Effectiveness and costs of helicopter-based shooting of deer

Bengsen, Andrew J.; Forsyth, David M.; Pople, Anthony; Brennan, Michael; Amos, Matt; Leeson, Mal; Cox, Tarnya E.; Gray, Bec; Orgill, Ollie; Hampton, Jordan O.; Crittle, Troy; Haebich, Kym

doi:10.1071/wr21156

Cited by 27 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 58 publications

(149 reference statements)

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“…Helicopter-based aerial shooting is a cost-effective tool for feral deer control (Bengsen et al 2022).…”

Section: Cost Effectivenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The largest expense associated with aerial culling is helicopter flight time (Bengsen et al 2022), largely driven by the cost of aviation fuel. The approximate $2,500 cost hour -1 of flight time for a B2/B3…”

Section: Cost Effectivenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…P3, P4, and P5 are separate components of a large program. All costs in AU$ and include goods and services tax.Aerial culling can be an effective, rapid, and humane means for removing large numbers of feral deer(Bengsen et al 2022;Husheer and Robertson 2005;Pulsford et al 2023), feral pigs(Cox et al 2022), and other pest species in vast, remote, and inaccessible landscapes. Over the last three years, South Australia's aerial culling programs have removed approximately 3,000 feral deer per year (BDO EconSearch 2022).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Aerial culling feral fallow deer with shotguns improves efficiency and welfare outcomes

Bradshaw¹,

Doube²,

Scanlon³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Feral deer are some of Australia’s worst emerging pest species. Recently, the Government of South Australia launched a four-year program to reduce the populations of feral fallow deer (Dama dama). The program will focus on coordinating landscape-scale aerial culls and seeks to deliver the most efficient and humane approach to aerial culling. We sourced data from a recent program trialling a new approach to aerial culling that incorporated advanced thermal technology and a second shooter with a shotgun to target fallow deer. We reviewed available video and audio records of 104 deer culled in the program to assess efficiency and welfare outcomes. We collected information on the number of shotgun and rifle rounds fired per animal, time between first shot with a shotgun and confirmed death, and pursuit time. We completed field dissections of 20 individuals targeted in the program to assess the lethality of wounds inflicted with shotgun pellets. We also compared program costs and efficiency against published and unpublished data from ten other aerial-culling programs for feral deer in South Australia since 2009. A total of 383 shotgun rounds and 10 rifle rounds were used on 104 fallow deer in the focal program. We documented strong improvements to animal welfare for feral deer targeted with shotguns. The mean (± standard error) time between first shot and confirmed kill with a shotgun was 11.1 ± 0.7 seconds; mean pursuit time between detection and a confirmed kill was 49.5 ± 3.4 seconds. Pursuit time increased with subsequent deer controlled within a group; the maximum pursuit time for any individual was 159.0 seconds. All autopsied animals had received lethal wounds from shotgun pellets, with 100% receiving lung-penetrating damage and 70% also receiving heart-penetrating damage. While a program that uses a shotgun and rifle combined with a second shooter and thermographer can cost more to mobilise, the outcomes measured in cost deer-1 made it the most cost-effective approach of any program we assessed. Control options that deliver improved animal welfare outcomes and increase efficiency are desirable for managing expanding populations of feral deer in South Australia and elsewhere.

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“…Helicopter-based aerial shooting is a cost-effective tool for feral deer control (Bengsen et al 2022).…”

Section: Cost Effectivenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Cost Effectivenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Aerial culling feral fallow deer with shotguns improves efficiency and welfare outcomes

Bradshaw¹,

Doube²,

Scanlon³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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show abstract

“…Following Iacona et al (2018) and Bengsen et al (2022), we grouped costs on the basis of their scaling potential (Supplementary Table S1). The 'organisational costs' represent fixed annual labour time and therefore scale down with increased ground-shooting effort during the year.…”

Section: Costing Toolmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cost-effectiveness of volunteer and contract ground-based shooting of sambar deer in Australia

et al. 2022

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Context. Introduced sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) are increasing in south-eastern Australia, and both volunteer and contract ground-based shooters are being used by management agencies to control their undesirable impacts. However, little is known about the effectiveness and costs of volunteer and contract shooters for controlling deer populations in Australia. Aims. We evaluated the effectiveness and costs of volunteer and contract ground-based shooters for controlling sambar deer and their impacts in a 5-year management program conducted in and around alpine peatlands in Alpine National Park, Victoria. Methods. Ground-based shooting operations were organised in two blocks. Within each block, four ~4200-ha management units were delimited, of which two were randomly assigned as treatment (ground-based shooting) and two as non-treatment (no organised ground-based shooting). In the treatment units, ground-based shooting was conducted using either volunteers or contractors. Each shooting team recorded their effort and the numbers of deer seen and shot, and used a GPS to record their track log and the time and locations of deer shot. Key costs were recorded for both shooter types. Key results. The catch per unit effort of contract shooters was four times greater than that of volunteer shooters. Both shooter types were most effective during the first half of the night and prior to sunrise, and when using a vehicle with a spotlight or walking with thermal-vision equipment. During the day, the use of gundogs to indicate deer significantly increased the success rate of volunteer shooters. Both volunteer and contract shooters used roads and tracks to move in the landscape, but contractors covered more ground than did volunteers. After accounting for key operational costs, the cost per deer killed was 10.1% higher for contract than volunteer shooters. Conclusions. The effectiveness of ground-based shooters is increased by operating at night using vehicles, spotlights and thermal-vision equipment. Contract shooters kill sambar deer at a faster rate, but are slightly more expensive per deer killed, than are volunteer shooters. Implications. Ground-based shooting is likely to be most effective when conducted at night with thermal-vision equipment, and in areas with a high density of roads and tracks.

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“…Deer are subject to several forms of population control, all being based on lethal shooting. These include commercial harvesting on agricultural land (Watter et al 2020), aerial shooting (Bengsen et al 2022;Hampton et al 2022a), professional ground-based culling (Comte et al 2022a), and recreational hunting (Moloney et al 2022). Recreational hunters kill large numbers of deer annually in Australia (Moloney et al 2022) and New Zealand (Kerr and Abell 2014).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterising a unique recreational hunting method: hound hunting of sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) in Victoria, Australia

Hampton

Bengsen²,

Comte³

et al. 2022

Wildlife Res.

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Context. Scent-trailing dogs ('hounds') are used to hunt introduced sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) in south-eastern Australia, but little is known about this recreational hunting technique. Aim. The aim of this study was to characterise hound hunting of sambar deer in Victoria, Australia. Our study had three objectives as follows: (1) to report the hunting success of the technique; (2) to estimate pursuit times and distances; and (3) to investigate the landscape features associated with kill sites. Methods. Data were collected from four hound-hunting crews during 2020-2021. GPS data from collars fitted to hounds were used to quantify hunt duration (min) and hunt distance (m). Logistic regression was used to estimate the effects of deer sex and hound pack size on the probability of hunting success. We used a Bayesian multinomial regression resource selection function (RSF) to identify the characteristics of sites where deer were killed (elevation, aspect, and distances to water and roads). Key results. The four hunting teams ranged in size from 2 to 10 people and from one to eight hounds. Of 136 hunts, most (88%) harvested a deer, with pursued deer escaping on the other 12% of occasions. Pursuit times and distances were highly variable, with pursuit time >60 min for 46% of hunts and pursuit distance >5 km for 30% of hunts. The probability of killing a pursued male and female deer were similar, and there was not a positive relationship between pack size and hunt success. The RSF showed that both male and female deer were more likely to be killed on steeper slopes and closer to roads. Conclusions. Successful hound hunting of sambar deer involves pursuits of considerable duration and requires a network of roads, with geographical features associated with deer kills sites being related to hunter access. Implications. Hound hunting may be a useful wildlife management tool for land managers, but further studies are needed to assess its efficacy for achieving management goals.

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Effectiveness and costs of helicopter-based shooting of deer

Cited by 27 publications

References 58 publications

Aerial culling feral fallow deer with shotguns improves efficiency and welfare outcomes

Aerial culling feral fallow deer with shotguns improves efficiency and welfare outcomes

Cost-effectiveness of volunteer and contract ground-based shooting of sambar deer in Australia

Characterising a unique recreational hunting method: hound hunting of sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) in Victoria, Australia

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