Hunting Zones Research Articles

Genetic Analysis of Standardized Collections of Cackling and Canada Goose Harvests

Abstract: Many states have established special harvest seasons and hunting zones to target overabundant populations of temperate‐nesting Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and protect less abundant northern‐nesting populations of Canada geese and cackling geese (B. hutchinsii). To meet management needs for spatially and temporally explicit harvest estimates, we utilized established methods of genetic stock identification and standardized harvest sample collections to estimate proportional contributions of cackling (B. h. hutchinsii) and Canada geese (B. c. maxima and B. c. interior) to 5 consecutive annual harvests (1998‐2002) in Michigan, USA. Harvest samples (n = 2,272) were analyzed for several seasons at statewide, regional, and local spatial scales. We expanded upon previous studies that used genetic methods to monitor cackling goose and Canada goose harvests by analyzing harvests within regional and local goose management areas. Likelihood ratio tests were also employed to compare harvest composition among spatial and temporal sampling groups. Tests revealed that proportions of giant and interior Canada geese within local harvests varied significantly during the fall in different hunt zones of Michigan and during different time periods. Adaptive management of temperate‐nesting and northern‐nesting geese would benefit from accurate estimates of harvest composition, as provided by genetic‐based methods. Quantification of changes in harvest composition as a function of variation in season opening date and duration, and bag limits can provide valuable insight into goose migratory behavior and population dynamics. Harvest composition estimates may be used to predict impacts of management prescriptions on mortality rates of specific breeding populations.

Raptor declines in West Africa: comparisons between protected, buffer and cultivated areas

AbstractSince 1970 there has been a dramatic decline of large raptors and terrestrial birds in West African savannahs. Comparative dry season transect counts over 4,697 km of driven transects were performed in 2004–2005 in south-eastern Burkina Faso to assess the abundance of 41 raptor species and large terrestrial species in four National Parks and surrounding hunting zones and cultivated areas. Population sizes were estimated for larger taxa in protected areas using distance sampling and nest searching. Most large vultures and eagles were generally found only in protected areas, with fewer individuals in the surrounding buffer zones and nearly none elsewhere. Conversely, the abundance of most of the smaller species was not different between protected and cultivated areas, and three species were more abundant in cultivated areas. Helmeted guineafowlNumida meleagris, Stanley’s bustardNeotis denhamiand Abyssinian ground hornbillBucorvus abyssinicuswere not found outside protected areas. Within the 1.4 million ha of protected areas in and around south-east Burkina Faso, six species of eagles and vultures have estimated populations ofc. 100–200 pairs, five speciesc. 50–100 pairs, five species have populations of <50 pairs, and the secretary birdSagittarius serpentariuswas not recorded. No specific reason for the collapse of large raptors in non-protected areas (which account for 99% of the area of the countries studied) has been identified, but the consequences of fast human population growth and habitat changes, overhunting, disturbances and poisoning may have played a critical role. Updating information on the conservation status of these species would be an important first step towards their long-term conservation.

Diet choice of large carnivores in northern Cameroon

AbstractThe diet of African wild dogs, lions and spotted hyenas was studied in the woodland savannah of Faro National Park and surrounding hunting zones in northern Cameroon during the dry season. Faecal analysis revealed that the diet of the three large carnivores overlaps considerably. Frequencies of prey remains of large and medium‐sized antelopes were highest, with Buffon's kob being by far the most common prey species. Carnivores seem to consume the most abundant prey species. No prey item of domestic livestock was found in the faeces. Faecal analysis has proved to be a useful method to reveal diet choice for large carnivores in northern Cameroon. Detailed information on the distribution and density of large carnivores and their prey is needed to give a better picture of the status of carnivores in northern Cameroon and to help resolve conflicts with livestock. Further investigations into the seasonal variation of predation and other factors structuring the large carnivore community in northern Cameroon are recommended.

Diet choice of large carnivores in northern Cameroon

AbstractThe diet of African wild dogs, lions and spotted hyenas was studied in the woodland savannah of Faro National Park and surrounding hunting zones in northern Cameroon during the dry season. Faecal analysis revealed that the diet of the three large carnivores overlaps considerably. Frequencies of prey remains of large and medium‐sized antelopes were highest, with Buffon's kob being by far the most common prey species. Carnivores seem to consume most abundant prey species. No prey item of domestic livestock was found in the faeces. Faecal analysis has proved to be a useful method to reveal diet choice for large carnivores in northern Cameroon. Detailed information on the distribution and density of large carnivores and their prey is needed to give a better picture of the status of carnivores in northern Cameroon and to help resolve conflicts with livestock. Further investigations into the seasonal variation of predation and other factors structuring the large carnivore community in northern Cameroon are recommended.

Aerial surveys for white-tailed deer with the double-count technique in Québec: two 5-year plans completed

Aerial surveys can provide direct density estimates for ungulates over large areas such as hunting zones, a prerequisite for intensive management. In 1991 Québec implemented double-count aerial surveys as part of its white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) management program, on a hunting-zone basis. This technique involves 2 independent observers located on the same side of an aircraft who simultaneously count animals in sample plots. Two 5-year survey plans have been successfully completed for the whole province. Deer densities for most zones could be estimated with a ±20% Cl (P = 0.90), while the survey provided less precise evaluations for subunits or individual wintering areas. A typical survey for a hunting zone with 200 plots (5 km × 60 m) required approximately 30–40 helicopter hours and cost $43, 000 Canadian, including salaries and travel expenses. The technique offers great potential for a variety of landscapes as part of deer management programs.

Including Spatial Heterogeneity and Animal Dispersal When Evaluating Hunting: a Model Analysis and an Empirical Assessment in an Amazonian Community

: Hunting in tropical forests is typically most intense near human settlements, and this creates gradients of decreasing animal densities toward those settlements. Within the context of this spatial pattern, we evaluated the status of game in the hunting grounds of an indigenous community in eastern Ecuador. We constructed a spatially explicit model of hunter‐prey interactions that mimicked the hunting in the village and included realistic animal‐dispersal rules. We compared predictions from the model with distributions of animal harvest rates and catch per unit effort of 12 game species. Six species were overharvested in part or all of the area, and two other species were probably being overharvested, although high dispersal rates complicated the interpretation. We then compared our method with methods that have been used previously. We argue that because our method provides information about the spatial extent of overharvesting, it could be particularly useful in informing decision makers about where to establish no‐take areas and could therefore aid in improving the sustainability of hunting in tropical forests.

Participatory approaches towards forest conservation: The case of Lobéké National Park, South east Cameroon

SUMMARY One of the biggest challenges for protected area management in most of Africa has been moving from an exclusive and colonial system to a participatory one that takes into consideration the interest of the local people. Lobéké National Park, situated in the southeast comer of the Republic of Cameroon has been at the centre of an ‘experimental process’ of putting in place a collaborative management system through local communities (Bantus and Baka pygmies) and private sector involvement in design and implementation of innovative collaboration platforms for management of natural resources of the area. As part of the process, five community hunting zones were established where these communities carry out subsistence hunting to meet protein needs and also lease their territories during particular periods of the year for sport hunting. The income generated was used for various development activities in the villages. This pioneering process has also been expanded to include collaborative conventions signed between local communities and various stakeholders operating in the region. It is hoped that the present initiative in Lobéké will be implemented for other protected areas being established in southeast Cameroon and on a national basis.

Preliminary results on movements of a radio-collared elephant in Lobéké National Park, south-east Cameroon

Athough actual numbers and movements are unclear the south east region of Cameroon harbours a significant population of forest elephants. Preliminary results from data collected for 8 months from a 5 year old male forest elephant radio collared in March 2001 suggest that elephants spent more time in the forest in the logging concessions and professional hunting zones that they did in the Lobeke NP itself. Initial results from the telemetry programme, which was part of WWF's Jengi project, confirm the need to step up protection efforts including anti-poaching patrols to curb the poaching and illegal ivory trade opportunities that are common within the logging concessions. Further monitoring on radio collared elephant will assist in determining important corridors and migratory routes within the trans-boundary conservation programme region involving contiguous protected areas in this region including the Dzanga-Sangha in Central African Republic, and Nouabale Ndoki NP in the Congo (where at least 3 elephant have been radio collared).

Classical swine fever in wild boar in the Lombardy region of Italy from 1997 to 2002

In 1997, outbreaks of classical swine fever occurred in wild boar and domestic pigs in the Italian province of Varese (Lombardy region). Statutory animal health measures were imposed, and a...

Collaborative Management in the Region of Lobéké, Cameroon: The Potentials and Constraints in Involving the Local Population in Protected Area Management

Introduction The region of Lac Lobeke is situated in the Congo Basin, in southeastern Cameroon. The Baka pygmies and several Bantu-speaking groups have lived here for centuries by agriculture, and hunting, fishing and collecting a great variety of forest products. The degradation and threat to biodiversity started with the arrival of German colonialists at the end of the nineteenth century. The colonisers provided incentives for the commercialisation of ivory, wood and non-timber forest products (NTFP), such as gum and strophantus. In the 1960s, international logging companies acquired concessions for logging, initiating an even more rapid process of environmental degradation and destruction. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), about 60 percent of the timber exported by Cameroon comes from illegal logging (Usongo June 2000). Additionally, easier access to the deeper forests and better transport conditions led to an increase in poaching of wildlife to such an extent that nowadays the biodiversity of the region is in very great danger. After the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 the World Bank created several conservation projects in the Congo Basin that prioritise global preservation in this region, since it represents the second largest area of tropical forest in the world. One of these projects was the `Project for Protection and Management of the Biodiversity of Southeast Cameroon'. This is financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), coordinated by the Ministry of Forestry of Cameroon, with technical support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) and the WWF. The aims of the project are the establishment of a regional development plan, including the Protected Areas (PAs), community hunting zones and other multiple zones. The WWF is committed to elaborating management plans for two future Protected Areas. One of the concepts envisaged for the management of the PAs is collaborative management. The aim is to involve the local population in decision making, monitoring and benefit sharing, in order to ensure an efficient protection of biodiversity and sustainable local development. In the following paragraphs we describe the relationship of the local population to their habitat. The agriculture, fishing, collecting and income needs in general are focused upon. Then the informal and formal property rights, such as the stakeholders involved in the collaborative management, are analysed. Finally, we discuss the potentials and constraints of a collaborative approach for the management of the National Park Lac Lobeke. (1) The Concept of Co-management Defining collaborative management Collaborative management--or, in short, co-management--consists, according to Townsend and Pooley (1995), of any set of institutional arrangements between relevant stakeholders that structure an external relationship for resource governance. As such, it has to be distinguished from an internal structure which is, for instance, found in a `pure' common property regime. Borrini-Feyerabend (1996: 17) has pointed out that collaborative management is not a tightly defined concept and that the term is used for a variety of institutional arrangements, ranging between mere consultation and the transfer of decision-making authority. Borrini-Feyerabend et al. (2000) define co-management as a situation in which two or more social actors negotiate, define and guarantee amongst themselves a fair sharing of the management functions, entitlements and responsibilities for a given territory, area or set of natural resources. The social actors, or stakeholders, primarily include the agency in charge (usually a state agency) and various associations of local residents and resource users. However, co-management can also involve non-governmental organisations, local administrations, traditional authorities, research institutions, business and others. Meinzen-Dick and Knox (1999) place co-management in the context of devolution, and distinguish collaborative management, wherein the state retains a role in resource management, from community-based resource management, wherein control over resources is transferred more or less completely to local user groups. …

Community attitudes towards wildlife management in the Bolivian Chaco

AbstractThe process of community wildlife management in the Izozog area of the Bolivian Chaco began with participatory field research – self-monitoring of hunting activities and research on key game species. On-going discussions in community meetings have elicited seven wildlife management recommendations: (1) establishing hunting zones, (2) hunting only adults, (3) hunting only males during the reproductive season, (4) hunting only for the family's needs, (5) hunting only abundant animals, (6) protecting plants that are important to wildlife, and (7) prohibiting hunting by outsiders. We compare community attitudes towards these management measures. A majority of communities favour, in decreasing order, measures 7, 4, 6 and 1, communities are divided with respect to measures 2 and 3, and most communities oppose measure 5. Two socio-economic characteristics of communities – location and ethnicity – are associated with patterns of attitudes towards wild-life management among communities, whereas religion, economic activity and community size are not. Izoceño communities are currently reinterpreting traditional beliefs both to support and to oppose active wildlife management measures.

Mode de dissemination des espèces les plus appetees par les elephants dans la zone Cynégétique de la Djona, les forets classees de Gouguon de la Sota et des environs, Nord-Benin

Discusses habitat and wide range of vegetation elephants in the area eat and denotes their preferred foods as found from dung analysis in the Djona Hunting Zone in the dry Sudan zone of northern Benin. Suggests elephants are well adapted to various habitats in this area which range from almost desert conditions through savanna to forested areas, two of which the animals spend significant time, namely the Goungoun and Sota Notes there seems to be about 99 elephants in the area at present . Their feeding behaviour and species preference were observed directly, often photographed, and germination of plants in dung was noted. Two tables list the parts of 25 plant species which elephant consume during February to May and from June to January respectively.

Preliminary assessment of the impacts of human activities on gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla and other wildlife at Dzanga-Sangha Reserve, Central African Republic

AbstractThe aim of this study was to make preliminary assessments of the effects of human activities on the gorillas and other wildlife in the Dzanga-Ndoki Park and broader Dzanga-Sangha Dense Forest Reserve (RDS), Central African Republic. During a month-long survey in 1997, observation and sign of humans and large mammals, including ape nest-sites, were recorded on 81.2 km of line transects in three sectors of the park and reserve. Human activities, including intensities of logging and hunting, appeared to decrease with distance from the population centres and were lower in the park than in the reserve sectors. Encounter rates with sign of duikers Cephalophus spp., monkeys Cercopithecus spp. and Cercocebus albigena, elephants Loxodonta africana, and gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla were generally lower in regions of high human activity in the reserve than in the park sectors. Nevertheless, gorilla nest-site densities did not vary significantly between sectors or with human activity levels. A high frequency of zero (bare ground) nests at RDS suggests that gorilla surveys that rely on line transect methods and use nest decomposition rates from other studies may sometimes underestimate gorilla densities. This study suggests that current levels of exploitation in managed hunting zones of national forest reserves may be negatively affecting targeted wildlife populations in these zones. Assessments should be a regular part of efforts to monitor the health of wildlife populations in managed protected zones. Participation by Central Africans in research will continue to benefit conservation and development efforts.

Impact of Village Hunting on Wildlife Populations in the Western Dja Reserve, Cameroon

Abstract: The Dja Biosphere Reserve, a lowland rainforest in southern Cameroon, supports extensive biotic communities with a high proportion of endemic fauna and flora. A growing human population afflicted by an economic crisis and a predilection for game meat has augmented pressures on the faunal resources. We conducted a 2‐year study to assess the spatial distribution and intensity of hunting in the western Dja Reserve and the implications for the management of these activities. We mapped the area where the villagers hunt, determined snare densities, and collected biological data on species killed. Surveys using standard line‐transect methodology were conducted on mammalian game species in the various hunting zones across strata of human‐disturbed and less‐disturbed areas. In the three hunting zones of the village of Mekas, snare density decreased as distance from the village increased. Despite a 64% lower snare density, the monthly overall capture rate was four times higher there than in the zone closest to the village. The number of animals that rotted on snares was three times higher in the farthest hunting region from the village. Except for the four common arboreal primates, encounter rates and densities of game species tended to decrease with proximity to human activity and with an increase in snare densities. Duikers (Cephalophus spp.) comprised 63.5% of animals killed. We used Robinson and Redford’s (1991) production model to determine the sustainability of the present harvest rates. Harvest rates of C. monticola, C. dorsalis, and C. callipygus in two of the hunting zones were between one and three times higher than the populations can theoretically sustain. As species are depleted, hunters will journey even further into the forest to hunt. To reduce waste, subsistence hunting should be limited to within 15 km of the village. Ecological studies to determine stochastic and deterministic influences on the duiker populations are required to ensure their conservation within the Dja Reserve.

Impact of Hunting on Large Vertebrates in the Mbaracayu Reserve, Paraguay

Over 1,400,000 m of line transect data were collected in collaboration with Ache Indians to determine encounter rates with all large vertebrates in the Mbaracayu Reserve Paraguay. The data were analyzed using logistic regression in order to determine the impact of human hunting on animal encounter rates in the reserve. The method controlled for effects of season, weather, time of day, and habitat in order to statistically isolate the human predation effect. Encounters with the animals themselves as well as fresh signs of their activity allowed us to determine whether lower encounter rates in hunted zones are simply due to increased wariness by target species. Our results show that areas near hunters are hunted more frequently, and that Dasypus novemcinctus, Cebus apella, Tapirus terrestris, and Mazama spp. are all encountered at lower rates in those areas than in unhunted zones. We were unable to show that encounter rates with other important game species have been affected by human hunting. Demonstration of local depletion by central place foragers is expected, however, and cannot be used to conclude that prey species are in danger of regional extirpation.Impacto de la Captura de Vertebrados Mayores en la Reserva de Mbaracayu, ParaguayDatos de mas de 1,400,000 m de transectos en linea fueron colectados en colaboración con los indios Ache para determinar las tasas de encuentro con vertebrados mayores en la reserva Mbaracayu del Paraguay. Los datos fueron analizados usando regresión logística para determinar el impacto de la cazería sobre la tasa de encuentros en la reserva. El método fue controlado para aislar el efecto de la depredación humana de los efectos de la estación, el clima, la hora del día y el tipo de habitat. Los encuentros con animales, así como marcas frescas de su actividad nos permitieron determinar si las tasas bajas de encuentros en las zonas de caza son simplemente debidas al incremento en la alerta de las especies blanco. Nuestros resultados muestran que las áreas cercanas a los cazadores son utilizadas mas frecuentemente y que Dasypus novemcinctus, Cebus apella, tapirus terrestris y Mazama spp. se encuentran todos en menor proporción que en las áreas no utilizadas para la cazería. No pudimos demostrar que las tasas de encuentros con otras especies de caza importantes han sido afectadas por la caza humana. Esperamos una disminución local debida a la presencia de forrajeros centrales, aunque esto no puede ser utilizado para concluir que las especies de presas se encuentran en peligro de una extirpación regional.

A bioeconomic model for estimating the optimal level of deer and tag sales

This paper presents a dynamic model that determines the optimal number of deer hunting permit sales, subject to the objective of maximizing the discounted economic benefits stream from both the consumptive and nonconsumptive uses of deer. This bioeconomic model integrates economic benefits estimated using the dichotomous choice contingent valuation method with biological growth constraints on deer. Using a hunting zone in California as a case study, the model found that the optimal levels of buck hunting permits sold should change on a rotational basis over time and that the current practice of not selling doe hunting permits for that zone is non optimal.

Spatial components of foraging behavior in an African Ponerine ant,Paltothyreus tarsatus

Colonies of the African stink ant Paltothyreus tarsatuslocated in the forest have nests with shorter horizontal galleries and a smaller total foraging surface than colonies located in open areas. Each solitary worker specializes on the same central or peripheral hunting zone but she does not specialize on a particular sector during group-retrieving. The search for prey is characterized by a wandering walk with spatial parameters varying in two ways. Capture of a termite releases a path characterized by sinuosity and a decrease in speed of movement. In contrast, a failure in the course of an attempted capture releases an increase in both sinuosity and speed of movement corresponding to a socalled “reserve” behavior. Each worker shortens her retrieving trip in comparison with her search trip and the straightness of the homing paths depends on the size and shape of the prey. Our data show that behavioral flexibility at the individual level in P. tarsatusis important in determining spatial foraging strategy at the colony level.

A GEOGRAPHICAL SIGNICANCE OF THE NUMBER OF HUNTED DEER AND WILD-BOAR IN OKAYAMA DISTRICT, WEST JAPAN

It is said that the ecological systems of big wild mammals are closely connected in many points with the Oecumene of mankind. For this reason, the author expected to get some clues to the structure of the Oecumene through the examinations of variations in ecological characteristics of those systems. As the population is a better indicator of geographical conditions of the area, so the numbers of wild mammals will be a good indicator of their ecological systems. Then he has investigated some data of the numbers of wild mammals from various materials. Some of the materials are located in the Documents of Ikeda Library at Okayama University. These documents consist of the official diary of the Okayama Clan, a large feudal domain from the 17th to the 19th Century, and other official or private papers of the lords. The diary contains the numbers of wild mammals and birds which were hunted by the lords of this clan. In this report, the author investigated mainly the ups and downs of the hunted numbers of wild-boar and deer in three hunting zones on the hills at the north and north-east outskirts of Okayama City, and other areas. The names of the hills are Handa-yama, Tatsunokuchi-yama and Takakura-yama from west to north-east in turn. The hills must have been designated as hunting zones, since they were located along a big river, Asahi-gawa, through which they were easily accessible by boat. Because the huntings of the lord used to require thousands of corvée peoples who were obliged to surround the hill and drive mammals into a corner of a valley, where the lord stood waiting and shot them. These huntings would be a great training for battle operations at that age as well as a festival. The author observed vegetations, rocks, sizes and other conditions of ground surfaces of the hills, which have many relations to the mammal life. With the results of his observation, he examined other data in the Okayma domain at different poriods from the 17th to the 19th Century. The conclusions are as follows; in the former period of the Edo Era, the Okayama Clan did not yet obtain the exclusive possession of certain hunting zones, only making a temporary hunting area on occassion. In the area of Okayama at that time, there presumably existed a great number of wild mammals, since the lord caught 40 to 60 deer or more in every hunting by using bows and arrows only. But as the forest protective policy of the clan was carried into effect, dense forests and bushes in the domain turned into good habitats for wild-boar, and, on the contrary, deer which liked open grasslands diminished in number. For instance, in the Kojima Peninsula, where manufactures and fishery were prosperous, the type of agricultural management turned into intensive one on the small fields and the grassland for cattle turned gradually into forests or bushes. Then deer disappeared all over the peninsula, whereas wild-boad and hare increased in number. At the last stage of this period, the clan began to obtain some exclusive possession of hunting zones confined to certain aeras such as the three hills mentioned above, so there came the concentration of many wild mammals in the area. The reason for this concentration would be that the reclamation and clearing of lands had been encouraged since that time. These prohibited hunting zones became a great annoyance for the inhabitants in the neighborhood. Many suit papers against it are found in the Library. According to other records at the time, however, there is an undeniable evidence that the population density of wild big mammals rather decreased in every part of the domain. In the latter period of the Edo Era, formal hunting of the clan was held only in the above mentioned zones, among which the number of hunted deer increased especially at Takakura-yama, whereas the numbers of wild-boar and hare diminished. But no such distinct fluctuations were recognized in the other two zones.