Hunting: A Tool For Wildlife Managers

Carrying Capacity

• A habitat can support a certain quantity of wildlife year round. This is known as carrying capacity. The carrying capacity of different areas varies and can be changed by nature or by humans.
• The wildlife manager keeps the number of animals in a habitat at or below its carrying capacity to preserve the animals and their habitat.
• Tools of wildlife management:
  • Fertilization
  • Controlled burning
  • Food plots
  • Hunting
  • Shelter belts
  • Timber sales
• Wildlife managers use hunting to control wildlife populations through permit hunts, gender restrictions, and hunting seasons.

Factors That Affect the Wildlife Population

carrying capacity: The number of animals the habitat can support throughout the year without damage to the animals or to the habitat