Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Minnesota
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

This project will support two related studies on deer and moose management. Deer hunter attitudes and satisfaction survey–The Minnesota Deer Management Plan makes provisions for periodic assessment of hunters’ satisfaction with aspects of their deer hunting experience, and their trust in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources deer management. Periodic measurement of these variables equips the agency with knowledge about constituents’ experience with deer hunting, and enhances their ability to make deer management decisions that improve constituents’ experience, while meeting deer management goals. Importantly, assessing deer hunters’ satisfaction, and making decisions based in part on that knowledge, helps build trust, which is identified as a goal in the plan. This study supports the goals articulated in the plan. The objective of the study is to conduct a survey of Minnesota deer hunters to understand the factors that affect their satisfaction with deer hunting, and their attitudes toward deer management. Survey of moose stakeholder--Minnesotans value moose (Alces alces) for a variety of reasons, and understanding those values is an important part of the DNR’s articulated vision for moose management. The Minnesota Moose Management Plan (Moose Management Plan, 2011) establishes an objective of integrating social science into moose management decisions. One strategy identified under this objective is to undertake an assessment of Minnesota moose stakeholders’ values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors related to moose, moose management, and moose harvest. In this study, we will conduct a survey of Minnesotans’ to support implementation of the 2011 Moose Management Plan, and generate data to inform an update to this plan slated to begin in FY22. Specific topics for assessment will emerge from deliberation with DNR staff and external partners during survey design. Potential topics for assessment include, Minnesotans’ willingness to pay for moose viewing opportunities, perceptions of moose hunting and moose harvest, tradeoffs in moose, wolf, and deer management in moose range, and preferences for the DNRs approach to moose management among others. The objective of this study is to conduct a survey of Minnesotans’ to understand their values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors about moose and moose management.