river riparian and 

 moderately dense pine- juniper-grass types than mule deer. 

 Mule deer made more use than elk of the scattered and open 

 density Douglas fir-juniper types and shale-longleaf sage type 

 during autumn. Elk used the greasewood and silver sagebrush 

 types more than deer during winter, when mule deer used all 

 Douglas fir-juniper types and the scattered density 

 pine- juniper-grass type more than elk. During spring, mule 

 deer used the burned Douglas fir-juniper and open 

 pine- juniper-shale types more than elk. Elk made greater use 

 of pine-fir- juniper, moderately dense pine- juniper-grass , 

 pine- juniper-shale, and grassy bottom types than mule deer. 



Yearlong, elk used the most dense conifer cover types and 

 the dense river riparian type more than mule deer (X-87.2., 

 1 df, P<0.005). There was also a significant difference in 



268 



