Decoding hunter and prey movements: Insights to improve wildlife management and hunting success

Hunting is a popular recreational pursuit that can provide social, economic, and ecological benefits. It also serves as a primary tool for managing deer and elk populations. Yet hunter behavior—how different types of hunters (elk vs deer, rifle vs archery) use landscapes and the factors that influence hunting success—is seldom quantified.

Scientists at the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range collected real-time data from tracking units worn by hunters to better understand their movements as well as how deer and elk respond to their presence. They found that hunters used a small portion of the available landscape. Hunters that scouted before the hunt and spent more time in the field hunting were generally more successful. Prey response differed by species and hunt types. Elk shifted their distribution during hunts to avoid open roads; mule deer stayed within their ranges but moved faster thus spending more energy to avoid humans.

This information may help land managers looking to improve hunter satisfaction, maintain healthy populations of game species, and minimize damage to private land. Understanding how different hunter groups use a landscape, and the population-level consequences that hunting may have for deer and elk, can inform the design of hunting seasons. Strategically managing open roads, cover, and forage areas can support the health, distribution, and abundance of game species.

Citation

Kantor, Sylvia; Rowland, Mary; Wisdom, Michael; Clark, Darren. 2024. Decoding hunter and prey movements: Insights to improve wildlife management and hunting success. Science Findings 269. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 6 p.

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