Wildlife Harvesting Research Articles

Weekend warriors: contrasting temporal patterns in the harvest of three species of boreal ungulates

Understanding the drivers that shape hunter behaviour and success can help guide management decisions regarding hunting. Although there has been work on the socioeconomic and environmental drivers of hunter effort, less quantitative analysis of the temporal patterns of wildlife harvest has been available. Yet, knowing when hunters are most active may be useful for distributing the spatiotemporal allotment of hunting opportunities where real or perceived issues of hunt quality (e.g. hunter congestion) or negative impacts to local people or target and non‐target wildlife species are of concern. As a case study, we used generalized linear models to examine the effect of season, day of week (i.e. weekday versus weekends), and holidays on 26–28 years of harvest data for bison Bison bison, thinhorn sheep Ovis dalli, and moose Alces americanus in Yukon, Canada. These species are important in regional socioecological systems and highly prized by local hunters. For all three species, harvest was significantly greater on weekends than weekdays. Most of the harvest for thinhorn sheep occurred early in the season, consistent with an ‘opening day' phenomenon, whereas that for moose and bison started slowly and increased throughout the season. For all three species harvest was not significantly influenced by holidays. Bison harvest, however, was influenced in relation to public school holidays, with harvest decreasing over the winter (Christmas) break and increasing over spring break in March. Differences between these three species are likely due to species‐specific hunting strategies, the behaviour of each species, hunter competition, and seasonal climate. Identifying patterns in hunter effort and harvest can inform wildlife management decisions on permit allocation. However, our data indicate that species‐specific patterns vary substantially, even in the same region, and need to be understood for proposed changes to the timing of hunting opportunities to be effective.

Wildlife harvests can advance food security and the food systems agenda.

Wildlife harvests can advance food security and the food systems agenda.

Ecosystem services from wildlife harvests.

Ecosystem services from wildlife harvests.

Wildlife harvesting from the Afaka Forest Reserve, Kaduna, Nigeria: The prosperity–posterity crossroad

This study examined the harvesting of wildlife from the Afaka Forest Reserve from the standpoint of economic benefits and sustainability. The data for this study were collected using questionnaire and interview in 2017 from eight communities around the Afaka Forest Reserve, Kaduna State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling approach was adopted to collect data from 134 respondents who harvest wildlife from the Reserve. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis, and Gini Index analysis. The findings revealed that wildlife incomes from animals like rabbits, porcupines, bats, and monitor lizards contributed 18.41% of total incomes of communities living around the Afaka Forest Reserve in Kaduna State in 2015. Sixty-one percent of the respondents harvested wildlife at least once in a week. Gross margin was highest in porcupine harvesting (N26, 872.73) while the highest return per Naira invested (N8.02) accrued to harvesting of insects. The average gross margin was N10, 610.86 while average return on investment was N2.35. Wildlife income had a reducing effect on income inequality as the marginal effect of wildlife income on Gini index of total income was -0.0883 meaning a 10% increase in wildlife incomes reduces inequality by about 0.9%. The study recommends that wildlife harvesting regulations which curb indiscriminate harvesting should be enforced alongside continuous sensitization of communities on the importance of sustainable harvesting practices towards a balanced prosperity-posterity equation.

Snow depth influences harvest of a boreal ungulate more than socio-economic factors: Implications for food security in a changing climate

Climate change may affect the ability of hunters to harvest wildlife and, hence, threaten food security of local people. However, few studies have investigated the relative influence of environmental conditions on wildlife harvest rates. We harnessed a 24-year dataset of harvest dates for a boreal ungulate in a region where climate change is having pronounced impacts on snow depth, precipitation, and temperatures to investigate the effect of weather on harvest rates. We used generalized linear models and a model selection framework to examine the influence of weather covariates (snow depth, mean daily temperature, precipitation) and socio-economic factors (gasoline and red meat prices, employment rates, and moose [Alces americanus] harvest) on harvest rates of bison (Bison bison) in Yukon, Canada, at two temporal scales: annual and daily. At an annual scale, snow depth was the only covariate that was important in explaining bison harvest. No socioeconomic variables improved our model beyond the null. At the daily scale, snow depth and mean daily temperature influenced bison harvest rates, with a 1 SD increase resulting in a 14 % and 9 % increase in daily harvest rates, respectively. Increased snow depth facilitates ease of travel in remote, roadless areas by snowmobile to locate bison and truncates movements of bison, resulting in increased harvest rates. Decreased snow depth due to climate change will impact hunter access to boreal ungulates and food security for northern people. More broadly, our data suggests that in some socioecological systems, environmental covariates have a greater influence on wildlife harvest rates than socioeconomic factors and need to be considered in future studies to better understand and predict harvest rates.

Assessing the illegal hunting of native wildlife in China.

Illegal harvesting and trading of wildlife have become major threats to global biodiversity and public health1-3. Although China is widely recognized as an important destination for wildlife illegally obtained abroad4, little attention has been given to illegal hunting within its borders. Here we extracted 9,256 convictions for illegal hunting from a nationwide database of trial verdicts in China spanning January 2014 to March 2020. These convictions involved illegal hunting of 21% (n = 673) of China's amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal species, including 25% of imperilled species in these groups. Sample-based extrapolation indicates that many more species were taken illegally during this period. Larger body mass and range size (for all groups), and proximity to urban markets (for amphibians and birds) increase the probability of a species appearing in the convictions database. Convictions pertained overwhelmingly to illegal hunting for commercial purposes and involved all major habitats across China. A small number of convictions represented most of the animals taken, indicating the existence of large commercial poaching operations. Prefectures closer to urban markets show higher densities of convictions and more individual animals taken. Our results suggest that illegal hunting is a major, overlooked threat to biodiversity throughout China.

A modelling approach to inform regional cumulative effects assessment in northern Ontario

Cumulatively, the effects of resource extraction and climate change have the potential to cause an unprecedented change to the ecosystems and livelihoods of Indigenous communities in Canada’s northern regions. Maintaining environmental and community values in the presence of such change will require a comprehensive understanding of potential long-term risks and opportunities to prevent or mitigate risks at the regional level. However, assessing the cumulative impact and benefits of the multiple disturbances at the regional level is complex due to the interaction of numerous drivers, values, actors, assessment scales, planning, and decision-making processes. We develop an integrated risk and cumulative effects (CE) management methodology to inform regional assessment by combining conceptual modelling through bowtie analysis and quantitative scenario analysis using ALCES Online (AO) simulation. We applied the framework using a case example in the Ring of Fire region of northern Ontario, Canada, to assess the CE of climate change, land use change, and wildlife harvest on the moose (Alces alces)-wolf (Canis lupus)-caribou (Rangifer tarandus) prey-predator system. The bowtie risk analysis provided a mechanism to define the management problem by identifying threats that contribute to risk, associated consequences, and specific management strategies that could be pursued under legislative frameworks and changes to maintain the sustainable dynamics of the moose-wolf-caribou system (MWC). The AO simulation of different levels of development and moose harvest, as well a baseline scenario that excluded climate change and development, allowed for a comprehensive examination of the complex processes driving the social-ecological system. The scenario analysis suggests that moose harvest can promote balance in the MWC system but only if applied in a sophisticated manner that limits moose harvest in areas with high road density, increases moose harvest in more remote regions susceptible to moose population expansion with climate change, and prioritizes Indigenous moose harvest to ensure a sustainable supply of moose for subsistence harvest. The case example shows how conceptual and quantitative modelling can provide the strategic perspective required for regional assessment.

The evolution of parasite virulence under targeted culling and harvesting in wildlife and livestock.

There is a clear need to understand the effect of human intervention on the evolution of infectious disease. In particular, culling and harvesting of both wildlife and managed livestock populations are carried out in a wide range of management practices, and they have the potential to impact the evolution of a broad range of disease characteristics. Applying eco-evolutionary theory we show that once culling/harvesting becomes targeted on specific disease classes, the established result that culling selects for higher virulence is only found when sufficient infected individuals are culled. If susceptible or recovered individuals are targeted, selection for lower virulence can occur. An important implication of this result is that when culling to eradicate an infectious disease from a population, while it is optimal to target infected individuals, the consequent evolution can increase the basic reproductive ratio of the infection, , and make parasite eradication more difficult. We show that increases in evolved virulence due to the culling of infected individuals can lead to excess population decline when sustainably harvesting a population. In contrast, culling susceptible or recovered individuals can select for decreased virulence and a reduction in population decline through culling. The implications to the evolution of virulence are typically the same in wildlife populations, that are regulated by the parasite, and livestock populations, that have a constant population size where restocking balances the losses due to mortality. However, the well-known result that vertical transmission selects for lower virulence and transmission in wildlife populations is less marked in livestock populations for parasites that convey long-term immunity since restocking can enhance the density of the immune class. Our work emphasizes the importance of understanding the evolutionary consequences of intervention strategies and the different ecological feedbacks that can occur in wildlife and livestock populations.

Check List, Status, Threat and Perception of Some Wildlife Species in the Three Ecological Zones of Adamawa State, Nigeria

The study was conducted to produce the status of some wildlife species and determine the threat factors and perceptions of wildlife species in the three (3) ecological zones of Adamawa state. The study tool consists of a structured questionnaire, multi-stage and simple random sampling techniques used for data collection. Descriptive statistics with Kiringe and Okello (2007) model were used for data analysis. Results indicated that 70, 72 and 75 species of wildlife belonging to 36, 38 and 39 families were listed in the Sudan, Northern guinea and Southern guinea savannah zones, respectively. Most of the species in the three zones were either rare, endangered or have gone into local extinction. Only nine (9) species were common in the Sudan savannah zone, eleven (11) in the Northern guinea savannah zone and twenty-two (22) in the Southern guinea savannah zone. There were no abundant species in the three (3) zones. The threat factors which consistently showed the highest prevalent threat index were farming (26.0 - 45.4), hunting (32.2 – 55.4), logging (12.5 - 80) and grazing (11.2 – 17.0). The wildlife habitat susceptibility index was highest in the Sudan savannah zone (100%) but least in the Southern guinea zone (83%). Hunting (0.32 – 0.55), farming (0.26 – 0.45), logging (0.13 – 0.18) and grazing (0.12 – 0.17) consistently showed the highest mean score threat factors in the three zones. Similarly, hunting (0.00033 – 0.00010), farming (0.0023 – 0.00028), logging (0.0009 – 0.00020) and grazing (0.0009 – 0.00013) consistently showed the highest relative threat factors severity index in the three zones. Wildlife species were perceived as something good by the majority of respondents in the three (3) ecological zones. The study recommended the acquisition of skills in areas such as craft making, tailoring, shoe and bag making, motor mechanic, carpentry, mason and modern agricultural practice to prevent the local dwellers from hunting, indiscriminate expansion of agricultural land areas, illegal logging, grazing and wildfires. Policy on population control should be formulated by the government in view of increasing pressure on natural resources, which include wildlife resources. Adequate policy and institutional framework should be put in place for the purpose of management and conservation of wildlife resources at the grass root level. The state government should strengthen its conservation education programmes on the intrinsic value of wildlife to society and stiffer penalties for illegal poachers and hunters to mitigate further illegal harvesting of wildlife.

Effectiveness and implementation challenges of a livestock asset transfer intervention for smallholders in community-protected areas in Cambodia.

Limited opportunities to generate income in community-protected areas (CPAs) often lead to the illegal harvesting of wildlife and natural resources, undermining the aim of protected areas. Sustained livestock production can be an alternative income source. To understand the effectiveness and feasibility of livestock production in CPAs. We conducted a livestock asset transfer intervention in 25 CPAs across three agroecological zones in Cambodia. We monitored livestock mortality, consumption and sales of livestock over 2 years. Participant observations and structured questionnaires were conducted to elicit information about constraints for livestock production perceived by the participants. A total of 756 households were recruited and 320, 184 and 252 households received chicken, pigs and cattle, respectively. All participants received technical training in livestock production and biosecurity management practices. After the intervention, the number of chickens, pigs and cattle increased on average by 5.9 (range: 0.3-26.3), 0.5 (-1 to 2.7) and 0.12 (0-0.35) per 1 input animal, respectively. The extent of increase was significantly different between zones only for chickens (Kruskal-Wallis test p=0.004). The number of chickens and pigs sold per household was significantly different among zones. We observed that training was ineffective to alter livestock management practices in some CPAs, which partially explains their suboptimal performance of livestock production. Understanding contextual factors required for successful livestock production in CPAs is crucial for improving livelihoods and preventing biodiversity loss in Cambodia.

A density functional theory for ecology across scales

Ecology lacks a holistic approach that can model phenomena across temporal and spatial scales, largely because of the challenges in modelling systems with a large number of interacting constituents. This hampers our understanding of complex ecosystems and the impact that human interventions (e.g., deforestation, wildlife harvesting and climate change) have on them. Here we use density functional theory, a computational method for many-body problems in physics, to develop a computational framework for ecosystem modelling. Our methods accurately fit experimental and synthetic data of interacting multi-species communities across spatial scales and can project to unseen data. As the key concept we establish and validate a cost function that encodes the trade-offs between the various ecosystem components. We show how this single general modelling framework delivers predictions on par with established, but specialised, approaches for systems from predatory microbes to territorial flies to tropical tree communities. Our density functional framework thus provides a promising avenue for advancing our understanding of ecological systems.

EIDs and the Intersectional Health/Livelihoods Paradox in the Rural Global South

This article presents the framework of the intersectional health/livelihoods paradox to analyse how political economic processes incur land use change to create vulnerability to infectious disease, but that in contending with these risks rural people negotiate conflicts with livelihoods. The conflicts and trade-offs people make in deliberating over health and livelihood outcomes because of ecological degradation are distributed unevenly through lines of social difference, such as gender and class. While the health/livelihoods paradox is evident within contexts of vulnerability to infectious disease, it is poignant when considering the impacts of interventions and containment strategies to control outbreaks in rural settings. Despite considerable attention on the urban context of disease surveillance, spread and containment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this article refocuses analysis of the impacts of emerging infectious disease (EID) in rural contexts. The article shifts attention away from analysis of the problematic practices of rural households that undertake livelihood activities such as harvesting of wildlife for consumption, to a nexus between land use change, ecologies, livelihoods and health. The literature is fragmented in terms of the landscapes explored, developmental processes, species dynamics, diseases and social contexts. Therefore, this article presents a framework that enables complex dynamics such as these, that lead people to make compromises between competing health and livelihood outcomes to be examined.

Exploring a Comprehensive Behavioural Model to Investigate Illegal Sea Turtle Trade in Cabo Verde

Successful conservation outcomes often depend on changing human behaviours that negatively impact biodiversity, such as unsustainable wildlife harvesting or illegal wildlife trade (IWT). However, inclusive psychology models that examine motivations of those behaviours have been underutilised in IWT contexts. This research examines the drivers of illegal harvesting and consumption of sea turtles on Maio, Cabo Verde (West Africa), by adapting data from interviews (n=20) and questionnaires (n=325) into the Comprehensive Action Determination Model, an environmental psychology theoretical framework. Initial findings suggest local behavioural motivations have changed over time, but key beliefs remained intact. Structural equation modelling showed intention to consume turtles is influenced by positive attitudes towards consumption, but interviews suggest normative personal and social beliefs are becoming relevant to consumptive behaviour mitigation. The same seems true of harvesting, reportedly performed mostly by young men looking to sell turtle by-products. Overall, results indicate the beliefs underlying harvest and consumption behaviours are distinct, such that outreach initiatives must be designed to address each. Results demonstrate how conceptual models developed in underutilised disciplines can be adapted to expand the transdisciplinary tools available to conservation practitioners. Embracing behaviour-focused approaches is crucial to address the intricate cultural and contextual factors of IWT. Abstract in Portuguese: https://bit.ly/3Aj9xuu

Polar Bear Harvest Patterns Across the Circumpolar Arctic

Wildlife harvest remains a conservation concern for many species and assessing patterns of harvest can provide insights on sustainability and inform management. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are harvested over a large part of their range by local people. The species has a history of unsustainable harvest that was largely rectified by an international agreement that required science-based management. The objective of our study was to examine the temporal patterns in the number of polar bears harvested, harvest sex ratios, and harvest rates from 1970 to 2018. We analyzed data from 39,049 harvested polar bears (annual mean 797 bears) collected from 1970 to 2018. Harvest varied across populations and times that reflect varying management objectives, episodic events, and changes based on new population estimates. More males than females were harvested with an overall M:F sex ratio of 1.84. Harvest varied by jurisdiction with 68.0% of bears harvested in Canada, 18.0% in Greenland, 11.8% in the USA, and 2.2% in Norway. Harvest rate was often near the 4.5% target rate. Where data allowed harvest rate estimation, the target rate was exceeded in 11 of 13 populations with 1–5 populations per year above the target since 1978. Harvest rates at times were up to 15.9% of the estimated population size suggesting rare episodes of severe over-harvest. Harvest rate was unrelated to a proxy for ecosystem productivity (area of continental shelf within each population) but was correlated with prey diversity. In the last 5–10 years, monitored populations all had harvest rates near sustainable limits, suggesting improvements in management. Polar bear harvest management has reduced the threat it once posed to the species. However, infrequent estimates of abundance, new management objectives, and climate change have raised new concerns about the effects of harvest.

Exploring Public Support for Large-Scale Commercial Axis Deer Harvests in Maui, Hawaii

Commercial harvests have been effectively employed to manage wildlife populations across the world. Although commercial harvesting of the nonnative, invasive axis deer (Axis axis) in Maui, Hawaii, occurs at small scales and only on private lands, there is potential for large-scale implementation to be used as a population management tool. To investigate local stakeholder interest in a hypothetical, large-scale commercial harvest of axis deer, we used an online survey of individuals and businesses in Maui to analyze their attitudes towards axis deer populations and management, their experiences with axis deer, and potential to utilize axis deer venison and products, as relevant. We found evidence of public support for commercial harvesting to be employed as one of the many tools available to manage axis deer populations. Additionally, we documented support on both the supply-side and demand-side for axis deer-derived products that may be available if large-scale commercialized harvesting were implemented. We leverage these results to contribute to conversations about commercial wildlife harvesting in the United States by challenging assumptions that the practice is inconsistent with the public’s perceptions of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and suggesting policies and programs that would ease axis deer commercial harvest growing pains.

Bayesian modelling reveals differences in long-term trends in the harvest of native and introduced species by recreational hunters in Australia

Context Little is known about wildlife harvesting by licensed recreational hunters in Australia, where both native and introduced species are hunted. It is important to understand harvest trends to assess sustainability for native species and implications for population control of introduced species. Aim The aim of this study was to analyse trends in hunter participation, activity and efficiency, and wildlife harvest, including effects of climate, in Victoria, Australia, for three game species groups: introduced deer, native waterfowl (ducks) and one native grassland species, stubble quail (Coturnix pectoralis). Methods Telephone surveys of a random sample of licenced Victorian hunters were performed annually from 2009 to 2019. Hunters were asked to quantify their hunting effort and the number of animals harvested. The respondents’ answers were analysed to estimate measures of hunter success, activity and efficiency. Bayesian modelling was applied to these data, accounting for changes over time, differences between survey periods for all licence types, and random effects for over-dispersion. The effect of climate on game bird hunter activity and harvest was estimated, as measured by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Results Over 11 years, annual deer harvest (all species) increased exponentially, at a mean annual rate of 17% (95% credible interval: 14–21%), and the number of deer hunters increased at 8% (5–11%). In contrast, for ducks and stubble quail, hunter numbers remained relatively unchanged, with no evidence of consistent change to total harvests over time, unrelated to changes in environmental conditions or regulations. The annual duck harvest was influenced by ENSO and hunting regulations. The annual stubble quail harvest exhibited ‘boom-and-bust’ dynamics, with an exceptionally large harvest immediately after a La Niña season. Conclusions Long-term monitoring of harvest trends in south-eastern Australia revealed stark differences between introduced deer and native birds: harvest of deer increased rapidly whereas equivalent rates for game birds were either stable or declining. Seasonal effects had a strong influence on game bird harvest. Environmental and regulatory conditions were influential for harvest outcomes for ducks and stubble quail. Implications This study filled a key knowledge gap around managing harvesting of game species, but increased scrutiny is warranted in this field.

Human-provisioned foods reduce gut microbiome diversity in American black bears (Ursus americanus)

Abstract The distal gut is home to the dynamic and influential gut microbiome, which is intimately linked to mammalian health by promoting and facilitating countless physiological functions. In a time of increased anthropogenic pressures on wildlife due to widespread habitat destruction, loss of natural prey/foods, and rapid urbanization, the study of wildlife gut microbiomes could prove to be a valuable tool in wildlife management and conservation. Diet is one of the most influential determinants of a host’s gut microbiome; yet many wildlife agencies allow baiting to facilitate wildlife harvest, although the impact of human-provisioned foods on wildlife gut health is largely unknown. We used stable isotope analysis derived from carbon (δ 13C) to index the use of human-provisioned foods by 35 legally harvested American black bears (Ursus americanus), and16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to examine the impact of human-provisioned foods on the gut microbial diversity of black bears. We found that greater long-term consumption of human-provisioned foods was associated with significantly reduced microbial species richness and phylogenetic diversity. Our results indicate that consumption of anthropogenic foods through baiting significantly alters the mammalian gut microbiome.

Heuristics for the sustainable harvest of wildlife in stochastic social-ecological systems.

Sustainable wildlife harvest is challenging due to the complexity of uncertain social-ecological systems, and diverse stakeholder perspectives of sustainability. In these systems, semi-complex stochastic simulation models can provide heuristics that bridge the gap between highly simplified theoretical models and highly context-specific case-studies. Such heuristics allow for more nuanced recommendations in low-knowledge contexts, and an improved understanding of model sensitivity and transferability to novel contexts. We develop semi-complex Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) models capturing dynamics and variability in ecological processes, monitoring, decision-making, and harvest implementation, under a diverse range of contexts. Results reveal the fundamental challenges of achieving sustainability in wildlife harvest. Environmental contexts were important in determining optimal harvest parameters, but overall, evaluation contexts more strongly influenced perceived outcomes, optimal harvest parameters and optimal harvest strategies. Importantly, simple composite metrics popular in the theoretical literature (e.g. focusing on maximizing yield and population persistence only) often diverged from more holistic composite metrics that include a wider range of population and harvest objectives, and better reflect the trade-offs in real world applied contexts. While adaptive harvest strategies were most frequently preferred, particularly for more complex environmental contexts (e.g. high uncertainty or variability), our simulations map out cases where these heuristics may not hold. Despite not always being the optimal solution, overall adaptive harvest strategies resulted in the least value forgone, and are likely to give the best outcomes under future climatic variability and uncertainty. This demonstrates the potential value of heuristics for guiding applied management.

Slaughter and Processing Infrastructure in Context of Wildlife Harvesting in the State of Amazonas, Brazil

In Brazil, legal extensive wildlife management systems can only be developed by traditional communities in Protected Areas (PAs). Licensed slaughterhouses are mandatory for extensive management products to reach the formal market and this can be a problem if there are few processing options. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the infrastructure for slaughter and processing of animal products in the state of Amazonas and its potential for use in extensive animal management in PAs. A documentary analysis of environmental laws for harvesting of wildlife in PAs, licensing of slaughterhouses and processing facilities and inspection of animal products were carried out, as well as a survey of existing establishments and PAs in the state of Amazonas. Currently, there are norms only for extensive management of arapaimas and caimans in PAs in the state of Amazonas, and specific sanitary requirements only for fishing products (fish, mollusks, frogs, caimans and freshwater turtles). There are 94 slaughtering and processing facilities of animal products in Amazonas, and 32% of the state municipalities have some facility. There are 50 state and federal PAs for the categories that permit extensive wildlife management in Amazonas, and 58% of the state municipalities have at least one PAs in their areas. Of the total municipalities in Amazonas, 22.5% have PAs and establishments. However, a great number of establishments are located in the state capital, making unfeasible their use for slaughter in extensive animal management, requiring support places for storage and later processing of animal products. Keywords: Protected areas, slaughterhouse, processing. Read more →

Effects of Bait on Male White-Tailed Deer Resource Selection.

Simple SummaryBait is often used to attract wildlife to enhance viewing opportunities, increase harvest rates, or to improve population survey methods for research and management purposes. However, baiting wildlife can alter animal behavior, leading to negative outcomes such as increased disease transmission, competition, and susceptibility to predation. Our objectives were to determine the effects of short-term baiting on male white-tailed deer behavior and distributions within several properties in southwestern Georgia, USA. We used cameras at baited and unbaited locations to assess the impacts of bait on deer space use within home ranges and to determine whether bait caused shifts in the distribution of home ranges during summer and winter surveys. We found little evidence that short-term baiting affected the distributions of home ranges on the landscape; however, we found evidence that space use within home ranges was affected by bait. By concentrating deer space use within seasonal home ranges, bait may enhance disease transmission and change harvest susceptibility.Bait is often used to increase wildlife harvest susceptibility, enhance viewing opportunities, and survey wildlife populations. The effects of baiting depend on how bait influences space use and resource selection at multiple spatial scales. Although telemetry studies allow for inferences about resource selection within home ranges (third-order selection), they provide limited information about spatial variation in density, which is the result of second-order selection. Recent advances in spatial capture-recapture (SCR) techniques allow exploration of second- and third-order selection simultaneously using non-invasive methods such as camera traps. Our objectives were to describe how short-term baiting affects white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) behavior and distribution. We fit SCR models to camera data from baited and unbaited locations in southwestern Georgia to assess the effects of short-term baiting on second- and third-order selection of deer during summer and winter surveys. We found little evidence of second-order selection during late summer or early winter surveys when camera surveys using bait are typically conducted. However, we found evidence for third-order selection, indicating that resource selection within home ranges is affected. Concentrations in space use resulting from baiting may enhance disease transmission, change harvest susceptibility, and potentially bias the outcome of camera surveys using bait.