Nonconsumptive effects of hunting on a nontarget game bird

1. Human hunting activity and disturbance can significantly impact prey species through both consumptive and nonconsumptive effects. The nonconsumptive effects of rabbit hunting on Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) are currently unknown. Increased perceived risk of predation by bobwhite during rabbit hunting events may elicit anti-predator responses among bobwhite that impact fitness via changes in behavior that ultimately impact population growth.
2. We estimated the nonconsumptive effects of rabbit hunting on bobwhite behavior using telemetry across varying rabbit hunting intensities. Movements were analyzed using Bayesian hierarchical modeling with a before-after-control-impact (BACI) design to determine the effect of rabbit hunting on bobwhite.
3. We observed an overall reduction in bobwhite movement in the presence of rabbit hunting, with a 38% (Posterior Overlap = 0.01) increase in bobwhite step length in the absence of rabbit hunting. We also observed...