Forage over fear: Assessing drivers of site use in response to shooting disturbance in a managed goose species

Abstract Human encroachment into the natural environment through agricultural expansion has intensified human–wildlife interactions. Negative population impacts are regularly associated with this encroachment; however, some species, including geese, benefit from novel resources these modified environments provide, often resulting in conflict with local stakeholders. Shooting management to reduce populations and/or alter distribution by manipulating the fear landscape is a common approach to mitigate conflicts. However, the efficacy of these strategies in driving redistributions is often unclear. Greenland barnacle geese ( Branta leucopsis ) wintering on Islay, Scotland have been subject to shooting management to mitigate their effect on farm pastures. We evaluated the effectiveness of this strategy in influencing field use and abundance at an island‐wide scale. Using a unique long‐term data set (2005–2019) of goose distribution and shooting activity, we assessed within‐winter drivers of foraging distribution within improved grassland in relation to habitat variability and shooting disturbance. We found field use was predominantly associated with forage acquisition at a field‐scale and low‐intensity shooting disturbance had no observed effect on abundance. Foraging was likely prioritised and has a stronger influence than disturbance, though geese did preferentially forage on perceived ‘safer’ fields (close to roosts, further from roads). Consequently, the impacts on redistribution were more marginal. Synthesis and Applications . Our results demonstrate that to be effective in stimulating redistribution, an understanding of the drivers of site use is crucial for shooting‐based disturbance regimes. We emphasise the importance of providing refuges to encourage site use and highlight the importance of considering the spatio‐temporal coordination of shooting disturbance to stimulate distributional shifts.