TABLE 3.
Multilevel Bayesian regression covariates included in addition to the deer land cover utility (LCU) score to account for other factors impacting minimum deer population density.
| Covariate | Definition | Covariate values | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spatial unit | Values | Units | ||
| No_Hunt | Total area of land classified as human development or open water by the NLCD, on which hunting is prohibited | TRS | 0 to 3.574 | km2 |
| Township | 0.506 to 212.452 | |||
| County | 33.65 to 2119.29 | |||
| Public_Hunt | Count of locations at which the state of Illinois allows the public to hunt | TRS | 0 to 5 | sites |
| Township | 1 to 7 | |||
| County | 1 to 11 | |||
| Deer_Density1 | Minimum deer population density of the previous year | TRS a | 0.202 to 56.404 | deer/km2 |
| Township a | 0.001 to 5.098 | |||
| County b | 0.033 to 4.583 | |||
a
Illinois Department of Natural Resources' (IDNR) chronic wasting disease surveillance.
b
Illinois Department of Natural Resources' (IDNR) recreational hunter harvest dataset (Illinois Department of Natural Resources 2023a #1).