2017-11-8 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – November 8, 2017 TL: That’s what I’m talking about is a home range... That’s what published \[unclear\]. KS: Home ranges are not necessarily a circle – so we’ve done some radio collaring – we did some on Oahu and we were seeing patterns in the movement – it wasn’t just a complete like whatever one mile circle it was – they usually had patterns and they were going to particular places and utilizing particular resources – they actually have a nice study going right now with the University of Hawaii and they’re doing a lot of home range and, you know, telemetry and GPS collaring and looking at home ranges animals. So that’s what we’d like to do is look at these animals – see where they’re moving – see how they’re utilizing habitat and try to get an idea of the types or areas that they’re using. TL: When you talk about utilizing habitat are you guys doing rumen studies? KS: I don’t think so... TL: How would you know what they’re doing to the habitat then if you don’t know what they’re eating? KS: Cause you can see it. TL: OK. It’s interesting you say that because a rumen study that I have seen that was done by the University of Hawaii shows that about 10% of the animals rumen – maybe on one or two animals there was 20 or 30%. But by and large it was like 10 or 12% was the actual content of native grasses and leaves. We’re hoping to have Colin Onaka who was a part of that study talk to us last meeting and hopefully maybe the next meeting to explain exactly what this rumen study was. But if you look at that Malia Kipapa study it seems pretty thorough done by the University. It doesn’t show an awful lot of emphasis on native by those animals and yet we still hear that these animals are gravitate towards native – endangered plants and DLNR should probably try to correct that statement because it doesn’t seem to be true. KS: There’s lots of studies of impact of animals on vegetation and that’s what we’re looking at – what’s left behind – we don’t need to do a rumen – I’ve done stomach contents – I know how fast things degrade – that’s not an accurate way to figure out what something’s eating and what we do is we look at an area with animals and look at an area with no animals – that’ll tell you what the difference it. \[Discussion\] NP: Yeah, but animals do travel when they can they migrate. They might move through an area – if they’re allowed to keep moving those plants might actually be happier in a few months because they’ve been pruned. Everything just doubly sprouts when it’s been pruned – if those animals are allowed to 5