Hunting as a management tool? Cougar-human conflict is positively related to trophy hunting.

Kristine J Teichman,Chris T Darimont,Bogdan Cristescu

doi:10.1186/s12898-016-0098-4

Abstract

BackgroundOverexploitation and persecution of large carnivores resulting from conflict with humans comprise major causes of declines worldwide. Although little is known about the interplay between these mortality types, hunting of predators remains a common management strategy aimed at reducing predator-human conflict. Emerging theory and data, however, caution that such policy can alter the age structure of populations, triggering increased conflict in which conflict-prone juveniles are involved.ResultsUsing a 30-year dataset on human-caused cougar (Puma concolor) kills in British Columbia (BC), Canada, we examined relationships between hunter-caused and conflict-associated mortality. Individuals that were killed via conflict with humans were younger than hunted cougars. Accounting for human density and habitat productivity, human hunting pressure during or before the year of conflict comprised the most important variables. Both were associated with increased male cougar-human conflict. Moreover, in each of five regions assessed, conflict was higher with increased human hunting pressure for at least one cougar sex.ConclusionAlthough only providing correlative evidence, such patterns over large geographic and temporal scales suggest that alternative approaches to conflict mitigation might yield more effective outcomes for humans as well as cougar populations and the individuals within populations.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12898-016-0098-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Highlights

Overexploitation and persecution of large carnivores resulting from conflict with humans comprise major causes of declines worldwide
Spatial data included universal transverse mercator (UTM) coordinates and we considered only conflict and legal hunting records occurring within the 5 of 8 total ‘development regions’ of British Columbia (BC) in which mortality was highest (Cariboo, Kootenay, Lower Mainland South-West (SW), Thompson Okanagan and Vancouver Island)
Skull sizes differed between kill types for males in 4 of the 5 BC regions, larger for hunter-killed than for conflict-killed males for Cariboo (Two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum z = −1.959, df = 329, P = 0.050), Lower Mainland SW (Two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum z = −2.195, df = 113, P = 0.028), Thompson Okanagan (Two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum z = −2.210, df = 763, P = 0.027) and Vancouver Island (Two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum z = −2.762, df = 571, P = 0.006) (Fig. 1a)

Summary

Introduction

Overexploitation and persecution of large carnivores resulting from conflict with humans comprise major causes of declines worldwide. The process is thought to operate via shifts in age composition to younger age animals, which might depredate more because of higher encounter rates with livestock This process is thought to occur via the increased mobility of juvenile age classes of carnivores caused by decline in adult male territory tenure [14]. Young individuals become locally more abundant and thereby have increased chance of encountering livestock—and/or young animals might be bolder, more curious or lacking experience in interactions with people [15] or in capturing wild prey effectively [16] These factors suggest that younger animals are more conflict-prone (hereafter, ‘young animal hypothesis’). Hunting, culling or other lethal control targeted at specific individuals (e.g. those involved in livestock predation) may reduce conflict (‘problem individuals hypothesis’; e.g., [16]), which has been challenged by the assertion that dispersing individuals often quickly recolonize conflict areas, offering only temporary relief [17]

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