FOREST CONSERVATION AND HUNTER ACCESS: CAN WE PROTECT CRITICAL FOREST RESOURCES AND INCREASE HUNTER SATISFACTION?

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: MCINTIRE-STENNIS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1011195
• Project Start Date: Dec 1, 2016
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2021
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
UNIV OF HAWAII
3190 MAILE WAY
HONOLULU,HI 96822

Performing Department
Natural Resources & Environmental Management

Non Technical Summary
Removal of pigs from areas where they have conflict with humans or cause damage to native ecosystems is the largest-scale management action currently undertaken by any agency in Hawai'i, but the scale of these actions has led to conflict between managers and the hunting community. This study will advance public welfare and scientific knowledge in several ways. The first aim is to reduce hunter conflict with other stakeholders by identifying geographic locations where hunters prefer to hunt, and increasing hunting opportunities in these areas. This might be achieved by working with private landowners to open land for hunting that has low conservation value, or identifying already existing hunting areas of high popularity and improving access.Hunters will be engaged in this study both through first-person interviews and online anonymous surveys, early in the structured decision-making process, so that hunter input may be solicited throughout the process, and may include dialogue (two-way communication regarding the decision process). Essentially, through modeling that includes initial hunter input, maps will be created that identify "low-hanging fruit": (1) lands that have low conservation value and high hunter preference for hunting; and (2) lands that have high conservation value and low hunter preference as locations for hunting. Those lands that have low conservation value and low hunter preference can largely be ignored for the purposes of this project. The remaining lands that don't fall into the previous three categories are those with the most potential for conflict, as lands that have high conservation value and high hunter preference for hunting. The next step in the process is a negotiation between forest managers and hunters, as managers determine which of the remaining lands are most important to protect, and which might be opened to intensive, specific types of hunting to reduce pig pressure on native plants, and hunters work with land managers to make these difficult decisions.Our interviews will elicit understanding of socio-cultural values and ecosystem services attached to pig hunting, as well as knowledge of pig behavior and migration/movement patterns in order to inform management. Past projects that engaged hunters in pig removal within conservation fences found this working relationship resulted in positive outcomes such as hunter reports of damage to fences from tree falls and blow-outs between manager fence inspections, and issues with other hunter groups that needed attention (Burt et al. 2011). The key actions in this project are crucial, not only to testing the usefulness of this collaborative approach with this particular stakeholder group, but to building future collaborations with hunters and hunting organizations in managing Hawaii's forests.Maps identifying pig density and distribution are currently being developed in an ongoing collaborative project with DOFAW and other state land managers. These will be shared with hunters in focus groups throughout the project, together with maps showing important watersheds and ecologically significant and threatened areas. We hope, through this project, to increase hunter engagement in ongoing dialogue regarding the protection of critical forest resources for ecosystem services such as water, wildlife, and recreation, as well as optimal strategies for game management in Hawai'i. Finally, results may be used to craft legislation and policy that will protect private landowners who choose to open their lands for hunting, further increasing opportunities for hunting in areas of low value to conservation.

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
131	0850	3100	40%
134	0899	3080	40%
135	0830	1070	20%

Knowledge Area
135 - Aquatic and Terrestrial Wildlife; 134 - Outdoor Recreation; 131 - Alternative Uses of Land;

Subject Of Investigation
0850 - Wildlife habitats; 0830 - Wild animals; 0899 - Wildlife and natural fisheries, general/other;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology; 3080 - Sociology; 3100 - Management;

Keywords

feral pigs

hunting

game management

conservation

structured decision-making

Goals / Objectives
In this project, we will develop several tools for engaging with the hunting community. These tools will include: (a) a set of questions for first-person interviews; (b) an online, interactive survey to discern hunter preferences; and (c) an online hunter registration system to track the number of pigs removed from each location, hunter effort (pigs/time), and hunter satisfaction (d) focus groups for dissemination and discussion of research findings of interest to the hunting community. The data collected through these methods will be integrated with an ongoing ecological modeling effort to optimize ungulate exclusion fencing decisions so that critical resources are protected, and hunter access is increased in areas not previously available for hunting.This study will:(a) identify preferred hunting locations and characteristics of preferred hunting locations(b) discern hunting purpose (sustenance, recreation, cultural practice, other)(c) evaluate community perception of the conservation benefit of recreational pig hunting(d) quantify the frequency of hunting activities and the number of pigs removed per unit time.

Project Methods
First-person interviews(1) Years 1 and 2: This research will include 20 in person semi-structured interviews as well as one- two focus groups with Hawai?i pig hunters who regularly use the study sites. Interviews are important because, while the survey will provide quantitative data for modeling across a large number of users, the qualitative data provided by interviews allows for interpretation of the quantitative survey results. In addition the interviews will be conducted before the survey and used to help develop the survey. Interview questions will focus on topics such as why hunters hunt, and their connections to the areas in which they hunt, including how they learned about these places and from whom, who they are teaching, and how they decide where to hunt on a given day, as well as knowledge of patterns of ungulate use, foraging and life cycles in target hunting spots. While each person will be asked the same questions, the order and time spent on each question will vary according to the expertise and interests of the interviewee.Online surveys(2) Years 1, 2 and 3: Online surveys will be developed to (a) identify general regions where hunters prefer to hunt, and characteristics of preferred hunting locations; (b) discern hunting purpose (sustenance, recreation, cultural practice, other); (c) quantify the frequency of hunting activities and the number of pigs removed per unit time; and (d) evaluate community perception of the conservation benefit of recreational pig hunting. Camera trapping and impact data from a related field study can then test if hunting pressure has any explanatory power for variation in pig numbers and impact. Three years of data should be sufficient to capture natural variation in climate cycles, which directly affects pig abundance. These surveys will be administered when hunting permits are issued, and through connections with hunting organizations that we have through our partnerships.Long-term database with an online interface for hunter input(3) Years 4 and 5: The permitting system for hunting is currently paper-based, limiting data collection. We will work with DOFAW to develop an online system by which data of use for long-term monitoring of pig populations may be collected. As part of this process, through a partnership with DOFAW, ear tags will be attached to field-caught pigs, for return at the time a pig is caught by a hunter. This will allow for individual pig data to be collected (location originally caught, location killed, age at kill, sex, etc.), and increase interaction and opportunities for direct interaction with and feedback from the hunting community.Focus groups to share mapping and ecology(4) Year 5: Focus groupsThe information collected during this project will contribute to two important data products of mutual benefit for both the hunting community and environmental managers. Firstly, it will produce a spatial data product of areas of hunting use, preference and importance to the hunting community. This data product will be used in a spatial prioritization for multipurpose zoning on Oahu, in order to identify areas of minimum conflict areas with optimal returns for purposes of game preservation and environmental management. Second, population size, demographic information and movement patterns are critical for both measuring appropriate bags limits for pigs, and for evaluation of the effectiveness of environmental management actions. Data collected in collaboration with the hunting community will help evaluate where and to what level hunting intensity is required before pigs numbers are measurably impacted and the spatial extent of management that is required to mitigate the effects of dispersive behavior in pigs. As a culminating activity, these products will be shared with hunter focus groups.

Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:1. Hunter community: Hunters were engaged through surveys andpresentation of project results (thesis defense was open to the public via Zoom, with targeted invitations to hunting community). 2. Conservation and wildlife management community: Presentations were given (conference presentation at the Hawaii Conservation Conference (online), thesis defense was open to the public). 3. Producers and farmers: Stakeholder meetings were held with producers and farmers to identify challenges associated with ungulates on their lands. Changes/Problems:The state Division of Forestry and Wildlife decided to conduct an online survey of hunters and develop an online reporting tool, and as a result those two items will not be done under this project umbrella, to avoid unnecessary duplication. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1. One master's student defended his thesis based on the core objectives of this project, and funded under this project. 2. One master's student and one early professional (former master's student hired as a research coordinator for the project) presented at the Hawaii Conservation Conference. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Through presentations at the Hawaii Conservation Conference, the thesis defense (open to the public on Zoom), and through publications. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. Ungulate distributions surveys are currently underway on the island of Kauai. Once complete, ungulate distribution models will have been developed for three islands: Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. 2. Publications are in preparation from the hunter interviews, archival research, and ungulate distribution modeling work, and are anticipated to be published in 2021. 3.In 2021 we are initiating an ungulates working group to bring together hunters, wildlife managers, and farmers/producers to identify shared goals and solutions. The first of three meetings will be held in March. Following these initial meetings, we will likely convene twice per year.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? (a) a set of questions for first-person interviews; Accomplishments in FY2020: First-person interviews were completed as part of graduate thesis work and prepared for publication. The journal article will be submitted for publication in the next few months. (b) an online, interactive survey to discern hunter preferences; Accomplishments in 2020: Our collaborators at the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife developed and distributed an online survey, and requested that we did not cause hunter fatigue by conducting similar work. (c) an online hunter registration system to track the number of pigs removed from each location, hunter effort (pigs/time), and hunter satisfaction Accomplishments in 2020: Similarly, in 2019 the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife contracted the development of an online hunter registration system with a third party. (d) focus groups for dissemination and discussion of research findings of interest to the hunting community. Accomplishments in 2020: Several presentations were given in 2020 to the hunting and conservation communities.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Luat-Hueu, K., K.B. Winter, M. Vaughan, N. Barca, and M.R. Price. 2020. Social-ecological change in governance, culture, and ecology of pigs in Hawaii. Hawaii Conservation Conference, September 2020.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2020 Citation: Luat-Hueu, K., K.B. Winter, M. Vaughan, N. Barca, and M.R. Price. 2020. Social-ecological change in governance, culture, and ecology of pigs in Hawaii. Under review at Pacific Conservation Biology.
• Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Luat-Hueu, K. 2020. Finding Pathways Toward Co-Management of Hawaiis Feral Pigs (Pua'a; Sus scrofa): A Historical Review of Biocultural Coevolution of Relationships Between Hawaiians and Pigs and Semi-Structured Interviews with Local Pig Hunters. University of Hawaii at Manoa, Natural Resources and Environmental Management.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Risch, D.R., S. Honarvar, S. DeMattos, L. DeSilva, and M.R. Price. 2020. Application of ungulate spatial ecology to achieve conservation and hunting objectives. Hawaii Conservation Conference, September 2020.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Risch, D., J. Ringma, S. Honarvar, and M.R. Price. 2020. A comparison of abundance and distribution model outputs using camera traps and sign surveys for feral pigs. Pacific Conservation Biology 26:19.

Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:10 hunters were interviewed (20 to date on two islands). Participated in event "Agriculture at the Capitol" to share results of studies with senators, representatives, congressional aides, producers, and the broader agricultural community. Attended hunting tournament to speak with hunters about project. Changes/Problems:The state of Hawaii conducted their own (electronic) surveys of hunters, and did not want us to duplicate efforts and fatigue hunters with surveys. They have also contracted a company to develop an online permitting system, which was just launched this year. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two graduate students have conducted research associated with this project, one focused on distribution models (largely funded via other state funding) and one focused on hunter interviews (conducted under this funding). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Annual reports are provided to the state. Students and PI table at community events to disseminate results. Stakeholder meetings have been held with producers, hunters, and state of Hawaii wildlife managers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with an additional 10 participants on Maui, bringing the total to 16 on Oahu and 14 on Maui. Publications are in-prep for Oahu and Maui ungulate distribution models, and for socio-ecological system changes in Hawaiian biocultural relationship with pigs from the pre-contact era through today.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? (a) Hunter preferences have been elicited utilizing (to date) 20 semi-structured interviews. Results have been transcribed. 10 additional interviews are in-progress on Maui. (b) Hunter purposes have been elicited in the interviews mentioned in (a). (c) Community perceptions of the conservation benefits of recreational pig hunting were elicited in (a). (d) The state of Hawaii conducted electronic surveys to determine frequency of hunting activities and number of pigs removed per unit time, in addition to data collected in association with permits. Data will be incorporated along with interview results to determine relationship between hunter perceptions and reported hunting success.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Report. Ringma. J., D. Risch*, M. R. Price. 2018. Ecological Modelling of Optimal Pig Management Strategies for Recreational Hunting and Conservation Purposes on O'ahu: Feral Pig Impacts to Endangered and Protected Species. Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Wildlife.
• Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Risch, D. 2019. Quantifying the impact of feral pigs on global biodiversity and the spatiotemporal ecology of feral pigs on Maui, Hawaii. Thesis in partial fulfillment of requirements for M.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Management.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Risch, D., Honarvar, S., Price, M.R. 2019. An approach to modelling seasonal distribution of feral pigs Sus scrofa and the implications for resource planners. The Wildlife Society and American Fisheries Society Joint Meeting, Reno, NV. October 2019.

Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:We met with the Game Management Advisory Commission (GMAC) O'ahu representative, Josiah Jury, to discuss the objectives of this project and how we plan on meeting those objectives. Josiah Jury reached out to his network of hunters, who he felt were interested in participating in the project. We also attended two Game Management Advisory Commission (GMAC) meetings to gain a better understanding on some of the main topics/issues that managers/biologists are discussing amongst each other. The agenda included the proposal for a game management area at Kanaio, Maui and also the use of a temporary shooting range on Hawaii Island. We also reached out to the Hunting, Farming, and Fishing Association for contacts of pig hunters on O'ahu. We met and spoke with four hunters on the island of O'ahu. We conducted semi-structured interviews with three of the four hunters. Each hunter contributed their own knowledge to the conversation of pig hunting and natural resource management. One important detail to point out after meeting with each hunter was their willingness to spread the word about this project to their family and friends. The length of the interviews varied from 30-90 min in length. We transcribed each interview using software available online to playback recordings. So far, the main themes emerging from interviews are access to public hunting lands and poaching. Also, managers tend to go and speak with hunters with a pre-determined decision, not including hunters in the whole process for decisions. Hunters notice a lot of land with potential for hunters to access, but the land is not currently not open to the public. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Three graduate students have benefited from training opportunities involving first-person interviews, transcribing of interviews, and identification of emerging themes. Professional development has included engaging with Division of Forestry and Wildlife managers and decision makers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During interviews, maps that were developed during the first phase of the study, showing pig distribution on O'ahu, are shown to hunters to both ground-truth maps based on hunter experiences, and provide transparency and re-training of mental models regarding pig distribution and movements on O'ahu. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to continue interviewing pig hunters on the island of O'ahu, and will soon expand to interview hunters on Maui, where a pig distribution study is ongoing and will soon produce models and maps. We also plan on meeting with Josiah Jury to discuss the idea of possibly collaborating to schedule larger meetings where members from the Department of Land & Natural Resources or the Ko'olau Mountain Watershed Partnership speak with local pig hunters in different communities across the island. Currently many of the GMAC meetings are held at a time and place not convenient so hunters can attend. The Pig Hunters Association of O'ahu hold meetings the first Thursday of every month, where hunters discuss a range of topics and current events about the pig hunting. Finally, a December 10 presentation to the GMAC is scheduled to present the pig distribution models and discuss the hunter study.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The set of questions for first-person interviews has been developed and is being implemented in first-person interviews. We have delayed initiating the online survey, as the state decided to conduct an unrelated survey for their own purposes, and we did not want to confuse stakeholders with multiple ongoing surveys. An online hunter registration system is in discussions at the GMAC, and we may be able to collaborate on its development. Interviews include use of a map for hunters to describe their preferred hunting locations and characteristics of preferred hunting locations, questions regarding hunting purpose and conservation benefit of recreational pig hunting, and questions aimed at quantifying frequency of hunting activities and number of pigs removed per unit time. Data collection (interviews) is ongoing.

Publications

Progress 12/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:We worked with state game management decision makers to design surveys for hunting communities. We attended the Hawaii state Game Management Advisory Commission monthly meetings to connect with stakeholders and decision makers from across the islands. We met with the Koolau Mountains Watershed Partnership hunter liaison to develop project goals, identify optimal ways of connecting with hunters, and identify questions of interest to the hunting community. We also continued to meet with wildlife managers and watershed managers regarding their fencing plans and projects, which impact the hunting community. Additionally, we completed an evaluation of pig distribution and impacts on the island of Oahu, for use in communicating with hunters and working with the game managers to identify new potential game areas to open up for hunters. Changes/Problems:The state program is considering contracting out the development of an online reporting tool for hunters, which may make this portion of our proposed project unnecessary. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two graduate students have been trained in interview techniques and had opportunities to utilize these skills in tool development and data collection. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results of pig detection surveys have been presented to stakeholders via a WebEx-facilitated symposium that included 30+ attendees from 4 main Hawaiian Islands. These results were also shared by the state game management program leader at other state and federal meetings. Results have been informally shared with stakeholders through visits with the hunter liaison. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Interviews are being scheduled with hunters, to be completed by the end of 2017. A new graduate student will be brought onto the project in January 2018. Interviews and surveys will continue through 2018.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In the 2016-2017 fiscal year we: (a) Utilized field survey techniques and identified areas with a high number of pig detections (proxy for density) for use in identifying preferred hunting locations. (b) Developed a first-person interview survey tool with the Koolau Mountains Watershed Partnership hunter liaison to discern hunting purpose and (c) community perceptions of the conservation benefit of recreational pig hunting. (d) Began conversations with the game management program leader regarding design and development of an online hunter registration system.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ringma, J. and Price, M. 2017. An Impact Based Prioritization of Feral Pig Management. International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB). Cartagena, Columbia. July 23-27, 2017.