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dc.contributor.authorWells, Jeffrey
dc.date.accessioned2024-07-11T23:21:43Z
dc.date.available2024-07-11T23:21:43Z
dc.date.issued2024-05
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11122/15195
dc.descriptionThesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2024en_US
dc.description.abstractIndirect effects of hunting can have important ecological and hunt management implications, and little has been done to quantify these indirect effects on caribou (Rangifer tarandus). To assess effects of hunting pressure on caribou spatial dynamics, we used GPS locations that spanned fall and winter 2010-2022 from the semi-migratory Fortymile caribou herd in interior Alaska. We analyzed these locations using integrated step selection analysis to evaluate step lengths (i.e., movement rates) and selection of distance to roads and trails, and forest cover across 3 hunting pressure levels (none, low, and high) as well as road crossings during hunting compared to non-hunting periods. We found that the caribou response to hunting pressure varied by season and, within the fall season, by hunting pressure level. Relative to no hunting pressure, caribou in fall showed a very strong avoidance of roads at high hunting pressure and a lower avoidance at low hunting pressure. Similarly, caribou in fall showed an avoidance of trails at high hunting pressure although, unlike roads, the avoidance continued at low hunting pressure. Conversely, relative to no hunting pressure, caribou did not change their selection of forest cover in either season nor did they alter their selection of roads or trails in winter. Furthermore, in both seasons, changes in step lengths in response to hunting pressure were less than we expected. Last, caribou avoided road crossings more during hunting compared to non-hunting periods in both seasons. Overall, caribou response to hunting pressure could have implications for caribou availability to hunters, especially during the fall season, as well as caribou distribution in relation to roads across both seasons. Hunt managers and public stakeholders could use our results to inform how changes to caribou harvest management might indirectly impact caribou movements and hunter opportunity.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipAlaska Department of Fish and Game, Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration, State of Alaska, Bureau of Land Management, and Environment Yukonen_US
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.subjectCaribou huntingen_US
dc.subjectHuntingen_US
dc.subjectCaribouen_US
dc.subjectCaribou migrationen_US
dc.subjectMigrationen_US
dc.subjectInterior Alaskaen_US
dc.subject.otherMaster of Science in Wildlife Biology and Conservationen_US
dc.titleEffects of hunting pressure on the spatial dynamics of a subarctic caribou herden_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.degreemsen_US
dc.identifier.departmentDepartment of Biology and Wildlifeen_US
dc.contributor.chairCrimmins, Shawn
dc.contributor.committeeBrinkman, Todd
dc.contributor.committeeBentzen, Torsten
refterms.dateFOA2024-07-11T23:21:44Z


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