The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) manage lands in central Montana under a multiple-use mandate. These agencies are expected to provide forage for livestock and recreation for the public while maintaining the ecological integrity of biological communities. When conflicts among land uses occur, such as actual or perceived competition between livestock and wildlife for forage, agency personnel need options to resolve problems. We measured the effects of recreational shooting, a potential mechanism for population regulation, on black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) population dynamics and activity patterns in 18 prairie dog towns in central Montana during 1994-95. The mean number of prairie dogs killed in colonies open to hunting was estimated at 23 in 1994 and 58 in 1995. Prairie dog population size declined 35% in hunted colonies and 15% in nonhunted colonies from early to late summer 1995. Age and sex ratios were similar in hunted and nonhunted colonies. Prairie dogs spent more time in alert postures and less time foraging in hunted than nonhunted towns. Prairie dogs could also be approached more closely in nonhunted colonies than hunted colonies. Recreational shooting has potential as a management tool to limit rather than eliminate populations of black-tailed prairie dogs.
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