Legitimization of Regulatory Norms: Waterfowl Hunter Acceptance of Changing Duck Bag Limits

Few studies have examined response to regulatory change over time, or addressed hunter attitudes about changes in hunting bag limits. This article explores Minnesota waterfowl hunters’ attitudes about duck bag limits, examining attitudes about two state duck bag limits that were initially more restrictive than the maximum set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), but then increased to match federal limits. Results are from four mail surveys that examined attitudes about bag limits over time. Following two bag limit increases, a greater proportion of hunters rated the new bag limit “too high” and a smaller proportion rated it “too low.” Several years following the first bag limit increase, the proportion of hunters who indicated that the limit was “too high” had declined, suggesting hunter acceptance of the new regulation. Results suggest that waterfowl bag limits may represent legal norms that influence hunter attitudes and gain legitimacy over time.     

What Predicts Support for Antler Point Restrictions?

Although considerable research has focused on satisfaction with recreation experiences, limited work has examined factors related to regulatory support. In 2005, an antler point restriction (APR) regulation was introduced for hunting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Minnesota’s Itasca State Park. Hunter surveys were conducted following the 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009 seasons. We modeled how (a) satisfaction with the deer seen, (b) type of deer pursued, (c) agency trust, and (d) years of deer-hunting experience, influenced support for the APR, and compared the model over the four survey years. Type of deer pursued and agency trust were the strongest predictors of APR support, followed by satisfaction with deer seen, and years of hunting experience. Hunters who targeted big bucks, had more trust in the agency, and expressed more satisfaction with deer seen in the field, were more supportive of the APR. Hunters who had more deer-hunting experience were less supportive.     

Transnational Ecosystem Services: The Potential of Habitat Conservation for Waterfowl Through Recreational Hunting Activities

This article explores transnational ecosystem services in North America, provided by winter habitat for waterfowl in western Mexico coastal lagoons, and the hunting industry supported by these birds in the United States. This article shows that the number of waterfowl harvested in the United States is related to the abundance of waterfowl wintering in Mexico. On average, this flow of ecosystem services annually yields US$ 4.68 million in hunting stamp sales in the western United States. A demand curve, fitted to duck hunting licenses as a function of stamp price and previous-year waterfowl harvest, estimated US$3–6 million in consumer surplus produced in addition to governmental stamp sales revenue. This strongly suggests that waterfowl wintering habitat in western Mexico is economically valuable to U.S. hunters. Because hunters may benefit substantially from these habitats they may be willing to pay for conservation efforts in western Mexico that can result in transnational benefits received in the United States.     

Explicit versus implicit motivations: Clarifying how experiences affect turkey hunter satisfaction using revised importance-performance,importance grid,and penalty-reward-contrast analyses

Although research has advanced methods for clarifying factors that relate to customer satisfaction, they have not been embraced by leisure researchers. Using results from a survey of wild turkey hunters, we applied traditional and revised importance-performance (IPA/RIPA), importance-grid analysis (IGA), and penalty-reward-contrast analysis (PRCA) to examine how activity-specific factors influenced satisfaction. Results suggested differences between the explicit and implicit importance of factors related to turkey hunting. Opportunities to kill turkeys were explicitly rated as less important than seeing, hearing, or calling in turkeys, but opportunities for harvest had relatively higher levels of implicit importance. PRCA identified “calling turkeys in” and “hearing gobbling” as minimum requirements that cause dissatisfaction if not fulfilled, but do not provide satisfaction, whereas “seeing turkeys” and an “opportunity to kill a turkey” related to both satisfaction and dissatisfaction. RIPA, IGA, and PRCA could provide valuable insights about factors that may improve satisfaction for leisure participants.     

Motivations and support for regulations: a typology of eastern wild turkey hunters

To determine the diverse motivations of eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) hunters, a self-administered questionnaire was developed and mailed to a sample of 5,000 licensed turkey hunters in Tennessee (response rate = 36%). A cluster analysis yielded three types of respondents in terms of their hunting motivations: social harvesters (44%), experiential harvesters (22%), and social outdoor enthusiasts (34%). Hunters in these segments were then analyzed to compare their support for various hunting regulations. While 61% of Tennessee eastern wild turkey hunters reported to be satisfied with current regulations, harvest-motivated hunters were less receptive to regulations that would limit season lengths or bag limits while socially motivated hunters were more accepting. The hunter groups did not differ in their preference for decentralizing regulations by management zones. Findings from this article may guide wildlife managers in designing socially acceptable regulations.     

Risk Sensitivity and Hunter Perceptions of Chronic Wasting Disease Risk and Other Hunting,Wildlife, and Health Risks

This article examined relationships among hunter perceptions of personal health risks from chronic wasting disease (CWD), knowledge and information about CWD, and perceptions of other hunting, wildlife, and health risks. Data were obtained from surveys of 2,725 deer and elk hunters in Colorado. Cluster analysis grouped hunters into no (42%), slight (44%), and moderate (14%) risk groups based on perceptions of personal health risks from CWD (e.g., concern about health, become ill from CWD). There were minimal differences among groups in demographics, information sources, and knowledge about CWD. Hunters who perceived higher health risks from CWD (i.e., moderate risk), however, perceived greater risks associated with CWD to other humans, CWD to wildlife, hunting to personal health, other diseases to health, and the future of hunting. These findings illustrated the concept of risk sensitivity where hunters who perceived higher risks from CWD were predisposed to rate all other risks as large.     

Hunters’ knowledge,attitudes, and practices towards wildlife diseases in Ohio

This article used ethnographic methods to examine how Ohio hunters’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices affect risk exposure to infectious disease. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with hunters from Southeast Ohio, and an online survey was distributed to a random sample of licensed Ohio hunters. Data analyses indicated that Ohio hunters learn about wildlife disease through word-of-mouth, hunting publications, and online sources. They perceived low-to-no risk of exposure to infectious diseases. Although hunters were generally knowledgeable about infectious wildlife diseases, they were more concerned about the impact on wildlife populations than their own health. The results contribute to a better understanding of the role of hunter behavior in response to disease events, the identification of future interventions that would most effectively inform hunters about wildlife diseases, and how to minimize their risk of exposure.     

A Hedonic Analysis of Big Game Hunting Club Dues in Georgia,USA

Hunting lease revenue can be a reliable supplemental income for forest landowners. Although studies have examined factors influencing per acre lease rates, little is known about how various characteristics are capitalized in hunting club dues. The objective of this study was to conduct a hedonic analysis of big game hunting club dues in Georgia, USA using a variety of club-, site-, and location-specific characteristics. To accomplish this objective, multivariate regression analysis was applied to explain variation in hunters’ self-reported big game hunting club dues in 2012. Implicit price was then calculated for each significant covariate. Club size, presence of food plots, and game quality had positive effects on club dues, whereas membership number had a negative effect. These results should be useful for landowners and club lease managers interested in enhancing the marketability of their hunting sites and understanding the effect of management actions.     

Type A influenza viruses in waterfowl in Ohio and implications for domestic turkeys

Because ducks are considered an important reservoir for type A influenza virus, and type A influenza viruses had not been recovered from ducks in Ohio, a 3-year virus surveillance study was conducted in Ohio waterfowl and waterfowl passing through Ohio to determine if domestic turkeys were at risk of exposure to avian influenza (AI) viruses from the waterfowl reservoir. The prevalence of AI infections in ducks during the fall migration averaged about 5.9%. The 55 waterfowl-origin type A influenza viruses recovered from ducks during fall 1986, 1987, and 1988 represented 23 different hemagglutinin-neuraminidase sub-type combinations of type A influenza viruses. Virus recovery frequencies ranged from 3.6% to 7.8% between years, from 2.0% to 8.2% between study sites, from 0.0% to 16.7% for sampling days, and from 0.0% to 14.3% among species of ducks sampled.     

Influenza viruses and paramyxoviruses in ducks in the Atlantic flyway, 1977-1983, including an H5N2 isolate related to the virulent chicken virus

From 1977 to 1983, waterfowl migrating along the Atlantic flyway were annually monitored for orthomyxoviruses and paramyxoviruses in an area in central New York State. A total of 168 influenza isolates were obtained from 1,430 waterfowl. Twenty-four combinations of hemagglutinin and neuraminidase subtypes were detected, with as many as 12 found in a single year. One combination, an H5N2 isolate in 1982, was closely related to the virulent chicken virus that appeared in Pennsylvania in 1983. The prevalence of influenza varied greatly among the common waterfowl species: mallards 42%, black ducks 30%, blue-winged teal 11%, wood ducks 2%, and Canada geese 0%. A total of 89 paramyxoviruses were also from these waterfowl. In contrast to findings with influenza virus, the prevalence of paramyxoviruses did not differ significantly among the duck species. Serotype 1 (Newcastle disease virus) was predominant; three other serotypes were also identified. These findings indicated that ducks in the Atlantic flyway continually harbor influenza viruses and paramyxoviruses. The viruses may be a source of infection for other species.     

Waterfowl abundance and diversity in relation to season,wetland characteristics and land-use in semi-arid South Africa

We studied waterfowl abundance and diversity in relation to season (wet vs dry), wetland characteristics (vegetation and morphometrics) and land-use in a semi-arid agricultural region of South Africa to determine how waterfowl respond to various wetland characteristics, particularly those of permanent agricultural ponds.Wetlands were visited during the wet (n = 215) and dry (n = 178) seasons of 1997 and species' abundances, and wetland and upland characteristics were recorded. Canonical correspondence analyses and multiple regressions determined which wetland and upland characteristics were most strongly associated with waterfowl density and species richness for both the wet and dry season. Overall, diving ducks were not abundant in the wet season, and were rare to absent in the dry season. Divers only responded positively to the characteristics of natural wetlands, including greater surface area, percent coverage of emergent vegetation, and high (ungrazed) shoreline vegetation. Of six species of dabbling ducks present during the wet season, occurrence of three co-varied with wetland and upland characteristics associated with agriculture, namely permanent water, and agricultural grains in the dry season. Being largely grazers, geese responded positively to the higher proportions of bare shoreline, characteristically surrounding agricultural ponds. Because only a few species associated with artificial waterbodies, natural wetlands should be conserved to protect waterfowl diversity in semi-arid South Africa.     

Factors Affecting Hunters’ Trust and Cooperation

North American wildlife is treated as a public trust resource (PTR), managed for the benefit of all people by government. Wildlife managers historically used restrictive regulations and enforced compliance to recover many species. Present-day societal needs include reducing some abundant game populations. Hunters often oppose this objective, creating tension between managing PTRs and gaining trust of hunters upon whose cooperation management depends. We assessed effects of normative and personal gains on cooperation of hunters through their purchase of antlerless deer licenses and their trust in the agency regarding bovine tuberculosis eradication from Michigan white-tailed deer. Logit modeling of hunter survey data indicated trust was influenced by procedural justice and personal gains. Only a single procedural justice variable was a statistically significant cooperation predictor. Findings suggest agencies may gain trust more readily than cooperation through procedurally just exercise of authority. Additional research is needed to identify meaningful gains associated with trust.     

A State and Provincial Survey of Harvest Reporting and Data Collection Methods

This article explored state and provincial wildlife agency deer (Odocoileus sp.) harvest data collection methods (in-person check stations [IPC], postal mail, telephone, and Internet harvest reporting [IHR]), and agency opinions about using hunter-provided data in making sound management decisions. We conducted an Internet survey of all U.S. and Canadian wildlife agencies’ deer program coordinators to determine current methods used for harvest reporting. Among agencies, IHR was the most commonly used method (64%), followed by IPC (46%), telephone (41%), and mail-in kill cards (25%). An additional 13 states were in the process of providing telephone and IHR. Most agencies expressed confidence in data hunters provided and felt these data were important in helping make management decisions. Automated systems (e.g., telephone and IHR) may provide opportunities for hunters to easily report their harvest, thereby potentially increasing harvest reporting rates, eliminating manual data entry by staff, and allowing for immediate access to data.     

Proximity to chronic wasting disease,perceived risk,and social trust in the managing agency

This article examined relationships between proximity to chronic wasting disease (CWD) and perceived risk and trust. The sample included 1,606 hunters in one of 10 northern Illinois counties with CWD, 1,958 hunters in a non-CWD county adjacent to these counties with CWD, and 2,099 hunters from the remaining non-CWD counties in Illinois. Compared to hunters in non-CWD counties, those in CWD counties were hypothesized to: (a) perceive more risk of CWD to humans, (b) perceive more risk of CWD to deer, (c) report less trust in the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) CWD information, and (d) have less trust in the IDNR management of CWD. The first two hypotheses were not supported, as hunters in CWD counties perceived less risk to humans and deer than did respondents in non-CWD counties. Hunters in CWD counties, however, were less trusting of the IDNR information and management compared to the other hunters.     

Motivations of Female Black Hills Deer Hunters

State fish and wildlife agencies are particularly interested in attracting female participation because of the potential to offset declining participation in hunting. Understanding female hunters’ motivations will be critical for designing effective recruitment and retention programs for women hunters. Although female participation in hunting is increasing, males still outnumber females by about tenfold. Gender differences in deer hunters were explored by comparing ratings of eight motivations (social, nature, excitement, meat, challenge, trophy, extra hunting opportunity, and solitude). Hunter types were defined by hunters’ selection of the most important motivation for why they like Black Hills deer hunting. Overall, females and males were relatively similar in their ratings of the eight motivations, and we found 85% gender similarity in the selection of the most important motivation. Women were slightly more motivated by the food aspect of the hunt while men placed slightly more value on the hunt as a sporting activity.     

Laboratory confirmed outbreaks of duck virus enteritis (duck plague) in the United Kingdom from 1977 to 1982

From 1977 to 1983 the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge confirmed 19 outbreaks of duck virus enteritis in the United Kingdom. All the outbreaks involved collections of captive waterfowl and there were no reported cases in commercial ducks. In many instances the disease was associated with contact with migrating waterfowl, particularly male mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) and related species appeared to be particularly susceptible. The most sensitive system for isolating the virus was muscovy duck embryo tissue cultures. The duckling inoculation test was found to be the most reliable method of confirming the disease.     

Hunter acceptance of antlerless moose harvest in Alaska: Importance of agency trust,proximity of hunter residence to hunting area,and hunting experience

Liberalized harvest of antlerless moose (Alces alces) in Alaska has resulted in conflict between wildlife managers and hunters. To address this issue, I surveyed moose hunters (n = 845, 35% response rate) to quantify and characterize acceptance of antlerless moose harvest. I found that 16%, 69%, and 15% of hunters thought antlerless hunts were always, sometimes, or never acceptable, respectively. Characteristics of the never acceptable group frequently differed from the other two groups. Using a multinomial logistic regression, I estimated that the odds of a hunter being in the never acceptable group was more likely if he/she strongly distrusted agency data (odds = 4.8), resided in the area with antlerless hunts (odds = 3.5), and had >20 years of moose hunting experience (odds = 3.4). My findings imply that a relatively small proportion of hunters can disproportionately direct wildlife management attention, especially in the absence of scientifically derived information on the human dimensions.     

Exploring Nontraditional Pathways Into Hunting in New York State: Implications for Recruitment and Retention

Anecdotal evidence suggests that adults lacking previous hunting experience and family support for hunting comprise a growing proportion of new hunters. Empirical evidence of such a trend is lacking. Furthermore, hunting motivations and constraints for these “nontraditional path hunters” (NTPHs) have not been well documented. We articulate a strategy for identifying potential NTPHs in New York, describe socialization mechanisms initiating NTPHs into hunting, and explore motivations and constraints of these hunters. Data were collected using a Web-based survey of 3,605 NTPHs identified among 2014 Sportsman Education course graduates in New York. We found that many NTPHs were initiated by friends and co-workers, and their motivations and constraints were similar to traditional hunters. These findings suggest that NTPHs are not a panacea to the trend of declining numbers of hunters in New York.     

Isolation of an apathogenic immunogenic strain of duck enteritis virus from waterfowl in California

A herpesvirus isolated from waterfowl dying of duck enteritis (DE) was tentatively designated the Sheridan-83. It was serologically related to the original Holland and Lake Andes (LA) strains of duck enteritis viruses (DEV). Other biological characteristics indicated that the Sheridan-83 was more closely related to the Holland strain than to the LA virus. The Sheridan-83 was nonpathogenic to ducks, and ducks inoculated with this virus developed resistance to challenge with the virulent strain LA.     

Finding our bearings: Understanding public attitudes toward growing black bear populations in Alabama

Black bear populations in Alabama have been low since the early part of the 20th century, but an increase in sightings over the past decade has led researchers to believe that populations may be growing, spurring discussions on restoring the species throughout its native range in the state. The rise of a large carnivore population is likely to increase human–wildlife interactions and attract outspoken opinions in support of and against population recovery. We conducted a mail survey of Alabama residents to access public views and opinions toward growing bear populations. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the degree to which residents’ attitudes toward black bears could be predicted by demographic, cognitive, and experiential variables. Results demonstrate that the strongest predictors of attitudes toward bears included mutualist and hunting beliefs, trust in the state wildlife management agency, race, and exposure to bear education materials.