Huntscape Community and Ecology Lab
PI Ellen Candler
Lab Research Interests
Our lab focuses on hunters' impact on the scavenger community. In particular, we are interested in the food that hunters leave behind and how that impacts the consumer community. From leaving corn in the field to attract deer, piles of donuts for bears, or leaving offal from a hunted animal in the woods, hunters have a large impact on the scavenger community. This research overlaps with behavioral, disease, and community ecology as well as human dimensions of wildlife.
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We are also interested in the urban/wildlife interface. Though Fairbanks is a small town, the human infrastructure and human presence certainly affects the wildlife as well as human safety and perception of animals that they share space with.
Much of the lab's research is also driven by participatory science. Including hunters and communities in research makes the science we do more accessible, creates opportunity for collaboration, and allows space for others to ask intriguing questions about wildlife!
Photo by Ryan Pennesi
Offal Wildlife Watching
This research project is designed to better understand what and when species use deer gut piles (offal) provided by hunters across Minnesota by using remote cameras to capture images of wildlife. It is a goal of the lab to continue this research in Alaska.​See the project page for more information
This project aims to identify the wildlife that share our Fairbanks community with us. Using remote cameras, we will investigate wildlife occurrence and how that varies at different human densities in Fairbanks and the surrounding area. This project is part of the Urban Wildlife Information Network.
Participatory Science
Much of the research conducted in our lab involves the public, whether is be question development, data collection, or data analysis. Participatory science (also known as citizen science) allows us to collect more data as well as communicate directly with people about their research curiosities.
Human Dimensions
Our lab has one foot in the Human dimensions world with a goal of understanding a more complete ecological landscape. Working with the hunting and urban community requires an understanding of motivation, values, and norms. Similarly, effective participatory science requires understanding of barriers that prevent, and motivations that influence, participation.
Hunter Bait
Hunters use bait to attract target species to a central location to ensure a clean shot. The contents of bait depends on state regulations, the species being targeted, and hunter trial and error. The food used for attractants (often corn, fruit, or pastries) not only attracts the target species, but also many other consumers. We are interested in understanding both the target and nontarget species interaction with hunter bait.
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