Authors
Milena Stillfried, Jerrold L Belant, Nathan J Svoboda, Dean E Beyer, Stephanie Kramer-Schadt
Publication date
2015/11/1
Journal
Behavioural processes
Volume
120
Pages
30-39
Publisher
Elsevier
Description
The trade-off between predator avoidance and foraging is a key decision making factor that shapes an organism's adaptive behaviour and movement patterns. Human hunters act as top predators to influence the behaviour of free-ranging mammals, including large carnivorous species such as black bears (Ursus americanus). Analysing the effects of hunting on animal behavioural patterns is essential for understanding the extent to which animals detect and respond to human-induced disturbances. To this end, we assessed whether black bear movement behaviour changed with varying risk from spatially and temporally heterogeneous human predation. Levels of risk were categorized as either low (disturbance from dog training; n = 19 bears) or high (disturbance from hunting activities; n = 11 bears). Road types were either paved (risk due to vehicles) or non-paved (risk due to hunters) and were used as proxies for …
Scholar articles
When top predators become prey: black bears alter movement behaviour in response to hunting pressure
M Stillfried, JL Belant, NJ Svoboda, DE Beyer… - Behavioural processes, 2015