Journal Article

Effects of Summer Hunting on Ranging Behavior of Adult Raccoons in Central Mississippi

Chamberlain, Michael J., Leopold, Bruce D., Hodges, Kurt M.

2000

Overview

Recent interest in a summer hunting season for raccoon (Procyon lotor) in many southeastern states has prompted concern over effects of summer hunting on their populations. Because the effects of summer hunting on raccoon movement and home range are unknown, we radiomonitored 75 raccoons (57 male, 18 female) from 1 July to 23 August 1996-97 on 2 adjacent areas with or without a summer hunting season. We detected no differences in mean movement rate (P = 0.726) between males (764 ± 52 m/hr; x̄ ± SE) and females (669 ± 89 m/hr), or in mean movement rate (P = 0.741) between the hunted (757 ± 62 m/hr) and control areas (724 ± 66 m/hr). Similarly, we observed no differences (P = 0.307) in home range size between hunted (219 ± 25 ha, n = 42) and control raccoons (198 ± 14 ha, n = 51) during the summer hunting season. Our study indicated that summer hunting of raccoons on this area had little impact on movement patterns and home range characteristics.

• Publisher: The Wildlife Society,Wildlife Society
• Subject: Agricultural seasons / Animal and plant ecology / Animal training / Animal, plant and microbial ecology / Animals / Autoecology / Biological and medical sciences / Deer hunting / Dogs / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Harvesting seasons / Hunting / Hunting dogs / Hunting seasons / Mammalia / Procyon lotor / Sport hunting / USA, Mississippi / Vertebrata / Wildlife management