Sammendrag
This thesis presents an examination of game management practices by mountain boards in Norway, specifically focusing on the management of two ptarmigan species, the rock ptarmigan and the willow ptarmigan. The objectives of this study were to investigate usage of different harvest regulations used by the mountain boards. Further the study investigated active management, and what factors that influenced it. Data for the study was gathered through phone interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. With a response rate of 82.8%, a total of 77 mountain boards across Norway participated in the study.
One of the findings of this study were about the most frequently used harvest regulations, a majority of the mountain boards reported 'bag limit' and 'limiting hunting permits' as the most common strategies. These regulations, which aim at controlling the number of ptarmigans that can be harvested within a hunting season.
Another aspect of the study was to understand the adoption of 'active management' strategies by the mountain boards. The study attempted to identify correlations between active management and factors such as geographical region, area, and income generated from selling small game hunting permits. There were no significant relationships between these factors and active management. There are a positive relationship between active management with area and region.
Furthermore, the study investigated changes in the usage of distance sampling as a wildlife management tool, comparing data from 2013 and 2023. There were found no significant differences between the years, but a bigger proportion of the mountain boards were using it in 2023 than in 2013.
Lastly, the study locked into whether mountain boards differentiate between rock and willow ptarmigans in their management strategies. There were found no significant differences between 2013 and 2023, regarding if the mountain boards differentiated between the ptarmigan species. There were a slight increase in the proportion of mountain boards that differentiated between the ptarmigan species.