| Abstract: | We consider here a management policy for a sika deer (Cervus nippon) population in the eastern part of Hokkaido. Deer populations are characterized by a large intrinsic rate of population increase,
no significant density effects on population growth before population crash, and a relatively simple life history. Our goals
of management for the deer population are (1) to avoid irruption with severe damage to agriculture and forestry, (2) to avoid
the risk of extinction of the deer population, and (3) to maintain a sustainable yield of deer. To make a robust program on
the basis of uncertain information about the deer population, we consider three levels of relative population size and four
levels of hunting pressures. We also take into consideration a critical level for extinction, an optimal level, and an irruption
level. The hunting pressure for females is set to increase with the population size. We also recommend catching males if the
population size is between the critical and optimal levels and catching females and males if the population size is larger
than the optimal level. We must avoid cases of irruption or threatened population under various sets of uncertain parameter
values. The simulation results suggest that management based on sex-specific hunting is effective to diminish the annual variation
in hunting yield.
Received: April 8, 1998 / Accepted: December 25, 1998 |
