Wildlife population and harvest trends in the United States: a technical document supporting the Forest Service 2010 RPA Assessment

Abstract

The Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA) of 1974 requires periodic assessments of the condition and trends of the nation's renewable natural resources. Data from many sources were used to document recent historical trends in big game, small game, migratory game birds, furbearers, nongame, and imperiled species. Big game and waterfowl have generally increased in population and harvest trends. Many small upland and webless migratory game bird species have declined notably in population or harvest. Considerable declines in fur harvest since the 2000 RPA Assessment have occurred. Among the 426 breeding bird species with sufficient data to estimate nationwide trends, 45 percent had stable abundance since the mid-1960s; however, more species declined (31 percent) than increased (24 percent). A total of 1,368 bird species were formally listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act-a net gain of 278 species since the 2000 RPA Assessment. Most forest bird communities are expected to support a lower variety of species. America's wildlife resources will continue to be pressured by diverse demands for ecosystem services from humans. Collaborative planning and management among private and public land owners, and which spans the research and management branches of the Forest Service, will be vital to conserving and sustaining the nation's wildlife resources.

A global indicator of utilised wildlife populations: regional trends and the impact of management

“…Over half of the bird and mammal (55%) and freshwater fish (54%) populations in the North America index showed a declining trend. Interestingly, other analyses of trends in the United States over a similar time period showed largely positive national trends for some big game species, although declines were seen in smaller game birds (Flather, Knowles et al 2013). One reason for the difference is likely to be the inclusion of more species in this analysis but also that freshwater fish comprised a large proportion of the utilised data set and this may be driving the average trend to an overall decline.…”

Problematic White-Tailed Deer Information in Regarding Past and Future Tick (Amblyomma americanum, Acari: Ixodidae) Distributions

“…Webb (2018) finds a significant decline from 2000 into 2016 (black line). Using a sample from 29 states, a study for the U.S. Forest Service ( Flather et al, 2013 ) also finds the white-tailed deer population peaking in the year 2000, but with only a modest decline into 2010. Deer population trends vary by state and by region within states.…”

Sex‐Specific Behaviors of Hunted Mule Deer During Rifle Season

“…Most studies evaluating effects of human disturbance on wildlife, and specifically ungulates, have focused on roads and traffic (Gagnon et al 2007, Ciuti et al 2012 a , Polfus and Krausman 2012), energy development (Hebblewhite 2011, Northrup and Wittemyer 2013), recreation (Fortin and Andruskiw 2003, Stankowich 2008, Harris et al 2014), and other broad‐scale habitat alterations (Smith et al 2000). Although often overlooked as a source of human disturbance, hunting is one of the most widespread forms of disturbance ungulates encounter (e.g., Asia, Steinmetz et al 2010; Africa, Crosmary et al 2012; Europe, Bonnot et al 2013), especially in western North America (Stankowich 2008, Paton et al 2017, Brown et al 2020), where hunters harvest approximately 160,000 elk ( Cervus canadensis ) and 336,000 mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ) each year (Flather et al 2013, Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 2019). In Wyoming, USA, around 100,000 hunters spend approximately 650,000 days each year, collectively, hunting elk and mule deer (Wyoming Game and Fish Department 2018), much of which involves the use of motorized vehicles.…”