Data from: Navigating a landscape of contrasting hunting regimes and habitats: Red deer responses to risk and resources

Habitat selection of ungulates is influenced by various factors, with
human interactions playing a significant role. Human disturbances through
hunting strongly affect ungulate behaviour, often forcing them to modify
their habitat choices by avoiding areas where the risk from humans
outweighs other habitat benefits. Gaining insights into these dynamics of
human-wildlife interactions is essential for reducing conflicts between
hunting objectives and wildlife conservation efforts. Here, we used GPS
tracking data of 32 female red deer (Cervus elaphus) to derive resource
selection functions, analysing habitat selection of animals with both
hunting and no-hunting zones within their home range in Berchtesgaden
National Park, Germany. Red deer habitat selection differed distinctly
between hunting and no-hunting zones. In the hunting zone, red deer more
strongly selected closed forests, indicating a priority for safety. This
pattern was particularly strong during daylight hours (i.e., the primary
time of hunting) during which they also greatly reduced their movement.
During night-time, when hunting risk was absent, red deer strongly
selected open habitats and increased their movement rate. Conversely, red
deer consistently selected open habitats and had similar movement rates
during both day and night in the no-hunting zone, reflecting a preference
for foraging grounds when not influenced by hunting. Our results highlight
red deer’s ability to distinguish between and adapt to areas of varying
risk within their home range. These insights are critical for targeted
wildlife management and conservation. On the one hand, they demonstrated
that hunting can be strategically used as a management tool to control red
deer habitat use, reducing their presence and thus potentially their
impact on specific areas. On the other hand, the finding that hunting
distinctly influences red deer habitat selection and movement highlights
the value of no-hunting zones for the conservation of natural behaviour of
ungulate populations.