The effect of rut and hunting activity on movement in female moose with and without calves

• Main Author: Fritz, Johanna
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: jakt; elg; elgjakt; aktivitetsmønster; bevegelsesmønster; Alces alces; forstyrrelser; predator; VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Zoogeography: 486; Norway; Lone; Jakta
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11250/132211

Moose (Alces alces) in Norway are exposed to intensive hunting pressure each autumn. Besides the rut, already an energetically costly period of the year, we may expect disturbance to moose by hunters to trigger anti-predator behavior that results in different movement rates and activity ranges in comparison to the rest of the year. Adult female moose (N=12) from a population in south-eastern Norway were selected for spatial and temporal analysis. I examined the individual variation in home range size and movement rate and evaluated the role of hunters' disturbance as an important determinant of movement. The effect of females' reproduction status on their response to disturbance was also investigated. I tested for differences in movement rate (m1h) and activity range (km2 , 99% MCPs) within three 3-week-periods, pre-rut (29.8.2007-18.9.2007), rut (19.9.2007-9.10.2007) and hunting season (10.10.2007-30.10.2007). Differences among periods were significant for movement rate (p=0.003) but not activity range (p=O.27). Movement rate increased during rut and increased further during hunting season. Females accompanied by calves had a higher movement rate than lone females during the hunting season (p = 0.01). Also in the hunting season females tended to increase their movement during daytime. Disturbance of hunters during autumn therefore appears to affect female moose in their movement, and trigger antipredator behavior, especially when accompanied by offspring. / Elgjakta i Norge kan være en periode full av stress for elgen. Elgens respons på jakta kan sammenlignes med respons på andre predatorer. Jakta overlapper delvis med den energikrevende brunstperioden, og kan representere en ekstra energikostnad for elgen, ved at jakta fører til endret bevegelsesmønster og aktivitetsmønster sammenlignet med normal aktivitet. I dette studiet ble 12 elgkuer fra en populasjon i Telemark radiomerket for å analysere bevegelsesmønstere i rom og tid. Jeg har analysert individuell variasjon i størrelsen på hjemmeområde og ...