Diverse university students across the United States reveal promising pathways to hunter recruitment and retention
Vayer, V. R., Larson, L. R., Peterson, M. N, Lee, K. J., Von Furstenberg, R., Choi, D. Y., Stevenson, K., et al. 2021. Journal of Wildlife Management. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22055
Abstract: 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, we found 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.
Paper 2
The future of wildlife conservation funding: What options do U.S. college students support?
Larson, L. R., Peterson, M. N., Von Furstenberg, R., Vayer, V. R., Lee, K. J., Choi, D. Y., Stevenson, K., et al. 2021. Conservation Science and Practice. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.505
Abstract: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.
Declining hunting participation, particularly among young adults, negatively impacts state and federal agencies’ ability to achieve wildlife management objectives and generate revenue for conservation activities. This study focuses on one promising audience - college students – in an attempt to address these declines and build support for hunting and wildlife conservation. It aims to identify opportunities for recruiting new college-aged hunters and retaining or reactivating individuals with previous hunting experience. This will be accomplished by working with multiple state agencies and public universities in a two-phased project to:
Survey diverse undergraduate students at participating universities to assess their hunting-related perceptions and behaviors, highlighting R3 programming and outreach opportunities (beginning Spring 2018), and
Utilize this information to develop, implement, and evaluate R3 workshops for college students without (or with very little) previous hunting experience (beginning Fall 2018).
The project goal is to reveal best practices for cultivating and sustaining positive perceptions of and participation in hunting among college students across geographical and cultural contexts. As a research technician for this project, my duties include:
Working with the project leaders at NC State to synthesize and analyze survey data across all states focused on students’ beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors with respect to hunting and wildlife conservation.
Participating in meetings with the larger project team (including about 40 human dimensions researchers and agency professionals from around the country)
Helping the team with the development of a technical report and outreach materials and sharing important findings with key stakeholder groups (e.g., state wildlife agencies, government officials)