The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

the fastest land mammal in North America, theyare poor jumpers and, unlike mule deer andelk, usually will not jump fences. Pronghornresearch indicates that fencing in migrationroutes should therefore be minimized to allowaccess to vital winter grounds (Sheldon, 2005).Same-sex herds live together most of the year,with large mixed herds congregating on winterranges and during migration. The pronghorn isclassified as a big game species with harveststrategies that vary by state.Moose (Alces alces)Moose occur in cool, moist boreal and mixeddeciduous forested areas where there is 60 to 70cm of snow cover in the winter. Conifer cover,uneven plant age and the composition of willowsare important habitat components; closedcanopy stands may be important in winter(Mattson, 1985). If adequate riparian habitat isavailable, moose may make substantial use ofmid- to high elevation sagebrush habitat. Theyare the most able of any ungulate to negotiatedeep snow. Snow accumulation is shown toaffect populations even more strongly thanwolf density (Mech et al., 1987). In naturallyregulated ecosystems, predation by bears andwolves is often limited (Van Ballenbergie andBallard, 1994). Moose are non-migratory inNorth America, with an average home range of5-10 km 2 . Moose are primarily browsers, eatingtwigs, bark, and leaves/needles of conifers,but prefer willows and aspen. When available,moose also eat water plants. Moose are knownto be capable of altering the structure anddynamics of boreal forest by their browsing(McInnes et al., 1992), preventing young saplingsfrom growing into tree canopy, creating a forestwith a more open canopy and a well-developedshrub understory.Moose are generally solitary, but maycongregate in small groups on winter habitats.In some areas, small breeding groups will formduring the fall rut. Moose are a big game specieswith individual harvest strategies in each statethroughout the Northern Rockies.Bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis)Bighorn sheep prefer semi-open and openvegetation types in rugged terrain with minimalsnow depth in winter and high quality greenforage in growing seasons. Bighorns spend mostof their time close to escape terrain such ascliffs and talus slopes (Pallister, 1974), withcliffs, rocky outcroppings, and very steep slopesnecessary for lambing security. Bighorn sheepdepend on bunchgrasses and shrubs in winterand summer ranges consisting of grasses, sedgesand forbs. They make local movements betweenseasonal ranges and do not readily disperse intonew habitat. Their home range averages 17km². They form same-sex herds during breedingseason (Shakleton et al., 1999). Bighorn sheepare classified as a big game species, with variousstate harvest and management strategies.Ancillary Species:General references for ancillary species includethe following sources. Specific references arelisted within text.Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Field Guidewww.fieldguide.mt.govNature Serve www.natureserve.orgU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Species website;www.fws.gov/speciesMathews, D. 2003. Rocky Mountain NaturalHistory: Grand Teton to Jasper. Raven Editions,Portland, OR.Sibley, D. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. AlfredKnopf Publishers, New York City, New York.Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)Mule deer prefer sagebrush and forest edgehabitats. They are browsers, with winterdiets largely dependent upon sagebrush. Muledeer are non-migratory, but make seasonalelevational movements. Mule deer live inrelated herds, while males may disperse andlive together in unrelated herds. Mule deer areclassified as a big game species, with harveststrategies that vary by state.45