The former quot;goose hunting capital of the world": Southern Illinois hunting club owners' beliefs, attitudes, and responses associated with shifts in goose migration

Waterfowl management is inherently complex, given shifting population dynamics and intensifying social and economic interests. This qualitative case analysis provides an exploratory examination of the human dimensions of waterfowl management, specifically the beliefs, attitudes, and business responses of 15 representatives from 12 goose hunting clubs in southern Illinois. The region's waterfowl hunting industry is facing progressively northward shifts in goose migration and dramatically diminished harvests. We conducted in-depth personal interviews with hunting club owners and operators, transcribed and analyzed the interviews qualitatively, and interpreted participants' responses within the local and regional waterfowl management context. Case study findings reveal that although individual hunting clubs have implemented short-term coping mechanisms, the hunting club industry in southern Illinois looks to management for developing long-term adaptive response.