Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
Browse
2 results
Search Results
Item Gradients of predation risk affect distribution and migration of a large herbivore(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2007) Grigg, Jamin Lyle; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Robert A. GarrottFew studies have placed wildlife behavioral responses to human disturbance and hunting pressure within the larger ecological context of predator-prey theory. Given that large herbivores respond behaviorally to the presence of wolves and other predators, we should expect similar adaptive behavioral responses when large herbivores are presented with risk in the form of human disturbance and hunting pressure. One index of human access, disturbance, and thus potential predation risk to large herbivores from hunters are road and trail networks bisecting large herbivore ranges. I evaluated the effects of human disturbance and predation pressure in the forms of motorized and total combined access networks on elk (Cervus elaphus) summer home range size, timing of fall migration, and movement rates by placing 49 GPS radio-collars on adult female elk on a winter range in the Madison Valley, MT over the course of a two-year study. I found evidence that elk responded to motorized access during the summer by increasing summer home range size.Item Evaluation of Montana's block management program(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2006) Johnson, Kelvin Ray; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Robert GarrottThe Block Management Program, initiated in 1985, was implemented to encourage private landowners to provide free public hunting access. Currently, the program has over 1,200 landowners enrolling 8.8 million acres, and provides over 400,000 hunter days of free public hunting. Surveys were sent to 423 landowners (303 returned) and 1,636 hunters (976 returned) to evaluate current perceptions of block management area (BMA) users. Observations, expectations, and satisfaction levels were determined by calculating frequencies and means using SAS 8.2, and then comparisons between permission method strategies and between geographic regions were evaluated. Landowners were satisfied with permission methods used, numbers of hunters received annually, and with hunter limit and travel restriction rules utilized, but satisfaction levels regarding relative game abundance and harvest success were higher in Eastern Montana than in Western Montana.