Understanding Non-traditional Hunters in New York: Initial Insights and Implications for Recruitment and Retention Research

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Integrating social science into conservation planning

A growing body of literature has highlighted the value of social science for conservation, yet the diverse approaches of the social sciences are still inconsistently incorporated in conservation initiatives. Building greater capacity for social science integration in conservation requires frameworks and case studies that provide concrete guidance and specific examples. To address this need, we have developed a framework aimed at expanding the role for social science in formal conservation planning processes. Our framework illustrates multiple ways in which social science research can contribute to four stages of such processes: 1) defining the problem and project team; 2) defining goals; 3) identifying impact pathways and designing interventions; and 4) developing and evaluating indicators of success (or failure). We then present a timely case study of wolf reintroduction in Colorado, U.S.A., to demonstrate the opportunities, challenges, and complexities of applying our framework in practice

Diverse University Students Across the United States Reveal Promising Pathways to Hunter Recruitment and Retention

Declining participation in hunting, especially among young adult hunters, affects the ability of state and federal agencies to achieve goals for wildlife management and decreases revenue for conservation. For wildlife agencies hoping to engage diverse audiences in hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) efforts, university settings provide unique advantages: they contain millions of young adults who are developmentally primed to explore new activities, and they cultivate a social atmosphere where new identities can flourish. From 2018 to 2020, we surveyed 17,203 undergraduate students at public universities across 22 states in the United States to explore R3 potential on college campuses and assess key demographic, social, and cognitive correlates of past and intended future hunting behavior. After weighting to account for demographic differences between our sample and the larger student population, 29% of students across all states had hunted in the past. Students with previous hunting experience were likely to be white, male, from rural areas or hunting families, and pursuing degrees related to natural resources. When we grouped students into 1 of 4 categories with respect to hunting (i.e., non-hunters [50%], potential hunters [22%], active hunters [26%], and lapsed hunters [3%]), comparisons revealed differences based on demographic attributes, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Compared to active hunters, potential hunters were more likely to be females or racial and ethnic minorities, and less likely to experience social support for hunting. Potential hunters valued game meat and altruistic reasons for hunting, but they faced unique constraints due to lack of hunting knowledge and skills. Findings provide insights for marketing and programming designed to achieve R3 objectives with a focus on university students. © 2021 The Wildlife Society

Sustaining Forests through Social, Environmental, and Community Psychology Constructs

The state of Maine is 90 percent forested and 95 percent privately owned. Nearly one-third of Maine’s 17.8 million acres of forestland is owned by over 200,000 landowners. The majority of these individuals own land in southern and central Maine and it is these locations where forest parcelization and residential development are increasing in the state. How landowners steward their property has the potential to affect timber supply; wildlife habitat and biodiversity; forest carbon sequestration; and a variety of recreational opportunities. Two social science surveys were implemented to explore landowner decision making and behavioral intentions. Social, environmental, and community psychology constructs served as the underlying theoretical framework. Findings from the Kennebec County Woodland Owner Survey (n = 452, 53% response rate) suggest individuals feel a moral, stewardship responsibility to consider how their land use affects other entities and in turn, this obligation indirectly influences their intention to develop land. When operationalized as a moral norm, landowner’s stewardship responsibility does not increase the overall predictive capacity of the theory of planned behavior. However, it does significantly influence landowner attitudes and to a lesser degree, perceptions of behavioral control. Results from the Maine Landowner Survey (n = 659, 47% response rate) indicate that landowner place attachment is comprised of three underlying factors, which span emotional, environmental, and sustenance-related attributes. The latter attribute represents a theoretical divergence from previous place attachment research in terms of individuals functional place dependence. Landowners who are emotionally attached to their land and view it as part of their identity also exhibit higher levels of sense of community. This research contributes to the advancement of stewardship theory and provides support for the importance of personal norms in land use decisions. Further, this research illustrates the influential role of landscape features on landowner’s stewardship responsibilities, place attachment, and sense of community. Lastly, findings suggest landowner place attachment and to a lesser degree, sense of community, influence behavioral intentions. Natural resource professionals interested in the long-term sustainability of Maine’s forests can tailor outreach/education efforts toward attributes which resonate with this population by highlighting potential benefits to biophysical and personal/familial characteristics

Landowners Perceptions of Their Moral and Ethical Stewardship Responsibilities in New Brunswick, Canada, and Maine, USA

Abstract The province of New Brunswick (NB), Canada and the state of Maine (ME), USA are heavily forested jurisdictions whose forests provide many social, ecological, and economic functions. Roughly a third of NB and ME's forested land is owned by private, non-industrial owners [sometimes called family forests or woodlot owners]. The choices of thousands of individual parcel owners of forest land determine the fate of these ecosystems. Ownership of forest land implies a social contract between the landowners and the rest of society. Previous research has focused on utilitarian conceptions of land use such as landowner rights and motivations. This study contributes to the discussion by inviting small-scale forest landowners in NB and ME to articulate their notions of landowner responsibilities. Through qualitative methods, this study ascertains participants' self-reported behaviors that indicate their overall attitudes about the responsibility of forestland ownership. Respondents from both NB and ME expressed strong sentiments toward using and/or managing their land in ways they considered beneficial to both themselves and to the ecosystems in which they are embedded, or as Leopold (A sand county almanac: and sketches here and there. Oxford University Press, New York, 1949) described, the biotic community. Results varied with regard to responsibility to other entities such as: their immediate families, wildlife and the public or broader society. The results offer insight into what and who influences landowners and, what they value

The future of wildlife conservation funding: What options do U.S. college students support?

Insufficient funding is a major impediment to conservation efforts around the world. In the United States, a decline in hunting participation threatens sustainability of the “user-pay, public benefit” model that has supported wildlife conservation for nearly 100 years, forcing wildlife management agencies to contemplate alternative funding strategies. We investigated support for potential funding options among diverse college students, a rapidly expanding and politically active voting bloc with a potentially powerful influence on the future of conservation. From 2018 to 2020, we surveyed 17,203 undergraduate students at public universities across 22 states. Students preferred innovative approaches to conservation funding, with 72% supporting funding derived from industry sources (e.g., natural resource extraction companies), 63% supporting state sources (e.g., general sales tax), and 43% supporting conventional user-based sources such as license fees and excise taxes associated with outdoor recreation activities (e.g., hunting). Findings emphasize the need to broaden the base of support for conservation funding and highlight the importance of considering the preferences and perspectives of young adults and other diverse beneficiaries of wildlife conservation

Evaluating impacts of R3 workshops for first‐time hunters at universities across the United States

Abstract Declines in hunter numbers across the United States make hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) a high priority for wildlife management. As wildlife management agencies and nongovernmental organizations seek to reach new audiences, college campuses present a unique opportunity to cultivate nontraditional path hunters. Despite recent proliferation of R3 initiatives, little research has evaluated effects of hunting programs on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of new hunters. We designed and implemented Getting Started Outdoors: Hunting 101 workshops specifically targeting college students without previous hunting experience, and we assessed workshop efficacy with a theoretically‐grounded approach to workshop evaluation. Using quantitative and qualitative analysis of surveys conducted before, shortly after, and 12–18 months after workshops, we assessed impacts of R3 efforts at large public universities in 16 different U.S. states. Across all states, 19 workshops attracted 314 total participants, with 255 completing both pre‐ and post‐workshop assessments and 133 completing the follow‐up surveys. Workshops significantly increased participants' confidence in hunting, reduced barriers related to inadequate knowledge and skills, and fostered positive views of hunters and hunting. Immediately after workshops, most participants said they would definitely (50%) or probably (34%) hunt in the future; 82% said they would likely (or very likely) purchase a hunting license. Over one year after the workshops, 34% of workshop participants reported having hunted, and another 45% said they would probably hunt in the future. Overall, workshops attracted a diverse population of potential hunters, increased interest in future hunting, and created hunting advocates. Findings highlight the potentially powerful impact that R3 programs focused on diverse college students can have on the future of hunting across the United States