Data for: Hunting mode and habitat selection mediate the success of human hunters

As a globally widespread apex predator, humans have unprecedented lethal and non-lethal effects on prey populations and ecosystems. Yet compared to non-human predators, little is known about the drivers and consequences of human hunting behavior. Here, we characterized the hunting modes, habitat selection, and harvest success of 483 rifle hunters in California using high-resolution GPS data. We used Hidden Markov Models to characterize fine-scale behavior, and k-means clustering to group hunters by hunting mode, on the basis of their time spent in each behavioral state. Hunters exhibited three distinct and successful hunting modes (“coursing”, “stalking”, and “sit-and-wait”), with stalking as the most successful strategy. Across hunting modes, there was variation in patterns of selection for roads, topography, and habitat cover, with important differences in habitat use of successful and unsuccessful hunters across modes. Our study indicates that hunters can successfully employ a divers..., Methods
To understand patterns of hunter movement behavior, we collected GPS tracks of all hunters in the study area (2015-2022). We first classified the behavioral state of each location for each hunter, using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs; location-level classification of behavior). Next, we used k-means clustering to group hunters into distinct hunting modes based on the relative time that they spent in each behavioral state (hunter-level classification of behavioral strategy). Finally, we used Resource Selection Functions (RSFs) to evaluate patterns of habitat selection for each hunting mode, comparing habitat selection between successful and unsuccessful hunters.
Study area
We conducted primary data collection at the 2,168-hectare Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) in Mendocino County, California (Latitude: 39.002, Longitude: -123.084; Figure 1). The site features habitat types including grassland, oak woodland, and chaparral, with a network of dirt roads and fences. The sit..., , ## Data for \"Hunting mode and habitat selection mediate the success of human hunters\"

As a globally widespread apex predator, humans have unprecedented lethal and non-lethal effects on prey populations and ecosystems. Yet compared to non-human predators, little is known about the drivers and consequences of human hunting behavior. Here, we characterized the hunting modes, habitat selection, and harvest success of 483 rifle hunters in California using high-resolution GPS data. We used Hidden Markov Models to characterize fine-scale behavior, and k-means clustering to group hunters by hunting mode, on the basis of their time spent in each behavioral state. Hunters exhibited three distinct and successful hunting modes (coursing, stalking, and sit-and-wait), with stalking as the most successful strategy. Across hunting modes, there was variation in patterns of selection for roads, topography, and habitat cover, with important differences in habitat use of successful and unsuccessful hunter...