Is hunting an effective tool to control overabundant deer? A test using an experimental approach

Abstract

Overabundant populations of cervids have induced drastic negative effects on plant communities in several regions worldwide. Antlerless deer harvest by sport hunters has been proposed as a potential solution to overabundance because the philopatric behavior of female deer is expected to limit recolonization of hunted zones. The efficiency of this method, however, has rarely been tested in the wild. Using a largescale experimental design, we reduced white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) density within 5 20-km 2 areas on Anticosti Island (Québec, Canada). Our objective was to harvest 50% of antlerless deer in each site during the first year of the study in 2002, and 30% from 2003 to 2006. We monitored deer density, vegetation abundance and growth as well as deer life-history traits during 6 years in these experimental sites and in 5 control sites where harvest rate was 5-7%. Overall, we achieved 93% of harvest objectives. Contrary to our expectations, however, deer density, vegetation abundance and growth, and deer life-history traits did not vary differently in experimental and control sites during the study period. They rather varied stochastically but synchronously. We discuss several alternative hypotheses that may explain these results, including 1) compensatory mechanisms, 2) biases in density estimates, 3) limited access to territory for hunters, 4) large target areas for localized management, 5) low hunter density, 6) recolonization by surrounding deer, 7) slow plant response under canopy cover, and 8) bottom-up mechanisms. Given the large efforts invested in this study, we conclude that the local control of abundant cervid populations through sport hunting may be difficult to achieve in many natural environments. ß 2012 The Wildlife Society.

A test of the compensatory mortality hypothesis in mountain lions: A management experiment in West‐Central Montana

“…Under the compensatory mortality hypothesis, harvest mortalities are compensated by reductions in non‐harvest mortality (compensatory mortality), increases in reproduction (compensatory natality), or immigration (Boyce et al , Williams et al , Turgeon and Kramer ). Evidence of compensation has been shown in a variety of species including game birds (Burnham and Anderson , Sandercock et al ), ungulates (Bartmann et al , Simard et al ), and carnivores (Sterling et al , Sparkman et al ). All mortality is not compensatory, however, as evidenced by the numerous populations that have been threatened or driven to extinction by overharvest (e.g., Baker and Clapham , McGlone ).…”

Short-term effects of hunting on naïve black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis): behavioural response and consequences on vegetation growth

“…However, in practice, hunting levels required to reach management goals may be difficult to achieve (Williams et al 2012;Simard et al 2013) and (or) are socially unacceptable (Garrott et al 1993;Rutberg 1997).…”

Hunting for fear: innovating management of human–wildlife conflicts

“…However, current hunting practices struggle to reduce densities to a level that results in acceptable ungulate impact (Simard et al . ), and scientists are increasingly calling for alternative management models (McShea ). In this article, we speculate that ‘hunting for fear’, aimed at creating a behavioural response in ungulates, could offer novel ways to help manage ungulate ecosystem impacts.…”