Presenter(s)

Brooke Owens

Comments

3:00-4:15, Kennedy Union Ballroom

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Description

Many wildlife studies use bait to attract animals, making it easier to observe, capture, or monitor them for research purposes. However, bait can also alter animal behavior, attract non-target species, create dependency on human-provided food, and increase the risk of spreading diseases, especially among deer populations. This study teamed up with Five Rivers MetroParks to evaluate the influence of using bait to estimate white-tailed deer densities in MetroPark protected areas through the use of bait stations and trail cameras. The experiment was conducted over two four-week periods: one in the summer of 2023 and one in the summer of 2024. During this time, cameras were deployed for two weeks with bait and two weeks without bait at sixteen different sites. The objective was to assess whether bait was necessary to achieve accurate deer counts. Camera trap photos were processed to identify species and record counts, followed by a comprehensive data analysis to compare detection rates and species presence across the two conditions. This study aims to determine if the addition of bait influences deer detection rates, providing insights into the use of baiting as a tool for wildlife monitoring as well as the possibility of stopping bait use due to the potential risks and issues associated with it.

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Independent Research

Primary Advisor

Mariela Gantchoff

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Scholarship; Community

Does baiting influence deer estimates within Metroparks?

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