Comparisons of Big Game Harvest Estimates from Check Station and Telephone Surveys

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Abstract
Unbiased estimates of harvest are requisite to game management. We evaluated the response bias of harvest estimates obtained from 1991 telephone surveys used by the Colorado Division of Wildlife to estimate big game harvest. Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus elaphus) hunters that completed their hunt and were leaving North Park, Colorado, were interviewed once at check stations and again 2-3 months later by telephone to determine whether they had harvested an animal. We determined the Game Management Unit (GMU) of harvest, which GMUs they hunted, and the number of days hunted in each GMU. Harvest estimates from the 2 surveys were similar (P ≥ 0.736). Game Management Unit of harvest was the same on the 2 surveys for 67.4% of the mule deer hunters and 80.2% of the elk hunters. Only 4.1% of the GMUs reported on the 2 surveys were not the same or adjoining GMUs. Colorado residents were more likely to specify the same GMU of harvest on the 2 surveys (73.5%) than were nonresidents (63.8%) (P = 0.096). Day of harvest was the same for 64.5% of the hunters, and there was no difference in the mean date of harvest (P = 0.634) between surveys. Telephone survey results show 0.2 fewer days hunted (P < 0.001) than indicated by check station results. Postseason telephone surveys provided valid estimates of harvest, days hunted, and date of harvest.

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