Waterfowl increase refuge (i.e., sanctuary use during hunting periods likely due to limited disturbance and food resources.

 

However, increased provision of sanctuary area may result in pressure from stakeholders to offer access for hunting or other activities (e.g., birding, photography).

 

To better understand sanctuary use and potential impacts of disturbance, we (N. Masto, C. Highway, and A. Blake-Bradshaw, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, and USFWS) are capturing mallards during winter in West TN. 

 

We are deploying GPS-GSM transmitters on both male and female mallards and determining their use of sanctuaries before, during, and after the waterfowl hunting season.

​

Additionally, we are implementing disturbance "treatments" along a disturbance gradient to better understand the direct and indirect effects of disturbance on space use and survival.