Using human-dimensions research to reduce implementation uncertainty for wildlife management: a case of moose (Alces alces) hunting in northern Ontario, Canada
Len M. HuntCentre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada. Email: len.hunt@ontario.ca
Wildlife Research 40(1) 61-69 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR12185
Submitted: 13 November 2012 Accepted: 3 February 2013 Published: 4 March 2013
Abstract
Context: Wildlife managers frequently use regulations to alter the preferred hunting strategies and outcomes of hunters. However, hunters can respond to changing social and resource conditions resulting from regulations in ways that can surprise wildlife managers.
Aims: The specific research questions were (1) how does the availability of licences (tags) required to harvest adult moose (Alces alces) relate to the success of hunters at filling these tags and (2) how do hunting pressure and the density of calf moose relate to the harvest rate of the calf population.
Methods: Information about hunters, harvest-related outcomes and moose abundance were estimated from social surveys and aerial inventories in 46 wildlife management units (WMUs) in northern Ontario, Canada. An information-theoretic approach was used to select regression models that predicted the average annual filling rate of tags for adult moose and for the average annual proportion of calf population harvested by hunters in the WMUs.
Key results: Tag filling rates were negatively and strongly associated with the availability of tags to hunters in the WMUs. The proportion of calf population harvested was positively related to hunting pressure and negatively related to the density of calf populations in the WMUs.
Conclusions: As tags became more scarce, hunters appeared to become more skilled at harvesting adult moose. As calf density declined, hunters harvested larger proportions of the population, indicating a possible inverse density-dependent relationship between abundance and harvest.
Implications: Understanding hunters and their actions and role within a larger social-ecological system are critical for helping to reduce the uncertainty of implementing regulations for managing wildlife. Without having this understanding, it is easy for managers to become trapped in situations where the intent of management actions is undermined by the abilities of hunters who respond to both changing social and resource conditions.
Additional keywords: behaviour, econometrics.
References
Alves, R. R. N., Mendoca, L. E. T., Confessor, M. V. A., Viera, W. L. S., and Lopez, L. C. S. (2009). Hunting strategies used in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 5, 1–16.| Hunting strategies used in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bottan, B., Hunt, L. M., Haider, W., and Rodgers, A. (2001). Thunder Bay moose hunters: environmental characteristics and choice preferences. CNFER Technical Report TR-007. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources: Thunder Bay, ON, Canada.
Bowyer, R. T., Nicholson, M. C., Molvar, E. M., and Faro, J. B. (1999). Moose on Kalgin Island: are density-dependent processes related to harvest. Alces 35, 73–89.
Boyce, M. S., Baxter, P. W. J., and Possingham, H. P. (2012). Managing moose harvests by the seat of your pants. Theoretical Population Biology 82, 340–347.
Breusch, T. S., and Pagan, A. R. (1979). Simple tests for heteroscedasticity and random coefficient variation. Econometrica 47, 1287–1294.
| Simple tests for heteroscedasticity and random coefficient variation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brown, G. S. (2011). Patterns and causes of demographic variation in a harvested moose population: evidence for the effects of climate and density-dependent drivers. Journal of Animal Ecology 80, 1288–1298.
| Patterns and causes of demographic variation in a harvested moose population: evidence for the effects of climate and density-dependent drivers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bunnefeld, N., Hoshino, E., and Milner-Gulland, E. J. (2011). Management strategy evaluation: a powerful tool for conservation? Trends in Ecology & Evolution 26, 441–447.
| Management strategy evaluation: a powerful tool for conservation?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Burnham, K. P., and Anderson, D. R. (2010). ‘Model Selection and Multimodel Inference: a Practical Information-theoretic Approach.’ 2nd edn. (Springer-Verlag: New York.)
Cox, S. P., and Walters, C. (2002). Modeling exploitation in recreational fisheries and implications for effort management on British Columbia rainbow trout lakes. North American Journal of Fisheries Research 22, 21–34.
| Modeling exploitation in recreational fisheries and implications for effort management on British Columbia rainbow trout lakes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Crawford, S., and Ostrom, E. (2005). A grammar of institutions. In ‘Understanding Institutional Diversity’. (Ed. E. Ostrom.) pp. 137–174. (Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ.)
Fa, J. E., and Brown, D. (2009). Impacts of hunting on mammals in African tropical moist forests: a review and synthesis. Mammal Review 39, 231–264.
| Impacts of hunting on mammals in African tropical moist forests: a review and synthesis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fryxell, J. M., Packer, C., McCann, K., Solberg, E. J., and Saether, B. (2010). Resource management cycles and the sustainability of harvested wildlife populations. Science 328, 903–906.
| Resource management cycles and the sustainability of harvested wildlife populations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXlvVelt74%3D&md5=ea96db0ee2aa7a1170a789bb7f1bd344CAS |
Fulton, D. C., and Hundertmark, K. (2004). Assessing the effects of a selective harvest system on moose hunters’ behaviors, beliefs, and satisfaction. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 9, 1–16.
Giles, B. G., and Findlay, C. S. (2004). Effectiveness of a selective harvest system in regulating deer populations in Ontario. The Journal of Wildlife Management 68, 266–277.
| Effectiveness of a selective harvest system in regulating deer populations in Ontario.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Haener, M. K., Dosman, D., Adamowicz, W. L., and Boxall, P. C. (2001). Can stated preference methods be used to value attributes of subsistence hunting by Aboriginal peoples? A case study in northern Saskatchewan. American Journal of Agricultural Research 5, 1334–1340.
Hatter, I. W. (2001). An assessment of catch per unit effort to estimate rate of change in deer and moose populations. Alces 37, 71–77.
Hunt, L. M., Arlinghaus, R., Lester, N., and Kushneriuk, R. (2011). The effects of regional angling effort, angler behavior, and harvesting efficiency on landscape patterns of overfishing. Ecological Applications 21, 2555–2575.
| The effects of regional angling effort, angler behavior, and harvesting efficiency on landscape patterns of overfishing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Jacobson, C. A., and Decker, D. J. (2006). Ensuring the future of state wildlife management: understanding challenges for institutional change. Wildlife Society Bulletin 34, 531–536.
| Ensuring the future of state wildlife management: understanding challenges for institutional change.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (2012). ‘Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary 2012–2013.’ Available at http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/FW/Publication/MNR_E001275P.html [verified 1 October 2012].
Oswald, K. (1998). ‘Moose Aerial Observation Manual.’ NEST Technical Manual TM-008. (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources: Timmins, ON, Canada.)
Palazy, L., Nonenfant, C., Gaillard, J. M., and Courchamp, F. (2012). Rarity, trophy hunting and ungulates. Animal Conservation 15, 4–11.
| Rarity, trophy hunting and ungulates.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Peres, C. A. (2000). Effects of subsistence hunting on vertebrate community structure in Amazonian forests. Conservation Biology 14, 240–253.
| Effects of subsistence hunting on vertebrate community structure in Amazonian forests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Prukop, J., and Regan, R. J. (2005). The value of the North American model of wildlife conservation: an International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies position. Wildlife Society Bulletin 33, 374–377.
| The value of the North American model of wildlife conservation: an International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies position.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rempel, R. S., Elkie, P. C., Rodgers, A. R., and Gluck, M. J. (1997). Timber-management and natural-disturbance effects on moose habitat: landscape evaluation. The Journal of Wildlife Management 61, 517–524.
| Timber-management and natural-disturbance effects on moose habitat: landscape evaluation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Schmidt, J. I., ver Hoeff, J. M., Maier, J. A., and Bowyer, R.T. (2005). Catch per unit effort for moose: a new approach using Weibull regression. Journal of Wildlife Management 69, 1112–1124.
| Catch per unit effort for moose: a new approach using Weibull regression.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Shanley, C. S., and Pyare, S. (2011). Evaluating the road-effect zone on wildlife distribution in a rural landscape. Ecosphere 2, art16.
| Evaluating the road-effect zone on wildlife distribution in a rural landscape.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stedman, R., Diefenbach, D. R., Swope, C. B., Finley, J. C., Luloff, A. E., Zinn, H. C., San Julian, G. J., and Wang, G. A. (2004). Integrating wildlife and human-dimensions research methods to study hunters. The Journal of Wildlife Management 68, 762–773.
| Integrating wildlife and human-dimensions research methods to study hunters.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Todesco, C. (2004). Illegal moose kill in northeastern Ontario: 1997–2002. Alces 40, 145–159.
Vaske, J. J., Timmons, N. R., and Beaman, J. (2004). Chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin: hunter behaviour, perceived risk, and agency trust. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 9, 193–209.
| Chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin: hunter behaviour, perceived risk, and agency trust.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Warton, D. I., and Hui, F. K. C. (2011). The arcsine is asinine: the analysis of proportions in ecology. Ecology 92, 3–10.
| The arcsine is asinine: the analysis of proportions in ecology.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
White, H. (1980). A heteroskedasticity-consistent covariance matrix estimator and direct test for heteroskedasticity. Econometrica 48, 817–838.
| A heteroskedasticity-consistent covariance matrix estimator and direct test for heteroskedasticity.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
