Constraints to Waterfowl Hunting by Hunters and Anglers in the Central United States

Abstract

Waterfowl hunting participation has been on the decline since the mid‐1980s. We used a web‐based survey to better understand waterfowl hunting constraints (i.e., factors that limit or prohibit participation and enjoyment in leisure activities) among hunters and anglers that hunted or did not hunt waterfowl in the central United States. Forty‐eight constraint items were condensed into 10 constraint factors: Rules and Regulations, Waterfowl Identification, Cost, Waterfowl Hunting Skills, Land Access and Permissions, Interference by Other Hunters, Travel, Social, Waterfowl Populations, and Views of Others. We observed significant effects of both state of residence and activity type (i.e., frequent waterfowl hunters, sporadic waterfowl hunters, dissociated waterfowl hunters, non‐waterfowl hunters, and anglers) but the effect sizes were mostly small. There were few meaningful differences between constraints based on state of residence, indicating that the perception of constraints was largely consistent among the states included in our study. However, Social, Waterfowl Identification, and Waterfowl Hunting Skills constraints had greater differences, particularly between frequent waterfowl hunters and non‐waterfowl hunters. Our assessment of waterfowl constraints did not indicate a single constraint that was inhibiting (or prohibiting) participation of waterfowl hunting among waterfowl hunters or non‐waterfowl hunters. However, there were numerous constraints that were slightly to moderately limiting across all activity groups similarly, which suggests that constraints may act collectively to create a perception of an insurmountable impediment to participation to the individual. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.

Exploring the population dynamics of waterfowl hunters using a mark‐recapture approach

“…Conservation organizations (e.g., DU, Delta Waterfowl, Pheasants Forever, National Wild Turkey Federation) may also provide opportunities to enhance skills through mentorship and access to resources needed to participate in hunting, such as equipment and land (Larson et al 2014). Lack of access to land is often cited as a constraint to active participation in hunting (Metcalf et al 2015, Gruntorad and Chizinski 2020, Hinrichs et al 2021 a ). The network connections provided by conservation organizations may help hunters negotiate these constraints, which could support increased hunting opportunities and participation.…”

“…For example, state agencies and conservation organizations have hired recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) coordinators and have implemented R3 efforts to increase hunter numbers through college student recruitment programs and experimental regulations (Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports and Wildlife Management Institute 2016, Hinrichs et al 2021 b , Vayer et al 2021). Additionally, researchers have devoted more attention to better understanding the social factors (e.g., motivations, constraints, satisfaction, preferences) influencing waterfowl hunters, other outdoor recreationists, and conservationists (Schroeder et al 2019, Shipley et al 2019, Wilkins et al 2019, Hinrichs et al 2021 a , b ). For example, NAWMP partners conducted a series of workshops and surveyed hunters and bird watchers in the United States and Canada to assess the experiential preferences of new recruits, those who identified themselves as hunters or bird watchers, and finally, those who contributed to conservation (Harshaw 2018 a , b ; Slagle and Dietsch 2018 a , b ).…”

Perceived and experienced constraint negotiation: do first‐time elk hunters know what they are in for?

“…Our results suggest that, overall, elk hunters in Nebraska had the most difficulty negotiating constraints pertaining to social interactions with landowners and by limited opportunities to harvest elk due to elk occurring on property inaccessible to the hunter. Many Nebraska elk hunters view the lack of access to game as one of their greatest constraints, as access to land (Hinrichs et al 2021 a ) and harvest opportunity is routinely cited as one of the most important determinants of hunter satisfaction (Gigliotti 2000, Frey et al 2003, Schroeder et al 2018). By increasing public or private land access, management agencies may provide more areas to hunt and indirectly decrease conflicts among hunters (potentially increasing harvest success; Fontaine et al 2019, Wszola et al 2020 a ).…”

Duck hunters and difficulty complying with harvest regulations

“…Previous research has demonstrated that attitudes, preferences, motivations, and expectations of waterfowl hunters are interconnected (Schroeder et al 2019, Hinrichs et al 2021b, and that hunting experiences are sensitive to intrapersonal (awareness and interest), interpersonal (mentoring and guidance), and structural (access to equipment) conditions , Hinrichs et al 2021a, Vayer et al 2021.…”

“…Previous research has demonstrated that attitudes, preferences, motivations, and expectations of waterfowl hunters are interconnected (Schroeder et al 2019, Gruntorad et al 2020, Hinrichs et al 2021b), and that hunting experiences are sensitive to intrapersonal (awareness and interest), interpersonal (mentoring and guidance), and structural (access to equipment) conditions (Gruntorad and Chizinski 2020, Hinrichs et al 2021 a , Vayer et al 2021). In sport participation, factors such as years of experience, age at initiation to the activity, and motivation for participation have an effect on an athlete's ability to perform (Baker et al 2003).…”