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Brown L, Zedrosser A, Kindberg J, Pelletier F. Behavioural responses of brown bears to roads and hunting disturbance. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11532. [PMID: 38882533 PMCID: PMC11176727 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Harvest regulations commonly attenuate the consequences of hunting on specific segments of a population. However, regulations may not protect individuals from non-lethal effects of hunting and their consequences remain poorly understood. In this study, we compared the movement rates of Scandinavian brown bears (Ursus arctos, n = 47) across spatiotemporal variations in risk in relation to the onset of bear hunting. We tested two alternative hypotheses based on whether behavioural responses to hunting involve hiding or escaping. If bears try to reduce risk exposure by avoiding being detected by hunters, we expect individuals from all demographic groups to reduce their movement rate during the hunting season. On the other hand, if bears avoid hunters by escaping, we expect them to increase their movement rate in order to leave high-risk areas faster. We found an increased movement rate in females accompanied by dependent offspring during the morning hours of the bear hunting season, a general decrease in movement rate in adult lone females, and no changes in males and subadult females. The increased movement rate that we observed in females with dependant offspring during the hunting season was likely an antipredator response because it only occurred in areas located closer to roads, whereas the decreased movement rate in lone females could be either part of seasonal activity patterns or be associated with an increased selection for better concealment. Our study suggests that female brown bears accompanied by offspring likely move faster in high-risk areas to minimize risk exposure as well as the costly trade-offs (i.e. time spent foraging vs. time spent hiding) typically associated with anti-predator tactics that involve changes in resource selection. Our study also highlights the importance of modelling fine-scale spatiotemporal variations in risk to adequately capture the complexity in behavioural responses caused by human activities in wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovick Brown
- Département de Biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke Canada
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health University of South-Eastern Norway Bø in Telemark Norway
- Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim Norway
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de Biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke Canada
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Rosenberger JP, Edge AC, Killmaster CH, Johannsen KL, Osborn DA, Nibbelink NP, Miller KV, D’Angelo GJ. Female Deer Movements Relative to Firearms Hunting in Northern Georgia, USA. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1212. [PMID: 38672360 PMCID: PMC11047325 DOI: 10.3390/ani14081212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Perceived risk associated with hunters can cause white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to shift their activity away from key foraging areas or alter normal movements, which are important considerations in managing hunting and its effects on a population. We studied the effects of seven firearms hunts on the movements of 20 female deer in two Wildlife Management Areas within the Chattahoochee National Forest of northern Georgia, USA, during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 hunting seasons. Deer populations and the number of hunters in our study area have declined significantly since the 1980s. In response, hunting regulations for the 2019-2020 hunting season eliminated opportunities for harvesting female deer. To evaluate the indirect effects of antlered deer hunting on non-target female deer, we calculated 90% utilization distributions (UDs), 50% UDs, and step lengths for pre-hunt, hunt, and post-hunt periods using the dynamic Brownian bridge movement model. Data included 30 min GPS locations for 44 deer-hunt combinations. Pre-hunt 50% UDs (x- = 7.0 ha, SE = 0.4 ha) were slightly greater than both hunt (x- = 6.0 ha, SE = 0.3 ha) and post-hunt (x- = 6.0 ha, SE = 0.2 ha) 50% UDs (F = 3.84, p = 0.03). We did not detect differences in step length, nor did we detect differences in size or composition of 90% UDs, among the periods. Overall, our results suggest that the low level of hunting pressure in our study area and lack of exposure to hunters led to no biologically significant changes in female deer movements. To the extent of the findings presented in this paper, adjustments to the management of hunting in our study area do not appear to be necessary to minimize hunting-related disturbances for female deer. However, managers should continue to consider female deer behavior when evaluating future changes to hunting regulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacalyn P. Rosenberger
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA (G.J.D.)
| | - Adam C. Edge
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA (G.J.D.)
| | - Charlie H. Killmaster
- Game Management Section, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Social Circle, GA 30025, USA
| | - Kristina L. Johannsen
- Game Management Section, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Social Circle, GA 30025, USA
| | - David A. Osborn
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA (G.J.D.)
| | - Nathan P. Nibbelink
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA (G.J.D.)
| | - Karl V. Miller
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA (G.J.D.)
| | - Gino J. D’Angelo
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA (G.J.D.)
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Gaynor KM, McInturff A, Abrahms BL, Smith AM, Brashares JS. Hunting mode and habitat selection mediate the success of human hunters. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:29. [PMID: 38627867 PMCID: PMC11021010 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00471-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As a globally widespread apex predator, humans have unprecedented lethal and non-lethal effects on prey populations and ecosystems. Yet compared to non-human predators, little is known about the movement ecology of human hunters, including how hunting behavior interacts with the environment. METHODS We characterized the hunting modes, habitat selection, and harvest success of 483 rifle hunters in California using high-resolution GPS data. We used Hidden Markov Models to characterize fine-scale movement behavior, and k-means clustering to group hunters by hunting mode, on the basis of their time spent in each behavioral state. Finally, we used Resource Selection Functions to quantify patterns of habitat selection for successful and unsuccessful hunters of each hunting mode. RESULTS Hunters exhibited three distinct and successful hunting modes ("coursing", "stalking", and "sit-and-wait"), with coursings as the most successful strategy. Across hunting modes, there was variation in patterns of selection for roads, topography, and habitat cover, with differences in habitat use of successful and unsuccessful hunters across modes. CONCLUSIONS Our study indicates that hunters can successfully employ a diversity of harvest strategies, and that hunting success is mediated by the interacting effects of hunting mode and landscape features. Such results highlight the breadth of human hunting modes, even within a single hunting technique, and lend insight into the varied ways that humans exert predation pressure on wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- Departments of Zoology and Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Alex McInturff
- U.S. Geological Survey Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Briana L Abrahms
- Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alison M Smith
- Hopland Research and Extension Center, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hopland, CA, USA
| | - Justin S Brashares
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Brown L, Zedrosser A, Arnemo JM, Fuchs B, Kindberg J, Pelletier F. Landscape of fear or landscape of food? Moose hunting triggers an antipredator response in brown bears. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2840. [PMID: 36912774 PMCID: PMC10909462 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Hunters can affect the behavior of wildlife by inducing a landscape of fear, selecting individuals with specific traits, or altering resource availability across the landscape. Most research investigating the influence of hunting on wildlife resource selection has focused on target species and less attention has been devoted to nontarget species, such as scavengers that can be both attracted or repelled by hunting activities. We used resource selection functions to identify areas where hunters were most likely to kill moose (Alces alces) in south-central Sweden during the fall. Then, we used step-selection functions to determine whether female brown bears (Ursus arctos) selected or avoided these areas and specific resources during the moose hunting season. We found that, during both day and nighttime, female brown bears avoided areas where hunters were more likely to kill moose. We found evidence that resource selection by brown bears varied substantially during the fall and that some behavioral changes were consistent with disturbance associated with moose hunters. Brown bears were more likely to select concealed locations in young (i.e., regenerating) and coniferous forests and areas further away from roads during the moose hunting season. Our results suggest that brown bears react to both spatial and temporal variations in apparent risk during the fall: moose hunters create a landscape of fear and trigger an antipredator response in a large carnivore even if bears are not specifically targeted during the moose hunting season. Such antipredator responses might lead to indirect habitat loss and lower foraging efficiency and the resulting consequences should be considered when planning hunting seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovick Brown
- Département de biologieUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeCanada
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental HealthUniversity of South‐Eastern NorwayBø in TelemarkNorway
- Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game ManagementUniversity for Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Jon M. Arnemo
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Boris Fuchs
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife ManagementInland Norway University of Applied SciencesKoppangNorway
| | - Jonas Kindberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchTrondheimNorway
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologieUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeCanada
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Collard KJ. A study of the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in the wild red deer herd of Exmoor. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2023; 69:14. [PMID: 36694617 PMCID: PMC9851115 DOI: 10.1007/s10344-022-01638-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an infectious disease which thrives at the wildlife-livestock interface. Exmoor has the largest herd of wild red deer (Cervus elaphus) in England, and also a large number of dairy and beef farms. The population, health and well-being of the herd are managed by a combination of hunting with hounds and by stalking. This study used a serological assay to determine the incidence of bTB in the population of 106 wild red deer of Exmoor, the relationship between regional deer densities and the presence of bTB in deer, and domestic cattle. The overall number of bTB positive deer was 28.3% (30/106). Stalked deer had a slightly higher incidence of bTB (19 out of 55, 34.55%) than hunted deer (11 out of 51, 21.57%). There was no clear pattern of distribution except for one region which showed an incidence of 42.22% compared with 16.4% in the remainder of the moor. There was little difference in the incidence of bTB between male and female animals. The age of animals in the study ranged from < 1 year to over 10 years. There was no clear difference in the incidence across the age range (< 1 year- > 10 years) with the exception of a particularly high incidence in those animals aged 1 year or less. There was a significant correlation between the presence of deer with bTB and the number of farms reporting bTB positive cattle, but not between the regional population of red deer and bTB in deer or cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith J. Collard
- Badgworthy Trust for the Preservation of Exmoor, The Elms Estate, The Elms Office, Bishops Tawton, Barnstaple, 32 OEJ Devon, EX UK
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Rowland MM, Nielson RM, Wisdom MJ, Clark DA, DiDonato GT, Hafer JM, Naylor BJ, Johnson BK. Success is dependent on effort: Unraveling characteristics of successful deer and elk hunters. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mary M. Rowland
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Ryan M. Nielson
- Eagle Environmental, Inc. 30 Fonda Road Santa Fe NM 87508 USA
| | - Michael J. Wisdom
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Darren A. Clark
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Guy T. DiDonato
- Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc. 415 W. 17th Street, Suite 200 Cheyenne WY 82001 USA
| | - Jennifer M. Hafer
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Bridgett J. Naylor
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Bruce K. Johnson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
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Rosenberger JP, Little AR, Edge AC, Yates CJ, Osborn DA, Killmaster CH, Johannsen KL, Miller KV, D'Angelo GJ. Resource selection of deer hunters in Georgia's Appalachian Mountains. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacalyn P. Rosenberger
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Andrew R. Little
- School of Natural Resources University of Nebraska–Lincoln 3310 Holdrege St Lincoln NE 68583 USA
| | - Adam C. Edge
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Cheyenne J. Yates
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - David A. Osborn
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Charlie H. Killmaster
- Game Management Section, Wildlife Resources Division Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Social Circle GA 30025 USA
| | - Kristina L. Johannsen
- Game Management Section, Wildlife Resources Division Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Social Circle GA 30025 USA
| | - Karl V. Miller
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Gino J. D'Angelo
- Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
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Smith JB, Spitz DB, Brown CL, Wisdom MJ, Rowland MM, Forrester TD, Johnson BK, Clark DA. Behavioral responses of male elk to hunting risk. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B. Smith
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - Derek B. Spitz
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz 95064 CA USA
| | - Casey L. Brown
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - Michael J. Wisdom
- U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - Mary M. Rowland
- U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - Tavis D. Forrester
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - Bruce K. Johnson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
| | - Darren A. Clark
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande 97850 OR USA
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Rowland MM, Nielson RM, Wisdom MJ, Johnson BK, Findholt S, Clark D, Didonato GT, Hafer JM, Naylor BJ. Influence of Landscape Characteristics on Hunter Space Use and Success. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mary M. Rowland
- U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Ryan M. Nielson
- Eagle Environmental, Inc. 30 Fonda Road Santa Fe NM 87508 USA
| | - Michael J. Wisdom
- U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Bruce K. Johnson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Scott Findholt
- U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Darren Clark
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Guy T. Didonato
- Western Ecosystems Technology 415 W. 17th Street, Suite 200 Cheyenne WY 82001 USA
| | - Jennifer M. Hafer
- U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
| | - Bridgett J. Naylor
- U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station 1401 Gekeler Lane La Grande OR 97850 USA
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Rodgers PA, Sawyer H, Mong TW, Stephens S, Kauffman MJ. Sex‐Specific Behaviors of Hunted Mule Deer During Rifle Season. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A. Rodgers
- Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Hall Sawyer
- Western Ecosystems Technology Inc., 1610 Reynolds St. Laramie WY 82072 USA
| | - Tony W. Mong
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department 2820 State Highway 120 Cody WY 82414 USA
| | - Sam Stephens
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department Cheyenne WY 82009 USA
| | - Matthew J. Kauffman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie WY 82071 USA
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