AN ASSESSMENT OF CATCH PER UNIT EFFORT TO ESTIMATE RATE OF CHANGE IN DEER AND MOOSE POPULATIONS

Catch per unit effort (CPUE), or kills per hunter day, are often available for harvested species, and may be used to estimate population size or the finite rate of population change (λ). An assessment of the relationship between CPUE and abundance was undertaken for black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) and preliminary assessment was conducted for moose (Alces alces). CPUE underestimated the population rate of decline and may overestimate rate of increase. Wildlife managers should not use CPUE to estimate rate of change unless the relationship between CPUE and abundance is known