Factors influencing efficiency of white-tailed deer harvest in Illinois

We sought to determine the influences of landscape pattern and human habitation on deer vulnerability to harvest over relatively large geographic scales. We defined deer harvest efficiency as the proportion of the population taken per unit of effort, and computed it for each Illinois county using model-derived population estimates combined with actual hunter harvest and effort data. We then compared county-level efficiency indices with corresponding amounts and spatial characteristics of forest patches derived from classified satellite imagery. We also compared harvest efficiency with relative human occupation of the landscape based on census data. Deer were more susceptible to harvest in counties with small amounts of highly fragmented forest cover than in more heavily and contiguously forested areas. Harvest efficiency also was slightly higher in sparsely populated counties than in those with greater human presence. Our findings illustrate how wildlife managers can use emerging tools such as remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS) to address management issues at appropriate geographic scales.