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MONTANASTATELIBRARY SA6s3u9r.v1eyFo2fsMmobnhta1n9a9n5sc'.1beMliceCfoslalboouugthhun 30864000959307 ASURVEYOFMONTANANS'BELIEFS ABOUTHUNTING,VIEWING,ANDTRAPPING ScottA.McCoUough,GaryL.Dusek,andDanaE.Dolsen MontanaFish,WildlifeandParks August1995 JOBCOMPLETIONREPORT StateofMontana ProjectNo.:W-lOO-R-7 ProjectTitle: WildlifeProgrammaticEIS JobTitle: AsurveyofMontanans' beliefsabouthunting, viewingandtrapping Preparedby: ScottA.McCoUough Approvedby: DonA.Childress GaryL.Dusek DanaE.Dolsen Date: August21, 1995 J ABSTRACT Wildlifemanagementagenciestypicallyusepublicmeetingsandlicense-holdersurveystoobtain publicinput.Thesetechniquesareeffectiveingatheringcommentsfromhunters,trappers,major landowners, and wildlifeorganizations butmaypreclude feedbackfrom others. Given the interestinwildlifeissuesthroughoutMontana, Fish,WildlifeandParks(MFWP)designeda study to sampleall Montanans beliefs aboutwildlife-related recreation. MFWPbegan this surveybyusingfocusgroupstodevelop"beliefstatements". Interviewersthenphonedrandomly selected households, read these statements and associated questions, and noted responses. Respondentsgenerallyshowedstrongsupportforhuntingandahighlevelofinterestinwildlife viewing. Theydemonstratedlittlefamiliaritywithtrapping. Chi-squaretestingshowedthat beliefs, gender, and participation were often interrelated. Tests for nonresponse bias and comparisonsto 1990Censusfiguressuggestthatthesurveydidnotachievetheobjectiveof sampling Montana's overall population. The majordifferencebetween the sampleandthe populationmaybethesample'slargeproportionofhuntersandviewers. Theresultscontained hereincouldbeusedtodevelopwildlifemanagementstrategiesfocusedonhuntersandviewers andtodescribetherecreationalenvironmentinMFWP'senvironmentalimpactstatementonits WildlifeProgram. TABLEOFCONTENTS INTRODUCTION BEenlviierfosnSmuernvtealyImpactStatementfortheWildlifeProgram 2j1 REVIEWOFTHELITERATURE 3 Results Montana •••• ^2 Colorado •• • ^ National 4 Methods g METHODS jQ SurveyofMontanaResidents jq FocusGroups jq BeliefStatementsandInterviews 10 NonresponseBiasandUSCensusComparisons 11 RelationshipsamongVariables U RESULTSANDDISCUSSION 12 BeliefsHunting •••• j2 HuntingRegulations Ig WildlifeViewing 20 Trapping 27 Participation 2^ Hunting ^2 WildlifeViewing 34 Trapping 34 RSealmaptlioensChhairpasctAemriosntigcsVariables ^5 GenderandBeliefs ParticipationandBelief 4q ParticipationandGender 4j ParticipationandSocialandDemographicFactors 41 SampleQuality 42 NonresponseBias •••• Sample/USCensusComparisons 4g CONCLUSIONSANDSUMMARY 5q REFERENCESCITED ^2 APPENDIXA 54 APPENDIXB .... 62 LISTOFTABLES Table1. Kellertattitudesof314Montanarespondents,1991 3 Table2. ResourceallocationopinionsofrespondentsonMFWP'swildlifemanagement, 1991. Samplesizerangedfrom347to389 4 Table3. Significant chi-square relationships among the characteristics of Montana respondentsandtheirparticipationinhuntingandviewing, 1991. Samplesize rangedfrom390to399 5 Table4. DemographiccharacteristicsofrespondentsinMFWP's1991survey. Sample sizerangedfrom359to395 6 Table5. Responses ofthe Colorado public to statements about wildlifeand wildlife management, 1991(900respondents) 7 Table6. ParticipationratesoftheUSpopulationinhuntingandnonconsumptivewildlife uses,1991-1992 g Table7. Significantrelationshipsbetweensocialanddemographicfactorsandrespondents' participationinhuntingandwildlifeviewing,1993.(Determinedbychi-square testing,wherep<0.05) 41 Table8. Summarystatisticsfornonresponsebiasandfullsamplechi-square comparisons (95%level) 43 Table9. Residencein1985:StateandCountyLevel(Persons5years&older) 48 LISTOFFIGURES Figure1. Relationshipsamongcognitiveareas 2 Figure2. TheopportunitytohuntshouldnotbetakenawayfromMontanans 12 Figure3. DoyouapproveordisapproveofeffortstoabolishhuntinginMontana? 13 Figure4. HuntingisanimportantculturaltraditioninMontana 13 Figure5. HuntingisasociallyacceptablerecreationalpursuitforfamiliesinMontana.... 13 Figure6. Withoutinformationfromhunterharvests, itwouldbeextremelydifficultto managewildlife j4 Figure7. Managinganimalnumberstoimprovehuntingisacceptable 14 Figure8. Huntingkeepsagriculturalcropsand/orforagefrombeingseverelydamagedby wildlife J5 FFiigguurree91.0. HAunmtajionrgitiyn,stoavteerp5ar0ksperisceunnta,ccoefpthaubnlteersiniMnoMnotnatnaanawoundanimalsanddonot 15 retrievethem J5 Figure11. Gameanimalskilledbyhuntingreplacesnaturalmortality 16 Figure12. Hunting is not acceptable if those animals would otherwise be killed by predators Figure13. Thehuntingofprivatelyowned,confinedwildlife(likegamefarmanimals)is unacceptableinMontana 15 Figure14. Somepredatorpopulations,suchasmountainlions,shouldbecontrolledthrough huntingbecausetheirpreyspeciesarelimited 17 Figure15. Nongamespecies, such astheprairiedog,shouldnotbehuntedunlessthey threatenpeople'slivelihood,safety,orhealth 17 Figure16. Huntingpreventsanimalpopulationsfrommaintainingamorenaturalageand sexcomposition jg Figure17. Huntingimproveshighwaysafetybyreducingthepotentialforanimal-vehicle collisions jg Figure18. ThecomplexityofMontana'shuntingregulationsdiscouragesparticipationinthis Figure19. aHcotiwvitiymportantaresocio-politicalconsiderationsforMFWPinsettinghunting jg regulations? Figure20. How important are biological considerations for MFWP in setting hunting Figure21. Hreoguwlaitmipoonrs?tantareeconomicinfluencesonsettinghuntingregulations? 2j0g FFiigguurree2232.. EWinladblliifnegvciheiwlidnrgenistoavwioerwthwwihldilliefereicsraeagtiooondalwpauyrstuoitedfuocraMteontthaenmaafbaomuitlineastur.e..... 2210 Figure24. Theabundanceanddiversityofwildlifespeciesyouobservereflectsthehealth ofthenaturalenvironment 21 Figure25. Educatingpeopleabouttheirroleinthenaturalenvironmentispossiblethrough wildlifeviewing 21 Figure26. Feedingwildlifeinordertoviewthemmaybeharmfultothoseanimals 22 Figure27. ViewingandbeinginterestedinwildlifeareprimaryreasonswhyIenjoybeing inMontana 22 Figure28. Personalobservationsovertheyearsoflowernumbersorfewerwildlifespecies Figure29. wMoFulWdPdeschroeualsdeeymopuhraseinzjeoytmheenitmpoofrltiafencienoMfonwitladnliafehabitattootheragenciesto 23 increaseviewingopportunitiesonpublicland 23