SEAFWA 2018

AUTHORS: Max Birdsong, Wayde Morse – Auburn University

ABSTRACT: The importance of hunting to the economy and conservation funding has motivated state agencies to increase R3 efforts, however a lack of quantifiable success has inspired the creation of an R3 National plan. The R3 national plan aims to increase the capacity of agencies to build strategic, data-driven R3 campaigns. A key objective of the National Plan is creating R3 programs with targeted outcomes, as opposed to the “shotgun” approach of most traditional R3 campaigns. The goal of our study is to increase understanding of how the R3 process varies across different social contexts, so that state agencies can be more successful in creating these targeted programs. We mailed a questionnaire to 4,000 Alabama WMA license holders asking them a variety of questions regarding their hunting experience in Alabama. The questionnaire measures individuals’ motivations for hunting, their constraints to hunting, facilitators of recruitment, and facilitators of retention. In our analysis we will examine how motivations, constraints, recruitment, and retention differ across demographic groups. This presentation discusses the findings of our analysis, as well as the ways in which an increased understanding of these differences can contribute to R3 success.