Resource selection of deer hunters in Georgia's Appalachian Mountains

Abstract

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and hunters on 2 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) within the Chattahoochee National Forest of northern Georgia, USA, significantly declined in number from the 1980s to 2018. Managers were interested in understanding how they could manipulate hunter distribution according to deer management goals. To understand the spatial distribution of hunting pressure and factors driving hunter resource selection, we analyzed GPS tracking data from 58 deer hunters over the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 hunting seasons. We evaluated hunter selection on 3 spatial scales relative to elevation, slope, and distance from roads, trails, wildlife openings, deciduous forest, mixed forest, and evergreen forest. We incorporated covariates into 6 binary logistic regression models, plus a null model, within a used versus available framework. First, we compared hunter locations to available locations generated within the 2 WMAs.Elevation and distance to deciduous forest had the greatest effect on hunter selection, where hunters selected for lower elevations and closer proximity to deciduous forest. Second, we compared individual hunting bout locations to available locations generated within a buffer around the hunter's starting location with a buffer radius equal to the maximum distance they travelled from their starting location. At the bout

Female Deer Movements Relative to Firearms Hunting in Northern Georgia, USA

“…Based on the land area to hunter ratio, there was only 1 hunter for every deer's 90% UD. Furthermore, Rosenberger et al [39] found that hunting pressure was not uniform across the same study area. While hunters on the WMAs in our study area selected areas closer to deciduous forest and wildlife openings [39], the 90% UDs of female deer only averaged 17% deciduous forest and were an average distance of 553 m from a wildlife opening.…”

“…Furthermore, Rosenberger et al [39] found that hunting pressure was not uniform across the same study area. While hunters on the WMAs in our study area selected areas closer to deciduous forest and wildlife openings [39], the 90% UDs of female deer only averaged 17% deciduous forest and were an average distance of 553 m from a wildlife opening. Overall, the average relative probability of hunter selection within the 90% UDs was 27%.…”

“…Hunter Selection: We used ArcGIS Pro 2.8 (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., Redlands, CA, USA) to calculate the average relative probability of hunter selection within 90% UDs. This is based on Rosenberger et al [39], where the relative probability of a hunter selecting each 30 m pixel across the WMAs was estimated based on elevation, slope, three forest cover types, and distance to roads, trails, and openings. On the WMA scale, hunters showed a stronger preference for lower elevations and areas closer to deciduous forests relative to the other covariates.…”

Success is dependent on effort: Unraveling characteristics of successful deer and elk hunters

“…Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau 2016). With fewer sport hunters afield (Stedman et al 2004, Rosenberger et al 2021, Rosenberger et al 2022), coupled with decreasing access for hunters on private lands (Haggerty and Travis 2006, Fontaine et al 2019), managers have fewer options to manage game populations across landownerships, including reduced decision space to lessen depredation of crops and other resources (Walter et al 2010, Johnson et al 2014). Thus, investigating factors that contribute to hunter success can help inform wildlife population management and hunting season structure (Schmidt et al 2005, Ward et al 2008).…”