Abstract
The current monitoring method for European badger (Meles meles) populations in Norway relies on the use of hunting statistics (i.e., trends of the number of hunted badgers each year). This study utilizes data from 1990 to 2023 to assess the validity of this approach by comparing it to relative abundance estimates derived from a large-scale camera trap network across Norway. We additionally apply the use of non-hunting mortality data (e.g., badger-vehicle collisions) to see if this may be a suitable method to supplement or replace the use of hunting statistics. Through correlation tests at varying spatial (national and county) and temporal scales (yearly and hunting season) we found no consistent correlations between all monitoring methods, and only found two significant correlations for Viken and Møre og Romsdal counties. We identified fundamental limitations in both mortality data sources due to reporting biases and failure to account for sampling effort.
Furthermore, we investigated what habitat and environmental parameters affect badger camera trap relative abundance. We found that agricultural land, transitional forest, and human population density positively influenced badger abundance, while higher latitudes, elevations, sparsely vegetated areas, and bogs were associated with lower abundance. Seasonal patterns showed that badger relative abundance is highest in spring, followed by summer, autumn, and is lowest in winter. We conclude that camera traps provide a more reliable and sustainable method for monitoring badger populations in Norway compared to hunting statistics at this time.
