Travis Rayne Pickering argues that the advent of ambush hunting approximately two million years ago marked a milestone in human evolution, one that established the social dynamic that allowed our ...ancestors to expand their range and diet. He challenges the traditional link between aggression and human predation, however, claiming that while aggressive attack is a perfectly efficient way for our chimpanzee cousins to kill prey, it was a hopeless tactic for early human hunters, who—in comparison to their large, potentially dangerous prey—were small, weak, and slow-footed. Technology that evolved from wooden spears to stone-tipped spears and ultimately to the bow and arrow increased the distance between predator and prey and facilitated an emotional detachment that allowed hunters to stalk and kill large game. Based on studies of humans and of other primates, as well as on fossil and archaeological evidence, Rough and Tumble offers a new perspective on human evolution by decoupling ideas of aggression and predation to build a more realistic understanding of what it is to be human.
Submissions of game harvested by hunters per expedition to bushmeat landing depots in Southwestern Nigeria were studied for one year. Three established bushmeat landing depots were purposively ...selected for the study. Olomore and Kila in Ogun State and Odo Ona in Oyo State. The three were so selected because of their distribution along almost the same line of geographical placement on a line with Kila falling in between the other two on a line. Hunters’ return of harvested game after overnight hunting to the three locations on weekly basis was identified and counted for a year. Twenty-one (21) species of Vertebrates in the class Mammalia, reptiles and birds were returned to the three bushmeat depots by hunters during the study. Location-wise, Olomore had the highest return (1,457) and the least was returned to Kila (987) both in Ogun State. Species-wise, Thryonomys swinderianus (Grasscutter) had the highest population of 2,383 animals with a mean value of 794.3 ± 180.58, followed by Cephalophus maxwelli (duiker) with a mean value of 184.0 ± 32.51. The least hunters’ returns were Bitis gabonica (Black cobra) and Perodicticus potto (Bosmans potto) with a mean value of 0.33 ± 0.58 and 0.67 ± 1.15 respectively.
Social conflicts among wildlife stakeholders can suggest possible new directions for wildlife management, including opportunities to expand the base of stakeholders supporting active management. In ...response to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation information needs, we examined potential conflicts between waterfowl hunters and waterfront residents to understand their attitudes toward hunting along developed waterfronts and how spatial proximity was related to likelihood of waterfowl hunters’ experiences of harassment by waterfront residents. We sent mail-back questionnaires to waterfowl hunters (n = 1,000) and waterfront residents (n = 1,000) near Lake Ontario in the greater-Rochester area of New York, USA. We identified factors predicting acceptance of waterfowl hunting along developed waterfronts. Waterfront residents who knew waterfowl hunters were more supportive of waterfowl hunting than residents who did not know hunters. Hunters who hunted closer to occupied dwellings (e.g., waterfront homes) were more likely to experience harassment from residents than hunters who hunted farther away. Educational communication and policies that address public access, safety, safe distance of hunting from homes, and rules and regulations relating to waterfowl hunting are needed for acceptance of waterfowl hunting along developed waterfronts. Non-hunters who accept hunting activities have the potential to positively affect wildlife management by expanding the base of involved, supportive stakeholders.
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•Cu, Ag and Au small clusters can scavenge NO2 and SO2 atmospheric pollutants.•Au clusters are capable to scavenge up to three NO2 and SO2 molecules.•In general, (Aux-SO2)y molecules ...are more stable than (Aux-SO2)y systems.•These findings could serve as a new proposal to trap atmospheric pollutants.
The reaction of small metal clusters (Cu, Ag and Au up to ten atoms and Au20) with two air pollutant (NO2 and SO2) molecules is investigated. All systems under study are capable of trapping NO2 and SO2, as the formation reactions are exergonic and thus thermodynamically viable. The products in the addition reactions are molecularly bonded and in most cases planar five member rings (M−O−N−O−M) are formed. Cu clusters present the most exergonic reactions followed by Ag and Au, respectively. Au clusters were used to analyze successive additions. As a result of this investigation, it is possible to conclude that Au clusters are capable of trapping up to three air pollutant (NO2 and SO2) molecules. The results for Au20 indicate that as the size of the cluster increases, exergonicity decreases. In summary, small metal clusters may serve as efficient materials for hunting air pollutants. Finally, this investigation may serve as an important guide for further theoretical and experimental studies, which attempt to analyze the effectiveness of small clusters to hunt air pollutants.
Hunted wild game meat (HWGM) has a complete nutritional profile, and its environmental impact is lower than farmed meat. However, HWGM derives from hunting, which often relates to consumers' ethical ...concerns. This review aims to clarify which variables are linked to consumers' perceptions and attitudes toward HWGM. Results highlight that the body of literature about this topic is growing, especially in Europe and U.S. Moreover, gender and residence seem to be good predictors of consumers' perceptions and attitudes toward HWGM. Furthermore, some positive drivers were detected. The positive attitude toward hunting and familiarity with hunting resulted to be linked to HWGM consumption. Conversely, food safety consumers' concerns represent one of the main barriers. Finally, the seasonality of the product and the relative lack of HWGM market supply represent barriers to its consumption. Our findings may assist stakeholders in defining targeted marketing strategies and policies.
•Hunted wild game meat (HWGM) is gaining attention as an alternative animal protein.•Variables related to consumers' perceptions and attitudes toward HWGM are explored.•HWGM is positively perceived as a healthy and environmentally friendly.•The barriers of consumption are low availability and perception of low food safety.
Big game hunting is the most popular type of hunting in the United States, and deer and elk hunting are the most popular type of hunting in Montana. Similar to other states, deer and elk hunting also ...generates most of the revenue spent on wildlife conservation by the state of Montana. Although nationwide trends indicate a concerning decline in hunter participation, the trends in license sales and hunter participation within most states have not received as much attention. We investigated trends in resident deer and elk license sales in Montana using existing licensing databases. We then estimated hunter recruitment, hunter participation, and license purchasing probabilities using hunter education and licensing databases. We employed a multi-state mark-recapture model and 248,819 records of deer and elk license purchasing habits for individual Montana residents during 2002-2007. We used matrix population models to examine the relative influence of these parameters on trends in license sales and hunter participation. Resident deer and elk license sales increased 4% in Montana during 2002-2007. We found that males had greater recruitment rates, retention rates, and license purchasing probabilities than females, and that young adults had lesser license purchasing probabilities than other age classes. Based on analyses of matrix population models, trends in license sales in Montana are most influenced by middle-aged and baby boomer male license purchase probabilities. Trends in hunter participation are positively influenced by recruitment and retention in all male age classes, with the smallest predicted effects arising from recruitment of young adult males. Our results suggest that a focus on older age class males with programs designed to increase hunter recruitment, retention, and license purchase probabilities may have similar or larger effects on trends in license sales and hunter participation in Montana than programs directed at youth. Our analyses also provide a framework by which trends in hunter recruitment, retention, and license purchasing habits can be objectively quantified in order to inform and evaluate hunter recruitment, retention, and license purchase habit programs.
•Red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) avoid forest roads.•Browsing pressure was higher in core forest and low near forest roads.•Density of undamaged oak (Quercus robur) trees ...was higher near.•Fear of hunters may impact forestry through cascading effects on oak generation.
Roads can affect animals in several ways, by affecting movement, space use, foraging behavior and mortality. As roads often have a negative effect on populations of birds and mammals, their effects are important for wildlife management. However, the effect of roads differ between different types of roads, and most studies of road ecology have focused on major roads with high traffic intensity, whilst effects of smaller unpaved forest roads in northern ecosystems are less known. We investigated the effects of forest roads in a mixed conifer forest in central Europe on cervid habitat use and browsing impact on forest regeneration during the winter season. We found that hunted cervid species avoided forest roads, and that browsing pressure was higher within the core of forest areas rather than close to roads. This led to an increased density of undamaged trees (by browsing) close to forest roads, whilst browsing damages were relatively high in the interior. Hunters often use these forest roads in the hunting season. We suggest that human disturbance creates corridors of fear along forest roads, and that cervids alter their habitat and browse use to avoid humans. This in turn has implications for forest and cervid management. This is the first study to document that gravel roads can affect oak trees through modifying cervid behavior. Future studies should use experiments to explore this question further and separate different effects of forest roads to understand the mechanisms; edge effects on vegetation, traffic, effects on natural predators and human disturbance.
This article presents the results of the interdisciplinary investigation in Quebrada Pedernales (26°S-69°W, Chile 3456 masl), in the highlands of northern Chile. The excavations and surveys carried ...out revealed a great diversity of pre-Hispanic evidence in an area of the Andes that has been little investigated. This evidence allowed us to reconstruct a sequence of continuous occupation between 11,201–11,612 and 539–634 cal. BP. Zooarchaeological, radiocarbon, technological, geochemical, and carpological analyses suggest wide mobility circuits between the coast and the puna on both slopes of the Andes at the start of the Holocene, coinciding with improved environmental conditions in this area and greater aridity on the coast. A severe lack of human occupation is observed during the mid-Holocene, a phenomenon associated with extreme arid environmental conditions. These trends indicate that the southern limit of influence of this environmental event, which has been recorded in a large part of the south-central Andes, extended into the study area, with a direct impact on the settlement and mobility of human groups. Towards ca. 3000 cal. BP, environmental conditions similar to those of today are associated with the reappearance of archaeological evidence and greater complexity in the formation of settlements, especially in terms of hunting activities.
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