| dc.description.abstract | This study examined hunters' attitudes, preferences, and support for a variety of
hunting and resource management issues. The survey also included the first application
of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to hunters in Ontario, to explore how changes in
environmental and social attributes influence hunter site selection.
The data used in this study were obtained from a mail survey of 1000 randomly
selected moose hunters residing within the District of Thunder Bay. Research objectives
related directly or indirectly to Ontario's Living Legacy program (1999), Term and
Condition 80 of the Reasons for Decision and Decision - Class Environmental
Assessment by the Ministry of Natural Resources for Timber Management on Crown
Lands In Ontario (Ontario Ministry of the Environment 1994), the Crown Forest
Sustainability Act (1995), specific moose hunting regulations, and biological issues in
moose management.
Survey results indicated that respondents support all three modes of harvest
registration proposed, especially registration by phone or by postcard. Most respondents
support the Hunter Safety Apprenticeship Program, however, program objectives should
be reviewed frequently in order to identify and address potential problems or
shortcomings, if any, that might disrupt the program's true intentions. Moose hunters'
concerns, and in some cases misconceptions, prove that so far forest managers have
failed to educate moose hunters adequately about the use of herbicides in forest
management. Respondents also reported little tolerance for improper hunter behaviour
afield. Management-related issues such as insufficient conservation officers afield, the
Selective Harvest System, and a variety of forestry-related impacts all impose some
negative effect on one's hunting experience. Respondents overwhelmingly support the
right to access and hunt all of Ontario's Crown Lands, whereas restrictions such as gating
to prevent access into tourism areas were not supported. Respondents were evenly split
on issues pertaining to road maintenance and restricting hunting on Crown Lands but not
closing roads to the public. With regards to moose tag allocation and hunting
opportunities, most respondents strongly believe that tourist outfitters 1) receive too many
adult tags, 2) should only be allocated tags in WMU's where a surplus exists, and 3)
should only provide moose hunting opportunities at remote (fly-in) destinations. The DCE
yields negative utilities for increased distance from home to the hunting area, frequency of
encounters with other hunters, height of tree regeneration and predominantly conifer
regeneration cutovers. In contrast, increases in moose populations, the presence of
lakes, and access, to a lesser extent, yield positive utilities.
Study results provide a variety of data which are useful in investigating the tradeoffs
of possible wildlife management initiatives (enforcement, access restrictions, hunting
opportunities and regulation changes), forest-use decisions (timber harvests), and other
policy objectives (Ontario's Living Legacy Land Use Planning Strategy) which would
particularly affect recreational moose hunters. | |
