"We have continued to receive complaints of an 

 excessive population of coyotes on the Game Range from 

 livestock operators around the area." 



1944 _ "Range conditions were excellent and animals observed 

 through this period were in excellent condition." 

 "Conditions for deer through this period were ideal. " 

 Holibaugh (1944), after a reconnaissance trip in the 

 vicinity of our present study area, stated: "It also 

 becomes more evident with each trip into the breaks 

 country that the deer herd is increasing at a 

 tremendous rate... Deer are abundant, sufficiently so 

 to be a good hunting unit." 



"On October 20, Mr. DuBeau and myself worked out one 

 of the tributaries of Sand Creek located in Sections 

 23, 24, 25, and 26, Township 21 North, Range 24 East 

 [on the present study area]. Approximately four 

 square miles were intensively covered. This included 

 the main stream and all of the wooded coulees 

 tributary to it. Thirty-one different mule deer does 

 and three different mule deer bucks were observed in 

 this area. It is estimated that between 60 and 70% of 

 the deer in the area were observed." 



[Author's Note:] The 8.5 mule deer /mi 2 observed in 1944 

 indicated a high deer population by that time. The actual 

 density may have been higher. Although people making a deer 

 drive through an area may recount the same deer more than 

 once, it is also likely that they miss many deer (McCullough 

 1979). Aerial observations during autumn 1979-1986 on this 

 same 4 mi 2 area indicated 17-31 mule deer ( 4 . 3-7 . 8/mi 2 ) 

 observed per flight. Observability indexes (Lincoln Indexes) 

 during the same period indicated that actual densities ranged 

 from 11 to 17 mule deer /mi 2 . It is possible that mule deer 

 density on this area was quite similar during 1944 to 

 densities observed during 1979-1986. 



1945 - "Mule deer - Trend up. Range excellent." 



"The coyote population has become unusually heavy over 

 the past 5 years . " 



"The low price of coyote pelts, two to five dollars, 

 along with a critical labor shortage, probably has 

 been the cause of a constant uptrend in the population 

 of coyotes over all of eastern Montana." 



1946 - "Mule deer - Trend is a strong up over all of the Game 



Range. Carrying capacity of the Game Range in 

 Petroleum, Fergus, and Phillips Counties will have to 

 be closely watched if a dry cycle starts, as our 

 population here is high." 



"It appears as tho [sic] part of the range in 

 Phillips, Fergus, and Petroleum Counties should be 



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