Quantifying Rural Hunter Access in Alaska

Despite hunter access influencing harvest success, few studies have quantified characteristics of hunter access. Based on spatially explicit interview data, we used geographic information system (GIS) analyses to calculate access pathways and distances that rural hunters traveled to moose (Alces alces) harvest locations in Interior Alaska. Using Jenks Natural Breaks classification, approximately 53%, 21%, 5%, and 21% of harvest locations occurred along navigable rivers within 0 to 24, 25 to 52, 53 to 86, and >86 km (0 to 14, 15 to 32, 33 to 53, and >53 mi), respectively, from the hunter’s community of residence. We used moose density estimates in the area being accessed by hunters to calculate annual moose harvest. Our results were similar to estimates from independent sources that used more standardized methods (e.g., agency household surveys). This suggests that our access-based approach has potential to provide an alternative method for estimating harvest intensity in areas where harvest report data are considered unreliable. Also, our findings demonstrated how insight on hunter access may help prioritize areas for active management.     

Hunter acceptance of antlerless moose harvest in Alaska: Importance of agency trust,proximity of hunter residence to hunting area,and hunting experience

Liberalized harvest of antlerless moose (Alces alces) in Alaska has resulted in conflict between wildlife managers and hunters. To address this issue, I surveyed moose hunters (n = 845, 35% response rate) to quantify and characterize acceptance of antlerless moose harvest. I found that 16%, 69%, and 15% of hunters thought antlerless hunts were always, sometimes, or never acceptable, respectively. Characteristics of the never acceptable group frequently differed from the other two groups. Using a multinomial logistic regression, I estimated that the odds of a hunter being in the never acceptable group was more likely if he/she strongly distrusted agency data (odds = 4.8), resided in the area with antlerless hunts (odds = 3.5), and had >20 years of moose hunting experience (odds = 3.4). My findings imply that a relatively small proportion of hunters can disproportionately direct wildlife management attention, especially in the absence of scientifically derived information on the human dimensions.     

A State and Provincial Survey of Harvest Reporting and Data Collection Methods

This article explored state and provincial wildlife agency deer (Odocoileus sp.) harvest data collection methods (in-person check stations [IPC], postal mail, telephone, and Internet harvest reporting [IHR]), and agency opinions about using hunter-provided data in making sound management decisions. We conducted an Internet survey of all U.S. and Canadian wildlife agencies’ deer program coordinators to determine current methods used for harvest reporting. Among agencies, IHR was the most commonly used method (64%), followed by IPC (46%), telephone (41%), and mail-in kill cards (25%). An additional 13 states were in the process of providing telephone and IHR. Most agencies expressed confidence in data hunters provided and felt these data were important in helping make management decisions. Automated systems (e.g., telephone and IHR) may provide opportunities for hunters to easily report their harvest, thereby potentially increasing harvest reporting rates, eliminating manual data entry by staff, and allowing for immediate access to data.     

Relationship of Community Characteristics to Harvest Reporting: Comparative Study of Household Surveys and Harvest Tickets in Alaska

Accurate harvest reporting is critical for wildlife management. Rural Alaskan communities reported a median of 42% of moose harvested via traditional harvest tickets compared to those reported in household surveys. This harvest-report ratio did not change over time. Twice as many moose were reported harvested during subsistence household surveys (n = 8,039) than on hunter harvest tickets (n = 3,557). Percentage of the community that was indigenous, used and shared moose, and absence of a wildlife biologist or road access were associated with low harvest-report ratios. Analysis revealed that household surveys provide important information about moose harvest rates and their use should be expanded. Reporting rates might be improved by building trust through respectful dialogue between hunters and managers and by placing more emphasis on the benefits of reporting harvests and less emphasis on enforcement.     

Fine-Scale Movements and Spatial Behaviors of Bear Hunters: Combining GPS With Survey Methods

Traditionally, information on hunter behavior has been obtained from questionnaires, which are useful, but provide limited information on spatial movements and behaviors. We used a global positioning system (GPS) to track movements of black bear hunters and determine if harvest success was influenced by effort (e.g., time spent afield) and spatial behaviors (e.g., distance traveled from roads). Furthermore, we used mail questionnaires to determine whether hunter perceptions of space use and effort differed from reality (GPS data). Most spatial variables did not differ between hunters and study area averages, indicating that hunters did not select for landscape characteristics differently than expected based on availability. The questionnaires were generally unreliable in describing space use, as hunters overestimated distance traveled from roads and underestimated distances traveled while afield. Studies should consider GPS to obtain more accurate assessments of behaviors while afield. When combined with questionnaire information, GPS data can reveal correction factors to improve spatial behavior estimates.     

Motivations and support for regulations: a typology of eastern wild turkey hunters

To determine the diverse motivations of eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) hunters, a self-administered questionnaire was developed and mailed to a sample of 5,000 licensed turkey hunters in Tennessee (response rate = 36%). A cluster analysis yielded three types of respondents in terms of their hunting motivations: social harvesters (44%), experiential harvesters (22%), and social outdoor enthusiasts (34%). Hunters in these segments were then analyzed to compare their support for various hunting regulations. While 61% of Tennessee eastern wild turkey hunters reported to be satisfied with current regulations, harvest-motivated hunters were less receptive to regulations that would limit season lengths or bag limits while socially motivated hunters were more accepting. The hunter groups did not differ in their preference for decentralizing regulations by management zones. Findings from this article may guide wildlife managers in designing socially acceptable regulations.     

The importance of localized culling in stabilizing chronic wasting disease prevalence in white-tailed deer populations

Strategies to contain the spread of disease often are developed with incomplete knowledge of the possible outcomes but are intended to minimize the risks associated with delaying control. Culling of game species by government agencies is one approach to control disease in wild populations but is unpopular with hunters and wildlife enthusiasts, politically unpalatable, and erodes public support for agencies responsible for wildlife management. We addressed the functional differences between hunting and government culling programs for managing chronic wasting disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer by comparing prevalence over a 10-year period in Illinois and Wisconsin. When both Illinois and Wisconsin were actively culling from 2003 – 2007, there were no statistical differences between state CWD prevalence estimates. Wisconsin government culling concluded in 2007 and average prevalence over the next five years was 3.09 ± 1.13% with an average annual increase of 0.63%. During that same time period, Illinois continued government culling and there was no change in prevalence throughout Illinois. Despite its unpopularity among hunters, localized culling is a disease management strategy that can maintain low disease prevalence while minimizing impacts on recreational deer harvest.     

Glucose participates in the formation of goose fatty liver by regulating the expression of miRNA-33/CROT

Glucose oversupply promotes formation of fatty liver, and fatty liver is usually accompanied with hyperglycemia. However, the mechanism by which glucose promotes formation of fatty liver is not very clear. In this study, fatty liver was successfully induced in Landes goose by 19 days of overfeeding with corn-based feed, the overfed geese had a significantly higher level of blood glucose than the normally fed geese (control group). In goose primary liver cells, high level of glucose promoted fat deposition and induced the expression of SREBF2(or SREBP2), a key regulator of lipid metabolism, and its intronic gene, miR-33. Moreover, overexpression of miRNA-33(miR-33) promotes lipid accumulation in goose primary liver cells. Consistently, miR-33 inhibitor suppressed glucose induced lipid accumulation in liver cells. Interestingly, the relative abundance of miR-33 in goose fatty liver was significantly higher than that in normal liver, while the relative mRNA and protein abundances of CROT, the target gene of miR-33, in goose fatty liver were significantly lower than those in goose normal liver. Taken together, these findings suggest that miR-33 mediates glucose promotion of lipid accumulation in goose primary liver cells, and that glucose participates in formation of goose fatty liver by regulating the expression of miR-33/CROT.     

番鸭细小病毒病病原的血清学检测与PCR鉴定

为了解安徽省番鸭细小病毒病的流行情况,采用酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)对该省内部分番鸭群进行鹅细小病毒的血清抗体检测,同时对疑似病鸭进行了病原的PCR检测。结果发现,在被检测的44份血清样本中鹅细小病毒血清抗体阳性率高达34.1%;PCR检测结果显示,所检测的样品中,有2份为鹅细小病毒阳性,1份为番鸭细小病毒阳性,且3份被检样品均来自雏番鸭。该研究结果表明,该省番鸭群中存在鹅细小病毒和番鸭细小病毒感染,应采取有效的预防控制措施。     

Calpain activation and proteolysis in postmortem goose muscles

Meat tenderness is considered as the most important criterion for meat quality by consumers and can be improved by the actions of endogenous proteases, mainly calpains, during postmortem storage at 0–5°C. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the postmortem calpain activation and proteolysis in breast (BM) and leg and thigh (LM) muscles of White Roman goose. BM and LM were taken from goose carcasses (n = 15) at 0 (10–15 min postmortem), 1, 3, and 7 days of storage at 5°C. The decrease in postmortem pH, calpain‐1 and ‐11 activities, and contents of the calpain‐1 80 kDa subunit and desmin was more rapid (p < .05) in BM than in LM. Our results show that postmortem proteolysis was more extensive in BM than in LM of White Roman goose, not only because the difference in fiber type composition between two muscles, but because the rate and extent of calpain activation were greater in BM as well. These results may provide useful information to optimize meat processing for different muscles in goose industry.     

A Bivalent Scale for Measuring Crowding Among Deer Hunters

One factor that may influence satisfaction in outdoor recreation is crowding, which historically has been defined as a negative evaluation of the density of other participants. While this definition is suitable for most scenarios, there are circumstances where encounters with others in the area are evaluated positively and thus contribute to the satisfaction of the participant. To adequately describe this phenomenon we suggest a more inclusive measurement of crowding that allows for both positive and negative evaluations of participant density to more accurately explore the relationship between crowding and satisfaction. We identified a sub-group of deer hunters who negatively evaluated the low density of other hunters, which reduced their satisfaction with their overall hunting experience. The methodology for measuring crowding in recreation research may have an important effect in identifying the relationship crowding has with other relevant variables as well as management implications.     

Wildlife Value Orientations Among Hunters,Landowners, and the General Public: A Danish Comparative Quantitative Study

This article examined wildlife value orientations among hunters (n = 1,130) and landowners (n = 1,207) in comparison to the general public (n = 1,001 adults) in Denmark, a highly urbanized European country. Respondents were categorized into four value types based on their responses to 19 statements. Significant differences in wildlife value orientations were found. Mutualists and distanced dominated in the public; most landowners and hunters were utilitarian followed by pluralist. Male hunters were more utilitarian than female. More active hunters were more utilitarian; hunters belonging to a hunting association were more utilitarian than those who did not belong to associations. Full-time farmers were more utilitarian than part-time farmers, and conventional farmers were more utilitarian than organic farmers. No significant difference with regard to residence for all three groups was found. Future studies should link what landowners and hunters actually do for the wildlife, and what the influencing factors are (e.g., incentive schemes) with their wildlife value orientations.     

Veld management : A challenge to agricultural extension

Abstract

This paper discusses the problems of communicating veld management practices to farmers within the framework of the knowledge generation and diffusion system. Suggestions are made for improving the system through greater involvement of farmers in research and extension, and for expanding the range of choices in technology available to farmers through more persuasive communication strategies, including on‐farm adaptive research.     

Goose haemorrhagic hepatitis caused by a new subtype duck hepatitis type 1 virus

Duck hepatitis type 1 virus (DHV-1) causes a fatal disease in ducklings but there is no report of DHV-1 isolation from goose. Recently, cases of a new disease in overfeeding geese were reported from China. The cases were characterized by haemorrhagic hepatitis lesions on liver after post mortem examinations. The flocks showed about 20-40% morbidity and less than 5% mortality. The histopathological lesions showed destroyed structure of hepatocytic tissue, severe vacuolation and necrosis of hepatocytes. Viral antigen could be detected by monoclonal antibody against duck hepatitis type 1 virus (DHV-1) in the cytoplasm of positive hepatocytes. PCR amplified viral sequences with primers specific for recent Korean-like duck hepatitis type 1 virus (DHV-1C). Alignment of the complete sequence demonstrated that the isolated JT strain from goose exhibiting 95.9% identity to DHV-1C AP-03337 strain, and only 75.3% to classical DHV-1 virus. 80% goslings developed haemorrhagic hepatitis after infection with JT strain. This is the first report on the involvement of a DHV-1 virus in goose.     

Transnational Ecosystem Services: The Potential of Habitat Conservation for Waterfowl Through Recreational Hunting Activities

This article explores transnational ecosystem services in North America, provided by winter habitat for waterfowl in western Mexico coastal lagoons, and the hunting industry supported by these birds in the United States. This article shows that the number of waterfowl harvested in the United States is related to the abundance of waterfowl wintering in Mexico. On average, this flow of ecosystem services annually yields US$ 4.68 million in hunting stamp sales in the western United States. A demand curve, fitted to duck hunting licenses as a function of stamp price and previous-year waterfowl harvest, estimated US$3–6 million in consumer surplus produced in addition to governmental stamp sales revenue. This strongly suggests that waterfowl wintering habitat in western Mexico is economically valuable to U.S. hunters. Because hunters may benefit substantially from these habitats they may be willing to pay for conservation efforts in western Mexico that can result in transnational benefits received in the United States.     

Management of bovine tuberculosis in Michigan wildlife: current status and near term prospects

Surveillance and control activities for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in free-ranging Michigan white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have now been underway for over a decade. Significant progress has been made, lowering apparent prevalence in deer in the core area by >60%, primarily via reduction of deer densities through hunting, and restrictions on public feeding and baiting of deer. These broad strategies of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), implemented with the cooperation of Michigan deer hunters, halved the deer population in the bTB endemic area. However, as hunters see fewer deer, their willingness to sustain aggressive harvests has waned, and public resentment of control measures has grown. During the past four years, apparent prevalence in core area deer has held approximately steady just below 2%. After bottoming out in 2004 at an estimated 10-12 deer/km(2), deer numbers have since rebounded by ～ 30%. Public compliance with baiting and feeding restrictions has been variable. In general, hunters in the core area do not perceive bTB as a problem, in spite of 13 years of MDNR outreach. To date, MDNR has expended more than US$23 million on TB-related activities. Of late, a substantial portion of that funding has been diverted to support other programs which have suffered from budget shortfalls. Livestock herd breakdowns continue to occur sporadically, averaging 3-4 per year 2005 to present. In total, 46 cattle and 4 captive deer herds have been diagnosed bTB positive statewide, the majority yielding only 1 positive animal. Five cattle herds were twice infected, one thrice. Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) policy emphasis has shifted towards obtaining producer support for wildlife risk mitigation and farm biosecurity. Funding has proven a limiting factor, with the majority of the US$63 million spent to date devoted to whole herd testing. Nevertheless, some initiatives justify cautious optimism. Promising research to support eventual vaccination of wild deer continues. Some hunters and landowners have begun to recognize the costs of high deer densities and supplemental feeding. A peninsula-wide ban on baiting and feeding was enacted. Some cattle producers, recognizing their precarious circumstances, have begun work to change long-held prevailing opinions among their peers about farm biosecurity. Yet formidable challenges remain, and evidence suggests that eradication of bTB, if it can be achieved, will take decades, and will require greater public and political resolve than has been demonstrated thus far.     

豁眼鹅种鹅产蛋曲线数学模型分析研究

为探究豁眼鹅在辽宁地区群体饲养环境下的产蛋规律,本试验测定了3 000只豁眼鹅种鹅全期产蛋性能,分别采用伍德模型（Wood model）、分室模型（McMillan model）和杨宁模型拟合其产蛋率曲线,根据R值和赤池信息准则（AIC）选择最优模型。结果显示,曲线拟合模型F检验均差异显著,可用于豁眼鹅种鹅产蛋率拟合;产蛋率拟合杨宁模型R最高（R =0.874）,分室模型次之（R =0.855）,伍德模型拟合度最低（R=0.424）,且 AIC指数依次为杨宁模型<分室模型<伍德模型。本试验中豁眼鹅群体开产较实际晚,40%以上产蛋率高峰持续时间较短。综上,杨宁模型适用于豁眼鹅种鹅产蛋率拟合,可评估和预测其产蛋规律,生产过程中要根据模型和产蛋曲线特征科学合理地进行饲养管理,以达到生产效益最优化。