The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

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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
Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus)Mountain goats prefer precipitous terrain andoccasionally enter subalpine forests. Snowcoveris an important influence on winter distribution.Winter habitat includes steep, south-facingcanyon walls, and windblown ridge tops. Springhabitat includes south and west facing cliffs,while summer habitat consists of meadows, cliffs,ravines, and forests. Their diet varies by rangeand season, and includes grasses, sedges, forbs,coniferous trees, mosses and lichens. They haveseasonal movements of 8-13 km between winterand summer ranges, and may travel even fartherin springtime to access salt licks. Their averagehome range size is 23 km 2 ; although males showlittle home range fidelity and are usually solitary.Female mountain goats form nursery bandsconsisting of females, kids and outlying juvenilemales. Mountain goats may congregate at minerallicks. Mountain goats are classified as a big gamespecies, with harvest strategies that vary bystate.Mountain lion (Puma concolor)Photo by Phil KnightPhoto by Lance CraigheadMountain lions are extremely adaptable, andoccupies almost all habitats in the NorthernRockies except open prairie. Research indicatesa preference for rock formations such asprecipices, canyons, and dense brush. Preferredprey is deer and elk, but may also include othersmall mammals such as mice, rabbit, beaver,porcupine, and grouse. The mountain lion isnon-migratory but disperses widely:
Page 5 and 6: Executive SummaryMaintaining the ec
Page 7 and 8: Map 1. The Hub Conservation Area ma
Page 9 and 10: Map 3. Major elk linkages identifie
Page 12 and 13: Map 6. Major mule deer linkages ide
Page 14 and 15: Map 8. Major wolf linkages identifi
Page 16 and 17: Map 10. Major grizzly bear linkages
Page 18 and 19: For information regarding contents
Page 20 and 21: American Wildlands’ PriorityLinka
Page 22 and 23: Georgetown Lake,photo by Grace Hamm
Page 24 and 25: Beaverhead Mountains to the south,
Page 26 and 27: with mountainous wet meadows and ri
Page 28 and 29: irds). This step was repeated for c
Page 30 and 31: Figure 4. Hierarchical breakdown of
Page 32 and 33: sanitation and conflict issues betw
Page 34 and 35: Literature ReviewThis review is mea
Page 36 and 37: that this impediment is deleterious
Page 38 and 39: may not provide functional connecti
Page 40 and 41: available during dispersal, and new
Page 43 and 44: and desert; this reflects overall a
Page 45: Photo by Denver Bryanpopulations. L
Page 49 and 50: GUIDE TO READINGPRIORITY LINKAGE AS
Page 51 and 52: Absaroka to CraziesSpeciesGeographi
Page 53 and 54: BangtailsSpeciesGeographic Boundary
Page 55 and 56: Bear CreekSpeciesGeographic Boundar
Page 58 and 59: Big BeltsSpeciesGeographic Boundary
Page 60 and 61: to disease transmission between dom
Page 62: sightings in the Birch Creek area.
Page 65 and 66: Elk move within this linkage for wi
Page 67: south of the linkage area.Wolverine
Page 70 and 71: ange for about 200 elk, and the Spr
Page 72: winter range is private land on the
Page 75: e using the Little Belt Mountains,
Page 78 and 79: Front south along the Continental D
Page 80 and 81: Clinton to DrummondSpeciesGeographi
Page 82 and 83: There has been a settlement with At
Page 84 and 85: Mountain Goats: The highest density
Page 86 and 87: suspected in very low levels, even
Page 88: dispersal corridor for all of these
Page 91 and 92: the area. Hunting access in general
Page 93 and 94: with the Elkhorns.Wolverines are kn
Page 96 and 97:
FleecerSpeciesGeographic BoundaryFl
Page 98 and 99:
negotiated grazing agreements on th
Page 100 and 101:
traffic volumes are increasing sign
Page 102 and 103:
pack in the linkage. The large size
Page 104 and 105:
Garnets to BouldersSpeciesGeographi
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105
Page 108 and 109:
persistent spring snow and may be k
Page 110 and 111:
Garnets. The Clark Fork River Corri
Page 112 and 113:
Horseshoe HillsSpeciesGeographic Bo
Page 114 and 115:
Hound CreekSpeciesGeographic Bounda
Page 116 and 117:
Jefferson SloughSpeciesGeographic B
Page 118 and 119:
117
Page 120 and 121:
Willow packs moved here from the po
Page 122:
the high potential for conflict wit
Page 125 and 126:
the Castle Mountains south of Whets
Page 127 and 128:
Lolo to TurahSpeciesGeographic Boun
Page 129 and 130:
path; this could further fragment w
Page 131 and 132:
Lost TrailSpeciesGeographic Boundar
Page 133 and 134:
MacDonald Pass toFleecer/Mt. Haggin
Page 135 and 136:
claims within the area and 75 are b
Page 137 and 138:
Conservation ThreatsDevelopment cou
Page 139 and 140:
MaxvilleSpeciesGeographic BoundaryT
Page 141 and 142:
Norris HillSpeciesGeographic Bounda
Page 143 and 144:
PipestoneSpeciesGeographic Boundary
Page 145 and 146:
144
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persistent snow pack.Lynx: Boles Cr
Page 149 and 150:
Potter BasinSpeciesGeographic Bound
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150
Page 153 and 154:
Mountain goats exist in small pocke
Page 155 and 156:
Rocky Mountain Front to Big BeltMou
Page 157 and 158:
Disease between bighorn sheep and d
Page 159 and 160:
the linkage, grizzly bear forage in
Page 161 and 162:
influencing how wildlife connectivi
Page 163 and 164:
Several bighorn sheep herds form am
Page 165 and 166:
Silver StarSpeciesGeographic Bounda
Page 167 and 168:
166
Page 169 and 170:
controlled. In recent years, approx
Page 171 and 172:
esulting from livestock depredation
Page 173 and 174:
StickneySpeciesGeographic BoundaryT
Page 175 and 176:
SulaSpeciesGeographic BoundaryThe S
Page 177 and 178:
Tom Miner to Mill CreekSpeciesGeogr
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178
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development. Subdivision, fencing a
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Townsend from 1000 to 300 animals.
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These appear to be important for gr
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186
Page 189 and 190:
Other existing packs include the Wo
Page 191 and 192:
Creek and the Boulder River south o
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192
Page 195 and 196:
Harestad A.S., and F.L. Bunnell. 19
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Trakhtenbrot, A. R. Nathan, G. Perr
Page 199 and 200:
Appendix 1 (cont.).Table 1Mammals o
Page 201 and 202:
Appendix 2 (cont.).Table 2Home Rang
Page 203 and 204:
Appendix 3 (cont.).Table 3Migration
Page 205 and 206:
Appendix 4 (cont.).Table 4Dispersal
Page 207 and 208:
Appendix 5 (cont.).Studies Demonstr
Page 209:
American Wildlands ~ Winter 2008
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The Hub Conservation Area - Montanans 4 Safe Wildlife Passage

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