HUNTING ANALYSIS OF WHITE-TAILED DEER IN VERMONT BY COREY RICHARDSON

HUNTING & GIS “HUNTING GIVES RESOURCE MANAGERS A VALUABLE TOOL TO CONTROL POPULATIONS OF SOME SPECIES THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE EXCEED THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF THEIR HABITAT AND THREATEN THE WELL-BEING OF OTHER WILDLIFE SPECIES, AND IN SOME INSTANCES, THAT OF HUMAN HEALTH AND SAFETY” (U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE) “HUNTING GIVES RESOURCE MANAGERS A VALUABLE TOOL TO CONTROL POPULATIONS OF SOME SPECIES THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE EXCEED THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF THEIR HABITAT AND THREATEN THE WELL-BEING OF OTHER WILDLIFE SPECIES, AND IN SOME INSTANCES, THAT OF HUMAN HEALTH AND SAFETY” (U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE) THE APPLICATIONS OF GIS ARE CREATING DRAMATIC BENEFITS FOR WILDLIFE MANAGERS AT A VERY RAPID PACE THE APPLICATIONS OF GIS ARE CREATING DRAMATIC BENEFITS FOR WILDLIFE MANAGERS AT A VERY RAPID PACE “GIS IS A POWERFUL TECHNOLOGY FOR ANALYZING SPATIAL PATTERNS, HELPING TO ORGANIZE VAST DATA BASES, AND PRESENTING RESULTS IN A MANNER NOT OTHERWISE POSSIBLE. BECAUSE SPATIAL ANALYSES ARE SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE USFWS’s MISSION, GIS CAN GREATLY ASSIST MANAGERS IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS REGARDING THE DISPOSITION OF NATURAL RESOURCES”(U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE) “GIS IS A POWERFUL TECHNOLOGY FOR ANALYZING SPATIAL PATTERNS, HELPING TO ORGANIZE VAST DATA BASES, AND PRESENTING RESULTS IN A MANNER NOT OTHERWISE POSSIBLE. BECAUSE SPATIAL ANALYSES ARE SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE USFWS’s MISSION, GIS CAN GREATLY ASSIST MANAGERS IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS REGARDING THE DISPOSITION OF NATURAL RESOURCES”(U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE) THE FINDINGS IN THIS SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND OTHERS SIMILAR COULD BE USED TO COORDINATE FUTURE PLANNING FOR THE VERMONT FISH AND WILDLFE DEPARTMENT TO MONITOR DEER HUNTING TRENDS AND TO ADJUST REGULATIONS OR FUTURE POLICIES ACCORDINGLY THE FINDINGS IN THIS SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND OTHERS SIMILAR COULD BE USED TO COORDINATE FUTURE PLANNING FOR THE VERMONT FISH AND WILDLFE DEPARTMENT TO MONITOR DEER HUNTING TRENDS AND TO ADJUST REGULATIONS OR FUTURE POLICIES ACCORDINGLY IN ADDITION, FINDINGS SUCH AS THESE COULD BE USED TO SET ASIDE PROPOSED LAND FOR CONSERVATION IN ADDITION, FINDINGS SUCH AS THESE COULD BE USED TO SET ASIDE PROPOSED LAND FOR CONSERVATION

GIS HUNTING APPLICATIONS

VERMONT’S WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS (WMA’S) AND UNITS (WMU’S)

HUNTING IN VERMONT “IN ORDER TO BETTER MONITOR A SPECIES THAT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED TO HUNT, EACH STATE HAS BEEN GIVEN PRIMARY REPONSIBILTY AND AUTHORITY OVER ALL WILDLIFE THAT RESIDES IN ITS BOUNDARIES” (U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE) “IN ORDER TO BETTER MONITOR A SPECIES THAT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED TO HUNT, EACH STATE HAS BEEN GIVEN PRIMARY REPONSIBILTY AND AUTHORITY OVER ALL WILDLIFE THAT RESIDES IN ITS BOUNDARIES” (U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE) WHITE-TAILED DEER ARE THE MOST STUDIED AND MOST POPULAR ANIMAL TO HUNT IN THE STATE OF VERMONT WHITE-TAILED DEER ARE THE MOST STUDIED AND MOST POPULAR ANIMAL TO HUNT IN THE STATE OF VERMONT THE STATE SEAL DISPLAYING A BUCK IS A PROUD REMINDER OF THE IMPORTANCE VERMONTER’S PLACE ON THE ANIMAL THE STATE SEAL DISPLAYING A BUCK IS A PROUD REMINDER OF THE IMPORTANCE VERMONTER’S PLACE ON THE ANIMAL A GROWING PERCENTAGE OF HUNTERS PROUDLY PARTAKE IN THE HUNTING OF DEER EVERY SEASON THROUGH THE MEANS OF BOW, RIFLE, OR MUZZLELOADER A GROWING PERCENTAGE OF HUNTERS PROUDLY PARTAKE IN THE HUNTING OF DEER EVERY SEASON THROUGH THE MEANS OF BOW, RIFLE, OR MUZZLELOADER HOWEVER, AS MORE YOUNG HUNTERS BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE SPORT EVERY YEAR, IT IS VITAL THAT THE POPULATION BE MONITORED SO THAT THE TRADITION CAN CONTINUE HOWEVER, AS MORE YOUNG HUNTERS BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE SPORT EVERY YEAR, IT IS VITAL THAT THE POPULATION BE MONITORED SO THAT THE TRADITION CAN CONTINUE

OBJECTIVES  EVALUATE DEER HUNTING TRENDS BY MAPPING AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS BY TOWN  DETERMINE PUBLIC HUNTING GROUNDS BY TOWN BY MAPPING VERMONT’S CONSERVED LANDS  DETERMINE BEST “UNRESTRICTED” HUNTING GROUNDS FOR DEER BY TOWN

THE BEST “UNRESTRICTED” HUNTING GROUNDS METEDATA FOR VERMONT CONSERVED LANDS DATA LAYER DEFINES CONSERVED LANDS AS “LAND PARCELS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN PROTECTED FROM LAND CONVERSION OR DEVELOPMENT” AND FROM PRIVATE OWNERSHIP(VCGI) METEDATA FOR VERMONT CONSERVED LANDS DATA LAYER DEFINES CONSERVED LANDS AS “LAND PARCELS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN PROTECTED FROM LAND CONVERSION OR DEVELOPMENT” AND FROM PRIVATE OWNERSHIP(VCGI) THE CONSERVED LANDS DATA LAYER IS COMPRISED OF STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS THE CONSERVED LANDS DATA LAYER IS COMPRISED OF STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS STATE-OWNED LAND CONSIST PRIMARILY OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS, STATE FORESTS, AND STATE PARKS, WHICH “GUARANTEE PUBLIC ACCESS FOR HUNTING” (WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS) ON MORE THAN 244,000 ACRES. STATE-OWNED LAND CONSIST PRIMARILY OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS, STATE FORESTS, AND STATE PARKS, WHICH “GUARANTEE PUBLIC ACCESS FOR HUNTING” (WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS) ON MORE THAN 244,000 ACRES. FEDERAL LANDS, OWNED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, OWN MORE THAN 400,000 ACRES IN VERMONT, MOST OF WHICH IS OPEN TO HUNTING AS NATIONAL FOREST FEDERAL LANDS, OWNED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, OWN MORE THAN 400,000 ACRES IN VERMONT, MOST OF WHICH IS OPEN TO HUNTING AS NATIONAL FOREST THIS ASSESSMENT DOES INCLUDE HUNTING GROUNDS ON PRIVATE LAND BECAUSE THIS LAND WOULD BE CONSISDERED “RESTRICTED” UNLESS PERMISSION BY THE OWNER WAS GIVEN THIS ASSESSMENT DOES INCLUDE HUNTING GROUNDS ON PRIVATE LAND BECAUSE THIS LAND WOULD BE CONSISDERED “RESTRICTED” UNLESS PERMISSION BY THE OWNER WAS GIVEN

SOURCES & METHODS DATA COLLECTED FROM THE VERMONT FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT DATA COLLECTED FROM THE VERMONT FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT DATA COLLECTED FROM VCGI DATA COLLECTED FROM VCGI IMPORT DATA TO EXCEL AND CALCULATE AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS BY TOWN IMPORT DATA TO EXCEL AND CALCULATE AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS BY TOWN DOWNLOAD TOWNS FROM VCGI TO DISPLAY AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS DOWNLOAD TOWNS FROM VCGI TO DISPLAY AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS DOWNLOAD CONSERVED LANDS FROM VCGI TO DISPLAY COVERAGE OF PUBLIC HUNTING LANDS WITHIN TOWNS DOWNLOAD CONSERVED LANDS FROM VCGI TO DISPLAY COVERAGE OF PUBLIC HUNTING LANDS WITHIN TOWNS APPLY A SPATIAL JOIN TO DETERMINE AMOUNT OF CONSERVED LANDS WITHIN TOWNS APPLY A SPATIAL JOIN TO DETERMINE AMOUNT OF CONSERVED LANDS WITHIN TOWNS MULTIPLY AMOUNT AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS PER TOWN BY AMOUNT OF CONSERVED LANDS WITHIN A TOWN TO DETERMINE THE BEST “UNRESTRICTED” HUNTING GROUNDS MULTIPLY AMOUNT AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS PER TOWN BY AMOUNT OF CONSERVED LANDS WITHIN A TOWN TO DETERMINE THE BEST “UNRESTRICTED” HUNTING GROUNDS

TOWN DEER HARVESTS EXPORTED DATA FROM VT FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT TO EXCEL TO DETERMINE AVERAGE FOR YEARS 2003, 2004, AND 2005 EXPORTED DATA FROM VT FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT TO EXCEL TO DETERMINE AVERAGE FOR YEARS 2003, 2004, AND 2005 EXPORT TOWN NAME ATTRIBUTE TABLE AS DBF TO EXCEL EXPORT TOWN NAME ATTRIBUTE TABLE AS DBF TO EXCEL EDIT INCONSISTENCIES IN SPELLING OF TOWN NAMES AND CITIES WITHIN TOWNS SO HARVESTED DEER STATISTICS COULD BE ACCURATELY PORTRAYED IN ARCMAP EDIT INCONSISTENCIES IN SPELLING OF TOWN NAMES AND CITIES WITHIN TOWNS SO HARVESTED DEER STATISTICS COULD BE ACCURATELY PORTRAYED IN ARCMAP EXPORT NEW DATA TABLE AS TEXT FILE TO BE ADDED TO ARCMAP EXPORT NEW DATA TABLE AS TEXT FILE TO BE ADDED TO ARCMAP TRENDS ALONG BORDERS: NORTHWEST, SOUTHWEST, AND CONNETICUT RIVER TRENDS ALONG BORDERS: NORTHWEST, SOUTHWEST, AND CONNETICUT RIVER FINDINGS-TOP FIVE TOWNS WITH HIGHEST AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS: HIGHGATE, FRANKLIN, FAIRFIELD, ALBURGH, AND POWNAL FINDINGS-TOP FIVE TOWNS WITH HIGHEST AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS: HIGHGATE, FRANKLIN, FAIRFIELD, ALBURGH, AND POWNAL

CONSERVED LANDS

BEST HUNTING GROUNDS HAVING PERFORMED A SPATIAL JOIN TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF CONSERVED LANDS PER TOWN, THIS AMOUNT WAS THEN MULTIPLIED BY THE AVERAGE DEER HARVEST PER TOWN FOR A RESULT OF THE BEST HUNTING GROUNDS HAVING PERFORMED A SPATIAL JOIN TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF CONSERVED LANDS PER TOWN, THIS AMOUNT WAS THEN MULTIPLIED BY THE AVERAGE DEER HARVEST PER TOWN FOR A RESULT OF THE BEST HUNTING GROUNDS TRENDS: SPREAD OUT, BUT THE MAJORITY STILL LOCATED ALONG THE BORDERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF STOWE TRENDS: SPREAD OUT, BUT THE MAJORITY STILL LOCATED ALONG THE BORDERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF STOWE FINDINGS-TOP FIVE TOWNS TO HUNT ARE: HIGHGATE, POWNAL, STOWE, HARTFORD, AND FERRISBURG FINDINGS-TOP FIVE TOWNS TO HUNT ARE: HIGHGATE, POWNAL, STOWE, HARTFORD, AND FERRISBURG

CONCLUSIONS & SOME FLAWS TRENDS: HIGHEST DEER HARVESTS WERE GENERALLY ALONG STATES BORDERS IN THREE CORE AREAS TRENDS: HIGHEST DEER HARVESTS WERE GENERALLY ALONG STATES BORDERS IN THREE CORE AREAS HIGHGATE HAD THE HIGHEST DEER AVERAGE AND WAS CONSIDERED TO HAVE THE BEST HUNTING GROUNDS BASED ON COUNT OF CONSERVED LANDS HIGHGATE HAD THE HIGHEST DEER AVERAGE AND WAS CONSIDERED TO HAVE THE BEST HUNTING GROUNDS BASED ON COUNT OF CONSERVED LANDS DISCOVERED LATE THAT THE SPATIAL JOIN OPERATION ATUALLY COUNTED NUMBER OF CONSERVED LANDS AND NOT PIXEL CELLS WITHIN EACH TOWN DISCOVERED LATE THAT THE SPATIAL JOIN OPERATION ATUALLY COUNTED NUMBER OF CONSERVED LANDS AND NOT PIXEL CELLS WITHIN EACH TOWN DATASET ONLY DATING BACK THREE YEARS DATASET ONLY DATING BACK THREE YEARS DATA OMITS DESCRIPTION OF DEER’S WEIGHT AND SEX DATA OMITS DESCRIPTION OF DEER’S WEIGHT AND SEX MAKES ASSUMPTION THAT DEER ARE SEDENTARY MAKES ASSUMPTION THAT DEER ARE SEDENTARY MAKES ASSUMPTION THAT DEER POPULATION IS STAGNANT MAKES ASSUMPTION THAT DEER POPULATION IS STAGNANT MAKES ASSUMPTION THAT ALL CONSERVED LANDS ALLOW HUNTING MAKES ASSUMPTION THAT ALL CONSERVED LANDS ALLOW HUNTING

FURTHER EVALUATION DETERMINE AREA OF CONSERVED LANDS WITHIN TOWN BOUNDARIES DETERMINE AREA OF CONSERVED LANDS WITHIN TOWN BOUNDARIES DETERMINE WHERE LARGER DEER ARE HARVESTED DETERMINE WHERE LARGER DEER ARE HARVESTED DETERMINE HOW TOWN POPULATION HAS IMPACT ON PERCENTAGE OF HUNTERS DETERMINE HOW TOWN POPULATION HAS IMPACT ON PERCENTAGE OF HUNTERS DEER HABITAT RANGES (INCLUDING LANDCOVER) THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND TIME OF YEAR DEER HABITAT RANGES (INCLUDING LANDCOVER) THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND TIME OF YEAR SURVEY OF VERMONT HUNTERS WHO ACTUALLY DISCLOSE HUNTING GROUNDS SURVEY OF VERMONT HUNTERS WHO ACTUALLY DISCLOSE HUNTING GROUNDS

THE END… QUESTIONS?