Habitat Features Predict the Distribution of Recreational Shooters in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area
The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA) is a popular destination of many Treasure Valley residents. There, recreationists participate in various pastimes such as target shooting, recreational shooting/hunting, and wildlife viewing. However, these activities have...
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ftboisestateu:oai:scholarworks.boisestate.edu:as_15-1029 2023-10-29T02:40:47+01:00 Habitat Features Predict the Distribution of Recreational Shooters in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area Sun, Emily R. Pauli, Benjamin P. Tinkle, Zoe Mukuna, Romaric Wolfe, Daniel Forbey, Jennifer S. Heath, Julie 2015-04-20T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_15/29 https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/context/as_15/article/1029/viewcontent/EmilySun_Poster_FINAL.pdf unknown ScholarWorks https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_15/29 https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/context/as_15/article/1029/viewcontent/EmilySun_Poster_FINAL.pdf College of Arts and Sciences Presentations recreational shooting habitat Piute ground squirrels Other Life Sciences text 2015 ftboisestateu 2023-09-29T15:12:47Z The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA) is a popular destination of many Treasure Valley residents. There, recreationists participate in various pastimes such as target shooting, recreational shooting/hunting, and wildlife viewing. However, these activities have the potential to interfere with one another. Recreational shooting of Piute ground squirrels (Urocitellus mollis) could affect prey availability and scavenging opportunities for associated raptor species, most notably local golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) populations. To assess possible interactions among shooters, prey and raptors, the spatial density and habitat preference of human shooters must be determined. We hypothesized that higher shooter density would be correlated with proximity to high-use roads and habitat with high visibility. To test this hypothesis, the spatial density and habitat preference of human shooters was determined. First, three routes of approximately 16 km each were established throughout the northwest section of the NCA through “hunter hotspots” of various habitat types. Routes were driven on weekends, starting in the morning, from February 28 to March 21, 2015. Data was collected opportunistically on all shooters observed including group size, demographics, location, and the habitat characteristics (e.g. proximity to roads and visibility) of shooting sites. These data were used to determine which habitat features best predicted shooting locations. This study may directly inform future research on golden eagle scavenging ecology, competition between hunters and eagles, and the potential for lead entry into the ecosystem through use of lead ammunition. Text Aquila chrysaetos golden eagle Boise State University: Scholar Works |
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Boise State University: Scholar Works |
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recreational shooting habitat Piute ground squirrels Other Life Sciences |
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recreational shooting habitat Piute ground squirrels Other Life Sciences Sun, Emily R. Pauli, Benjamin P. Tinkle, Zoe Mukuna, Romaric Wolfe, Daniel Forbey, Jennifer S. Heath, Julie Habitat Features Predict the Distribution of Recreational Shooters in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area |
topic_facet |
recreational shooting habitat Piute ground squirrels Other Life Sciences |
description |
The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA) is a popular destination of many Treasure Valley residents. There, recreationists participate in various pastimes such as target shooting, recreational shooting/hunting, and wildlife viewing. However, these activities have the potential to interfere with one another. Recreational shooting of Piute ground squirrels (Urocitellus mollis) could affect prey availability and scavenging opportunities for associated raptor species, most notably local golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) populations. To assess possible interactions among shooters, prey and raptors, the spatial density and habitat preference of human shooters must be determined. We hypothesized that higher shooter density would be correlated with proximity to high-use roads and habitat with high visibility. To test this hypothesis, the spatial density and habitat preference of human shooters was determined. First, three routes of approximately 16 km each were established throughout the northwest section of the NCA through “hunter hotspots” of various habitat types. Routes were driven on weekends, starting in the morning, from February 28 to March 21, 2015. Data was collected opportunistically on all shooters observed including group size, demographics, location, and the habitat characteristics (e.g. proximity to roads and visibility) of shooting sites. These data were used to determine which habitat features best predicted shooting locations. This study may directly inform future research on golden eagle scavenging ecology, competition between hunters and eagles, and the potential for lead entry into the ecosystem through use of lead ammunition. |
format |
Text |
author |
Sun, Emily R. Pauli, Benjamin P. Tinkle, Zoe Mukuna, Romaric Wolfe, Daniel Forbey, Jennifer S. Heath, Julie |
author_facet |
Sun, Emily R. Pauli, Benjamin P. Tinkle, Zoe Mukuna, Romaric Wolfe, Daniel Forbey, Jennifer S. Heath, Julie |
author_sort |
Sun, Emily R. |
title |
Habitat Features Predict the Distribution of Recreational Shooters in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area |
title_short |
Habitat Features Predict the Distribution of Recreational Shooters in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area |
title_full |
Habitat Features Predict the Distribution of Recreational Shooters in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area |
title_fullStr |
Habitat Features Predict the Distribution of Recreational Shooters in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area |
title_full_unstemmed |
Habitat Features Predict the Distribution of Recreational Shooters in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area |
title_sort |
habitat features predict the distribution of recreational shooters in the morley nelson snake river birds of prey national conservation area |
publisher |
ScholarWorks |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_15/29 https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/context/as_15/article/1029/viewcontent/EmilySun_Poster_FINAL.pdf |
genre |
Aquila chrysaetos golden eagle |
genre_facet |
Aquila chrysaetos golden eagle |
op_source |
College of Arts and Sciences Presentations |
op_relation |
https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_15/29 https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/context/as_15/article/1029/viewcontent/EmilySun_Poster_FINAL.pdf |
_version_ |
1781069612798967808 |