| Title: | Effects of culling intensity on diel and seasonal activity patterns of sika deer (Cervus nippon) |
| Author(s): | Ikeda T; Takahashi H; Igota H; Matsuura Y; Azumaya M; Yoshida T; Kaji K; |
| Address: | "Laboratory of Wildlife Management, United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan. ikedat@gifu-u.ac.jp. Research Center for Wildlife Management, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan. ikedat@gifu-u.ac.jp. Kansai Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 68 Nagaikyutaroh, Momoyama, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, 612-0855, Japan. Tohoku Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 92-25 Nabeyashiki, Shimokuriyagawa, Morioka, Iwate, 020-0123, Japan. Game Management Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Symbiotic Science, Rakuno Gakuen University, 582 Bunkyodai-Midorimachi, Ebetsu, Hokkaido, 069-8501, Japan. Hokkaido Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 7 Hitsujigaoka, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 062-8516, Japan. Yezo Deer Association, South 3 West 21, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 064-0803, Japan. Wildlife Management Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Symbiotic Science, Rakuno Gakuen University, 582 Bunkyodai-Midorimachi, Ebetsu, Hokkaido, 069-8501, Japan. Laboratory of Wildlife Management, United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan" |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-019-53727-9 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2045-2322 (Electronic) 2045-2322 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Adaptive hunting management is commonly used for controlling the populations of overabundant large herbivores; however, induced behavioural changes can make the effective control of target populations difficult. However, few studies have compared the impact of different levels of hunting intensities on the activity patterns of ungulates before, during, and after a culling program. We investigated how different culling intensities affect the activity patterns of sika deer on Nakanoshima Island in Lake Toya, Hokkaido, Japan using camera-trap surveys comparing the period of treatment before, during, and after a culling program. We used the number of deer photographed per hour per camera as an index of activity. Sika deer showed consistent crepuscular activity patterns (i.e., dawn and dusk) during spring-summer and trimodal activity patterns (i.e., dawn, dusk, and midnight) in autumn throughout the study period. In response to increased culling intensity, the activity peaks shifted slightly towards the night. The shift towards nocturnal activity persisted during post-culling period. Understanding the changes in activity patterns in response to culling intensity could be used to facilitate population control and assist in establishing a night shooting program. Thus, wildlife managers should consider night shooting once hunting during day time has shifted the normal diurnal activity of deer to nocturnal activity" |
| Keywords: | "Animal Culling/*statistics & numerical data Animals *Behavior, Animal Deer/*physiology *Ecosystem *Seasons;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineIkeda, Takashi Takahashi, Hiroshi Igota, Hiromasa Matsuura, Yukiko Azumaya, Munemitsu Yoshida, Tsuyoshi Kaji, Koichi eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2019/11/22 Sci Rep. 2019 Nov 20; 9(1):17205. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-53727-9" |
