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A main objective of game management on public lands in Norway is to ensure that harvest levels are sustainable while securing hunting access to the public. The willow ptarmigan is a popular but red-listed small game species, and it is challenging for managers to optimize harvest levels based on uncertain population estimates and limited knowledge of the factors influencing hunting impact. We studied how willow ptarmigan hunting effort, catch per unit effort, and harvest rates were influenced by ptarmigan density, topography, vegetation, and infrastructure. Data were collected during 2013–2016 from 162 hunting blocks covering 26,828 km2 state-owned land in the counties Nordland and Troms, northern Norway. Hunting effort averaged 1.27 days/km2 (SD = 2.08), and it was the highest in areas close to roads and cabins. We found an opposite effect on the catch per unit effort (CPUE, mean = 0.77 ptarmigan/day, SD = 0.48), which was lower close to roads. There was a marked positive effect of density on CPUE, whereas terrain steepness (slope) had a negative effect. On average, harvest removed < 10% of the autumn population in the hunting areas during the study period. This indicates a relatively low and partially compensatory hunting mortality in most years and areas. Although this study shows a low harvest rate, we recommend managers to survey ptarmigan populations, hunting effort, and harvest, especially in easily accessible areas close to infrastructure and in periods of low population density.

Harvesting a red-listed species: determinant factors for willow ptarmigan harvest rates, bag sizes, and hunting efforts in Norway