HUNTING ANALYSIS HUNTING ANALYSIS OF WHITE-TAILED OF WHITE-TAILED

DEER IN VERMONT DEER IN VERMONT

BY BY

COREY RICHARDSONCOREY RICHARDSON

HUNTING & GISHUNTING & GIS ““HUNTING GIVES RESOURCE MANAGERS A VALUABLE TOOL TO CONTROL HUNTING GIVES RESOURCE MANAGERS A VALUABLE TOOL TO CONTROL

POPULATIONS OF SOME SPECIES THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE EXCEED THE POPULATIONS OF SOME SPECIES THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE EXCEED THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF THEIR HABITAT AND THREATEN THE WELL-BEING OF CARRYING CAPACITY OF THEIR HABITAT AND THREATEN THE WELL-BEING OF OTHER WILDLIFE SPECIES, AND IN SOME INSTANCES, THAT OF HUMAN HEALTH OTHER WILDLIFE SPECIES, AND IN SOME INSTANCES, THAT OF HUMAN HEALTH AND SAFETY” (U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE)AND SAFETY” (U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE)

THE APPLICATIONS OF GIS ARE CREATING DRAMATIC BENEFITS FOR WILDLIFE THE APPLICATIONS OF GIS ARE CREATING DRAMATIC BENEFITS FOR WILDLIFE MANAGERS AT A VERY RAPID PACEMANAGERS AT A VERY RAPID PACE

““GIS IS A POWERFUL TECHNOLOGY FOR ANALYZING SPATIAL PATTERNS, GIS IS A POWERFUL TECHNOLOGY FOR ANALYZING SPATIAL PATTERNS, HELPING TO ORGANIZE VAST DATA BASES, AND PRESENTING RESULTS IN A HELPING TO ORGANIZE VAST DATA BASES, AND PRESENTING RESULTS IN A MANNER NOT OTHERWISE POSSIBLE. BECAUSE SPATIAL ANALYSES ARE SUCH MANNER NOT OTHERWISE POSSIBLE. BECAUSE SPATIAL ANALYSES ARE SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE USFWS’s MISSION, GIS CAN GREATLY ASSIST AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE USFWS’s MISSION, GIS CAN GREATLY ASSIST MANAGERS IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS REGARDING THE DISPOSITION MANAGERS IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS REGARDING THE DISPOSITION OF NATURAL RESOURCES”(U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE)OF NATURAL RESOURCES”(U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE)

THE FINDINGS IN THIS SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND OTHERS SIMILAR COULD BE THE FINDINGS IN THIS SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND OTHERS SIMILAR COULD BE USED TO COORDINATE FUTURE PLANNING FOR THE VERMONT FISH AND USED TO COORDINATE FUTURE PLANNING FOR THE VERMONT FISH AND WILDLFE DEPARTMENT TO MONITOR DEER HUNTING TRENDS AND TO ADJUST WILDLFE DEPARTMENT TO MONITOR DEER HUNTING TRENDS AND TO ADJUST REGULATIONS OR FUTURE POLICIES ACCORDINGLYREGULATIONS OR FUTURE POLICIES ACCORDINGLY

IN ADDITION, FINDINGS SUCH AS THESE COULD BE USED TO SET ASIDE IN ADDITION, FINDINGS SUCH AS THESE COULD BE USED TO SET ASIDE PROPOSED LAND FOR CONSERVATIONPROPOSED LAND FOR CONSERVATION

GIS HUNTING APPLICATIONSGIS HUNTING APPLICATIONS

VERMONT’S WILDLIFE VERMONT’S WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS (WMA’S) MANAGEMENT AREAS (WMA’S)

AND UNITS (WMU’S)AND UNITS (WMU’S)

HUNTING IN VERMONTHUNTING IN VERMONT ““IN ORDER TO BETTER MONITOR A IN ORDER TO BETTER MONITOR A

SPECIES THAT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED TO SPECIES THAT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED TO HUNT, EACH STATE HAS BEEN GIVEN HUNT, EACH STATE HAS BEEN GIVEN PRIMARY REPONSIBILTY AND PRIMARY REPONSIBILTY AND AUTHORITY OVER ALL WILDLIFE THAT AUTHORITY OVER ALL WILDLIFE THAT RESIDES IN ITS BOUNDARIES” (U.S. FISH RESIDES IN ITS BOUNDARIES” (U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE)AND WILDLIFE SERVICE)

WHITE-TAILED DEER ARE THE MOST WHITE-TAILED DEER ARE THE MOST STUDIED AND MOST POPULAR ANIMAL STUDIED AND MOST POPULAR ANIMAL TO HUNT IN THE STATE OF VERMONTTO HUNT IN THE STATE OF VERMONT

THE STATE SEAL DISPLAYING A BUCK IS THE STATE SEAL DISPLAYING A BUCK IS A PROUD REMINDER OF THE A PROUD REMINDER OF THE IMPORTANCE VERMONTER’S PLACE ON IMPORTANCE VERMONTER’S PLACE ON THE ANIMALTHE ANIMAL

A GROWING PERCENTAGE OF HUNTERS A GROWING PERCENTAGE OF HUNTERS PROUDLY PARTAKE IN THE HUNTING OF PROUDLY PARTAKE IN THE HUNTING OF DEER EVERY SEASON THROUGH THE DEER EVERY SEASON THROUGH THE MEANS OF BOW, RIFLE, OR MEANS OF BOW, RIFLE, OR MUZZLELOADERMUZZLELOADER

HOWEVER, AS MORE YOUNG HUNTERS HOWEVER, AS MORE YOUNG HUNTERS BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE SPORT BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE SPORT EVERY YEAR, IT IS VITAL THAT THE EVERY YEAR, IT IS VITAL THAT THE POPULATION BE MONITORED SO THAT POPULATION BE MONITORED SO THAT THE TRADITION CAN CONTINUETHE TRADITION CAN CONTINUE

OBJECTIVESOBJECTIVES

EVALUATE DEER HUNTING TRENDS BY EVALUATE DEER HUNTING TRENDS BY MAPPING AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS BY MAPPING AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS BY TOWNTOWN

DETERMINE PUBLIC HUNTING GROUNDS DETERMINE PUBLIC HUNTING GROUNDS BY TOWN BY MAPPING VERMONT’S BY TOWN BY MAPPING VERMONT’S CONSERVED LANDSCONSERVED LANDS

DETERMINE BEST “UNRESTRICTED” DETERMINE BEST “UNRESTRICTED” HUNTING GROUNDS FOR DEER BY TOWNHUNTING GROUNDS FOR DEER BY TOWN

THE BEST “UNRESTRICTED” THE BEST “UNRESTRICTED” HUNTING GROUNDSHUNTING GROUNDS

METEDATA FOR VERMONT CONSERVED LANDS DATA LAYER METEDATA FOR VERMONT CONSERVED LANDS DATA LAYER DEFINES CONSERVED LANDS AS “LAND PARCELS THAT ARE DEFINES CONSERVED LANDS AS “LAND PARCELS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN PROTECTED FROM LAND CONVERSION EXPECTED TO REMAIN PROTECTED FROM LAND CONVERSION OR DEVELOPMENT” AND FROM PRIVATE OWNERSHIP(VCGI)OR DEVELOPMENT” AND FROM PRIVATE OWNERSHIP(VCGI)

THE CONSERVED LANDS DATA LAYER IS COMPRISED OF STATE THE CONSERVED LANDS DATA LAYER IS COMPRISED OF STATE AND FEDERAL LANDSAND FEDERAL LANDS

STATE-OWNED LAND CONSIST PRIMARILY OF WILDLIFE STATE-OWNED LAND CONSIST PRIMARILY OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS, STATE FORESTS, AND STATE PARKS, MANAGEMENT AREAS, STATE FORESTS, AND STATE PARKS, WHICH “GUARANTEE PUBLIC ACCESS FOR HUNTING” (WITH A WHICH “GUARANTEE PUBLIC ACCESS FOR HUNTING” (WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS) ON MORE THAN 244,000 ACRES. FEW EXCEPTIONS) ON MORE THAN 244,000 ACRES.

FEDERAL LANDS, OWNED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, OWN FEDERAL LANDS, OWNED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, OWN MORE THAN 400,000 ACRES IN VERMONT, MOST OF WHICH IS MORE THAN 400,000 ACRES IN VERMONT, MOST OF WHICH IS OPEN TO HUNTING AS NATIONAL FORESTOPEN TO HUNTING AS NATIONAL FOREST

THIS ASSESSMENT DOES INCLUDE HUNTING GROUNDS ON THIS ASSESSMENT DOES INCLUDE HUNTING GROUNDS ON PRIVATE LAND BECAUSE THIS LAND WOULD BE CONSISDERED PRIVATE LAND BECAUSE THIS LAND WOULD BE CONSISDERED “RESTRICTED” UNLESS PERMISSION BY THE OWNER WAS “RESTRICTED” UNLESS PERMISSION BY THE OWNER WAS GIVENGIVEN

SOURCES & METHODSSOURCES & METHODS

DATA COLLECTED FROM THE DATA COLLECTED FROM THE VERMONT FISH AND WILDLIFE VERMONT FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT

DATA COLLECTED FROM VCGIDATA COLLECTED FROM VCGI

IMPORT DATA TO EXCEL AND IMPORT DATA TO EXCEL AND CALCULATE AVERAGE DEER CALCULATE AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS BY TOWNHARVESTS BY TOWN

DOWNLOAD TOWNS FROM VCGI DOWNLOAD TOWNS FROM VCGI TO DISPLAY AVERAGE DEER TO DISPLAY AVERAGE DEER HARVESTSHARVESTS

DOWNLOAD CONSERVED LANDS DOWNLOAD CONSERVED LANDS FROM VCGI TO DISPLAY FROM VCGI TO DISPLAY COVERAGE OF PUBLIC HUNTING COVERAGE OF PUBLIC HUNTING LANDS WITHIN TOWNSLANDS WITHIN TOWNS

APPLY A SPATIAL JOIN TO APPLY A SPATIAL JOIN TO DETERMINE AMOUNT OF DETERMINE AMOUNT OF CONSERVED LANDS WITHIN CONSERVED LANDS WITHIN TOWNS TOWNS

MULTIPLY AMOUNT AVERAGE DEER MULTIPLY AMOUNT AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS PER TOWN BY AMOUNT HARVESTS PER TOWN BY AMOUNT OF CONSERVED LANDS WITHIN A OF CONSERVED LANDS WITHIN A TOWN TO DETERMINE THE BEST TOWN TO DETERMINE THE BEST “UNRESTRICTED” HUNTING “UNRESTRICTED” HUNTING GROUNDSGROUNDS

TOWN DEER HARVESTSTOWN DEER HARVESTS EXPORTED DATA FROM VT FISH AND EXPORTED DATA FROM VT FISH AND

WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT TO EXCEL TO WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT TO EXCEL TO DETERMINE AVERAGE FOR YEARS 2003, DETERMINE AVERAGE FOR YEARS 2003, 2004, AND 20052004, AND 2005

EXPORT TOWN NAME ATTRIBUTE TABLE EXPORT TOWN NAME ATTRIBUTE TABLE AS DBF TO EXCELAS DBF TO EXCEL

EDIT INCONSISTENCIES IN SPELLING OF EDIT INCONSISTENCIES IN SPELLING OF TOWN NAMES AND CITIES WITHIN TOWN NAMES AND CITIES WITHIN TOWNS SO HARVESTED DEER STATISTICS TOWNS SO HARVESTED DEER STATISTICS COULD BE ACCURATELY PORTRAYED IN COULD BE ACCURATELY PORTRAYED IN ARCMAPARCMAP

EXPORT NEW DATA TABLE AS TEXT FILE EXPORT NEW DATA TABLE AS TEXT FILE TO BE ADDED TO ARCMAPTO BE ADDED TO ARCMAP

TRENDS ALONG BORDERS: NORTHWEST, TRENDS ALONG BORDERS: NORTHWEST, SOUTHWEST, AND CONNETICUT RIVERSOUTHWEST, AND CONNETICUT RIVER

FINDINGS-TOP FIVE TOWNS WITH FINDINGS-TOP FIVE TOWNS WITH HIGHEST AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS: HIGHEST AVERAGE DEER HARVESTS: HIGHGATE, FRANKLIN, FAIRFIELD, HIGHGATE, FRANKLIN, FAIRFIELD, ALBURGH, AND POWNALALBURGH, AND POWNAL

FIGURE 1: Illustrates an average of town deer harvests from 2003-2005.

±0 10 20 30 405

Miles

TOWN DEER HARVEST

AVERAGE (2003-2005)

0 - 71

72 - 159

160 - 290

291 - 587

CONSERVED LANDSCONSERVED LANDS

FIGURE 2: Illustrates an overlay of Federal and State conserved lands onto Figure 1 (Town Deer Harvest).

±0 10 20 30 405

Miles

FEDERAL AND STATECONSERVED LANDS

CONSERVED LANDS

FIGURE 3: Illustrates conserved lands in Vermont represented by a count per town.

±0 10 20 30 405

Miles

CONSERVED LANDS

COUNT PER TOWN

0 - 9

10 - 20

30 - 40

50 - 80

BEST HUNTING GROUNDSBEST HUNTING GROUNDS HAVING PERFORMED A SPATIAL HAVING PERFORMED A SPATIAL

JOIN TO DETERMINE THE JOIN TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF CONSERVED AMOUNT OF CONSERVED LANDS PER TOWN, THIS LANDS PER TOWN, THIS AMOUNT WAS THEN AMOUNT WAS THEN MULTIPLIED BY THE AVERAGE MULTIPLIED BY THE AVERAGE DEER HARVEST PER TOWN FOR DEER HARVEST PER TOWN FOR A RESULT OF THE BEST A RESULT OF THE BEST HUNTING GROUNDSHUNTING GROUNDS

TRENDS: SPREAD OUT, BUT THE TRENDS: SPREAD OUT, BUT THE MAJORITY STILL LOCATED MAJORITY STILL LOCATED ALONG THE BORDERS, WITH ALONG THE BORDERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF STOWETHE EXCEPTION OF STOWE

FINDINGS-TOP FIVE TOWNS TO FINDINGS-TOP FIVE TOWNS TO HUNT ARE: HIGHGATE, HUNT ARE: HIGHGATE, POWNAL, STOWE, HARTFORD, POWNAL, STOWE, HARTFORD, AND FERRISBURGAND FERRISBURG

FIGURE 4: Illustrates towns that are considered to contain the best hunting grounds for White Tail deer determined by multiplying deer harvested and the amount of conserved lands in each town.

±0 10 20 30 405

Miles

BEST HUNTING GROUNDS

DEER*CONSERVED LANDS

0 - 1,282

1,283 - 3,192

3,193 - 5,835

5,836 - 11,159

CONCLUSIONS & SOME FLAWSCONCLUSIONS & SOME FLAWS

TRENDS: HIGHEST DEER TRENDS: HIGHEST DEER HARVESTS WERE GENERALLY HARVESTS WERE GENERALLY ALONG STATES BORDERS IN ALONG STATES BORDERS IN THREE CORE AREASTHREE CORE AREAS

HIGHGATE HAD THE HIGHEST HIGHGATE HAD THE HIGHEST DEER AVERAGE AND WAS DEER AVERAGE AND WAS CONSIDERED TO HAVE THE CONSIDERED TO HAVE THE BEST HUNTING GROUNDS BEST HUNTING GROUNDS BASED ON COUNT OF BASED ON COUNT OF CONSERVED LANDSCONSERVED LANDS

DISCOVERED LATE THAT THE DISCOVERED LATE THAT THE SPATIAL JOIN OPERATION SPATIAL JOIN OPERATION ATUALLY COUNTED NUMBER ATUALLY COUNTED NUMBER OF CONSERVED LANDS AND OF CONSERVED LANDS AND NOT PIXEL CELLS WITHIN EACH NOT PIXEL CELLS WITHIN EACH TOWNTOWN

DATASET ONLY DATING BACK DATASET ONLY DATING BACK THREE YEARSTHREE YEARS

DATA OMITS DESCRIPTION OF DATA OMITS DESCRIPTION OF DEER’S WEIGHT AND SEXDEER’S WEIGHT AND SEX

MAKES ASSUMPTION THAT MAKES ASSUMPTION THAT DEER ARE SEDENTARY DEER ARE SEDENTARY

MAKES ASSUMPTION THAT MAKES ASSUMPTION THAT DEER POPULATION IS DEER POPULATION IS STAGNANTSTAGNANT

MAKES ASSUMPTION THAT ALL MAKES ASSUMPTION THAT ALL CONSERVED LANDS ALLOW CONSERVED LANDS ALLOW HUNTINGHUNTING

AVERAGE

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FURTHER EVALUATIONFURTHER EVALUATION DETERMINE AREA OF CONSERVED LANDS DETERMINE AREA OF CONSERVED LANDS

WITHIN TOWN BOUNDARIESWITHIN TOWN BOUNDARIES DETERMINE WHERE LARGER DEER ARE DETERMINE WHERE LARGER DEER ARE

HARVESTEDHARVESTED DETERMINE HOW TOWN POPULATION HAS DETERMINE HOW TOWN POPULATION HAS

IMPACT ON PERCENTAGE OF HUNTERSIMPACT ON PERCENTAGE OF HUNTERS DEER HABITAT RANGES (INCLUDING DEER HABITAT RANGES (INCLUDING

LANDCOVER) THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND LANDCOVER) THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND TIME OF YEAR TIME OF YEAR

SURVEY OF VERMONT HUNTERS WHO SURVEY OF VERMONT HUNTERS WHO ACTUALLY DISCLOSE HUNTING GROUNDSACTUALLY DISCLOSE HUNTING GROUNDS

THE END…THE END…QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?