Discrete choice modeling of season choice for Minnesota turkey hunters

Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton, Louis Cornicelli, Steven S. Merchant

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recreational turkey hunting exemplifies the interdisciplinary nature of modern wildlife management. Turkey populations in Minnesota have reached social or biological carrying capacities in many areas, and changes to turkey hunting regulations have been proposed by stakeholders and wildlife managers. This study employed discrete stated choice modeling to enhance understanding of turkey hunter preferences about regulatory alternatives. We distributed mail surveys to 2,500 resident turkey hunters. Results suggest that, compared to season structure and lotteries, additional permits and level of potential interference from other hunters most influenced hunter preferences for regulatory alternatives. Low hunter interference was preferred to moderate or high interference. A second permit issued only to unsuccessful hunters was preferred to no second permit or permits for all hunters. Results suggest that utility is not strictly defined by harvest or an individual's material gain but can involve preference for other outcomes that on the surface do not materially benefit an individual. Discrete stated choice modeling offers wildlife managers an effective way to assess constituent preferences related to new regulations before implementing them.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)457-465
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Wildlife Management
Volume82
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2018

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The use of trade, product, industry or firm names or products or software or models, whether commercially available or not, is for informative purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by the United States Government. D. J. Miller assisted with random selection of 2,500 turkey hunters from the electronic license system database. We also thank the 1,640 individuals who returned a mail survey and provided invaluable data for this project. Funding was provided by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources using funds generated through the sale of turkey hunting licenses.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Wildlife Society, 2017

Keywords

  • adaptive management
  • choice modeling
  • human dimensions
  • regulations
  • turkey hunting
  • wildlife management

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