Report No. 40: Adaptive Harvest Management Report 2014 Progress Summary

Summary

During the summer of 2013 an optimal harvest strategy for the 3-year period 2013 – 2015 was recommended. The strategy suggested that the appropriate annual harvest quota is 15 thousand. The 1-year harvest strategy calculated to determine whether an emergency closure of the hunting season is required this year suggested an allowable harvest of 25.0 thousand; thus, a hunting-season closure is not warranted. If the harvest quota of 15 thousand were met in the coming hunting season, the next population count would be expected to be 71.0 thousand. If only the most recent 4-year mean harvest were realized (11.3 thousand), a population size of 74.8 thousand would be expected. Simulations suggest that it will take approximately seven years at current harvest levels to reduce population size to the goal of 60 thousand. However, it is possible that the extension of the forthcoming hunting season in Denmark could result in a total harvest approaching 15 thousand; in this case, simulations suggest it would only take about three years to reach the goal.

For more details please see the attached report.