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Female Ungulate Harvest/Removal Management

Female Ungulate Harvest/Removal Management. Not every animal, either adult or juvenile, lives for ever; hard concept for many people to appreciate Carrying Capacity – ability of the habitat and distribution of resources to support a certain population level

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Female Ungulate Harvest/Removal Management

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  1. Female Ungulate Harvest/Removal Management • Not every animal, either adult or juvenile, lives for ever; hard concept for many people to appreciate • Carrying Capacity – ability of the habitat and distribution of resources to support a certain population level • Harvest/Removal management strategies – • What is the population goal? Social and/or ecological carrying capacity • Where is the population in relation to the goal or population objective? • What rate of removal will meet the goal?

  2. Female Ungulate Harvest/Removal Management • Monitor the population response to removal • Compensatory vs. Additive Mortality • Density Dependent Reproduction • Make annual adjustments to removal rates • Run through real examples of current elk, pronghorn, and bighorn herds

  3. Elk Herds

  4. Pronghorn Herds

  5. Bighorn Herds

  6. River Mountains - Desert Bighorn Sheep • 1986 – 240 population estimate • From 1986 – 2010 removed 436 bighorn • 2011 – 250 population estimate • Mt Jefferson – Desert Bighorn Sheep • 2003 – 290 population estimate • From 2003 – 2008 removed 116bighorn • 2010 – 280 population estimate

  7. Concept of Compensatory Mortality in Nevada Pronghorn Herds

  8. Definitions Compensatory Mortality – • improved survival of remaining animals not harvested or they are “compensating” for the loss of animals to harvest Additive Mortality – • no improvement in survival of animals that were not harvested, therefore loss of harvested animals is in “addition” to animals that die to nonharvest mortality factors

  9. Actual Data from Unit 067, 068 Pronghorn Herd subject to Doe Pronghorn Harvest

  10. Same Unit 067, 068 Pronghorn Herd without Harvest Age Class #s with Harvest and Compensatory Mortality

  11. Doe Pronghorn harvest Management • Statewide Pronghorn estimate for 2011 was 27,000. • Several pronghorn herds statewide are at or approaching their current carrying capacity. • Other herds are one catastrophic fire away from losing a significant proportion of their habitat. • Almost 1,300 doe (horns shorter than ears) tag applicants in 2011; 5 to 1 draw odds; tremendous demand from hunters. • By applying a 3-5% harvest rate to the doe segment of these herds, we can better manage herds to their habitat, reduce major declines when catastrophic events occur and provide substantial hunting opportunities where expressed demand exists.

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