Revisiting Hunter Perceptions toward Chronic Wasting Disease: Changes in Behavior over Time

摘要

Hunters play a vital role in the management of wildlife diseases such as Chronic Wasting Disease, but their harvest rates may change based on their perception of disease risk. Our objective was to estimate how hunter harvest may change over time based on perception of disease and proximity to disease location. We found that hunters harvested fewer deer in the 4 years following disease discovery but that in the next 4-year period harvest rates increased to be similar to those from before the discovery of the disease. This indicates that changes in behavior due to disease presence may diminish over time. Understanding how hunters’ change their behavior in relation to disease presence will aid wildlife managers in creating plans to manage wildlife populations and diseases.