B. WHITE-TAILED DEER 



1) Introduction 



Use of deer hides as legal tender during the late 1800's 

 caused a decline in the once abundant numbers of white-tailed deer 

 in northwestern Montana. Tlie herds, which became abundant again in 

 the 1940's and 1950's, peaking in abundance sometime during the 

 1950's, historically used the area impacted by the Libby Dam pro- 

 ject. Appendix B summarizes the history of the white- tailed deer 

 population in Lincoln County, Montana. 



A comprehensive management plan currently being developed by 

 Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks outlines management 

 dDjectives and strategies for various categories of wildlife species. 

 The proposed objectives for white-tailed deer ranked number 1 in 

 management priority, including increased hunter harvest, will re- 

 quire increased availability of animals including increased popu- 

 latic«is. One of the major management strategies is the protection 

 of habitat, of which mitigation for habitat destroyed on public 

 lands is a consideration. 



2) Seasonal Habitat Preference 



During the spring through fall seasons, white- tailed deer are 

 widely distributed. Some habitat types, such as riparian areas, 

 are important components of the summer rajiges, providing an abun- 

 dance of food, cover, and water. Studies of the Swan River white- 

 tailed deer herd (Mackie et al. 1980) determined mesic sites in 

 association with a diversity of habitat types, including dense 

 coniferous cover, were important summer range habitat components. 

 With the onset of winter, the deer begin to move onto the winter 

 ranges (Appendix C). 



Bottomlands along the Fisher and Kootenai rivers are two 

 primary winter ranges for white-tailed deer wiUiin Lincoln County, 

 with known migrations from adjacent summer ranges exceeding 20 

 miles (Schmautz 1950, Campbell 1973, Flath 1973, 1974). The extent 

 of the white-tailed deer v/inter range in these two drainages was 

 determined after review of the extensive survey work conducted in 

 the area (Zajanc 1948, Campbell 1972) and from reports summarizing 

 a series of investigations (Blair 1955a, U.S. Dep. Inter. 1955). 

 Biis review emphasized the importance of the lower elevational 

 areas (2100-4000 ft) as white-tailed deer winter ranges. Use of 

 traditional wintering areas by specific individuals during 

 successive years has been observed (Flath 1972a, Qimpbell and 

 Knoche 1974). 



■ Zajanc (1948) and Blair (1955a) identified general forest 

 tyries found on the deer and elk wijiter ranges as: 1) streambottom 

 tvTpes consisting of broad leaf trees, 2) open ponderosa pine types 

 on the south and west exposed slopes with a variety of browse 

 species as ground cover, 3) open grassy and brushy ridge and slope 



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