The project site is not high quality habitat for deer because of the large
acreage of pole-sized
northern hardwoods. Five deer yards lie totally or partially within the environmental
study area whil
the project site encompasses the Swamp Creek deer yard and a portion of the
Rolling Stone deer ya1
(Figure 2-11). The deer yard boundaries and usage change depending on deer
populations, severity do
the winter, and forestry activity.

Black Bear - The estimate of the black bear population in the environmental
study area, based on
countywide densities of one animal per four square miles and available habitat,
is 30 to 40 black bed
Black bear sign were frequently observed in the environmental study area.

Small Game - Snowshoe hare, eastern cottontail, and gray squirrel reside
in the environmental study
area. The snowshoe hare is cyclically abundant and commonly hunted where
there are large areas oX
preferred habitat. The eastern cottontail is much less abundant because preferred
habitat is limited;
Moderate populations of gray squirrels exist in the mature hardwood forests.

Furbearers - Important furbearers of the environmental study area are bobcat,
river otter, red fox,
coyote, beaver, raccoon, muskrat, mink, and fisher. Bobcatidensities range
from one bobcat per five
square miles to one bobcat per 20 square miles in Wisconsin' s northern forest.
Bobcat tracks were
observed in the environmental study area. The fisher, river otter, and beaver
are common in the
environmental study area and the project site. The red fox, coyote, raccoon,
muskrat, and mink occi.
in the environmental study area and the project site.

Nongame Mammals - Twenty-one species of nongame mammals live in Forest County.
Their
abundance varies from rare to abundant and depends upon the availability
of preferred habitat and
their statewide range. The five most abundant species are the deer mouse,
red-backed vole, masked
shrew, short-tailed shrew, and eastern chipmunk. At the project site, the
northern hardwood forest
has a higher small mammal density (127.1 captured per 1,000 trapped nights)
and diversity than theX
swamp conifer forest (72.7 captured per 1,000 trapped nights) or the aspen-birch
forest (57.4 capture
per 1,000 trapped nights). In the wetland areas, the meadow jumping mouse,
masked shrew,
red-backed vole, deer mouse, and meadow vole are the most abundant. Two southern
flying squirreIX
also were captured at the project site. Southern flying squirrels previously
have not been reported *
Forest County.

Birds - Two hundred forty-four species of birds have been documented in Forest,
Oneida, and Vilas
Counties, most of which could be expected to occur in the environmental study
area. In the
environmental study area 164 species of birds were observed, and at the project
site 150 species of
birds were observed. About 80% of the bird species breeding at the project
site seasonally migrate.d'
Densities during summer were roughly 500 individuals per 100 acres compared
to less than 100
individuals per 100 acres during the winter.

Permanent Residents - Twenty-four species of permanent resident birds were
observed in the
environmental study area. Ruffed grouse populations are low in both the environmental
study area ai
the project site. Ruffed grouse populations are cyclic and are estimated
at 2.8 (plus or minus 1.3)
grouse per 100 acres.

Summer residents - Up to 133 species of summer resident birds could occur
in the environmental stU
area. These include 11 raptors (nine observed), nine waterfowl species (eight
observed), 24 species o
marsh and shorebirds (16 observed) and 89 species of songbirds (84 observed).
The summer density o4
songbirds at the project site varied from 193 (plus or minus 62) to 378 (plus
or minus 98) per 100 act

Summer resident game birds include waterfowl and American woodcock. The American
woodcock
populations in the environmental study area and the project site are average
for Wisconsin' s northei
forest with four to six males per four-mile transect. The best waterfowl
habitat in the environmenti
study area does not support an average density of breeding waterfowl. The
best areas are Rice Lak0
Bishop Lake, Rolling Stone Lake, Lily Lake, and the Swamp Creek, and Hemlock
Creek bottomlandsW



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