americans’ attitudes toward hunting, fishing, …...trapping. responsive management has tracked...
Post on 31-Dec-2019
5 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
AMERICANS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD HUNTING, FISHING, SPORT SHOOTING, AND TRAPPING
Conducted for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Under Multistate Conservation Grant Number F19AP00100
Responsive Management and the National Shooting Sports Foundation
2019
AMERICANS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD HUNTING, FISHING, SPORT SHOOTING, AND TRAPPING
2019
Responsive Management National Office Mark Damian Duda, Executive Director
Martin Jones, Senior Research Associate Tom Beppler, Senior Research Associate
Steven J. Bissell, Ph.D., Qualitative Research Associate Amanda Center, Research Associate
Andrea Criscione, Senior Research Associate Patrick Doherty, Research Associate
Gregory L. Hughes, P.E., Research Associate Caroline Gerken, Survey Center Manager
Alison Lanier, Business Manager
130 Franklin Street Harrisonburg, VA 22801 Phone: 540/432-1888
E-mail: mark@responsivemanagement.com www.responsivemanagement.com
National Shooting Sports Foundation Jim Curcuruto, Director, Research & Market Development
11 Mile Hill Rd
Newtown, CT 06470 Phone: 203-426-1320
E-mail: jcurcuruto@nssf.org www.nssf.org
Although the NSSF partnered with Responsive Management for this report and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies provided funding for it, any errors in the report are the sole responsibility of Responsive Management.
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping i
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This study was conducted by Responsive Management and the National Shooting Sports Foundation to assess trends in Americans’ attitudes toward hunting, fishing, sport shooting, and trapping. Responsive Management has tracked public attitudes on the four activities in various forms since 1995, and the study makes use of this trend data by examining how Americans’ attitudes have changed over the years.1 The project was funded by a Multistate Conservation Grant from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The study entailed a scientific telephone survey of adult Americans, ages 18 and older. Details of the survey methodology are shown in the body of the report. Overall, 80% of Americans approve of legal hunting. Approval of hunting is highest in the Midwest (at 86% approval) and is lowest in the Northeast (72%). Americans’ level of approval of hunting has remained generally consistent over the past quarter century, with a gradual increase in approval since 1995 when approval was at 73%. However, approval of hunting varies considerably depending on the stated reason for hunting. When the reasons are utilitarian in nature—for meat, to protect humans or property, for wildlife management—approval is very high, but hunting drops substantially when the reason is for the sport or for the challenge; meanwhile, less than a third of Americans approve of hunting for a trophy. Nonetheless, approval of these less popular hunting motivations has rebounded following rather sharp declines in 2016 (note that administration of the 2016 survey followed several high-profile news stories that depicted trophy hunting in a negative light). The species being hunted also affects approval of hunting. Hunting of ungulates and waterfowl is more accepted than hunting of predator species, while the hunting of African lions and elephants has even less approval among Americans. Similarly, approval of hunting depends on the technique being used, especially the extent to which the technique in question allows for fair chase (i.e., whether the animal has a reasonable chance to evade the hunter). For example, more Americans approve of hunting with archery equipment than approve of hunting with high-tech gear or hunting on property that has a high fence around it. The survey findings suggest that fishing is less controversial than hunting: 93% of Americans approve of legal recreational fishing (compared to 80% who approve of legal hunting). Like hunting, however, approval of fishing depends on the motivation: more Americans approve of fishing for food than fishing for the sport, for the challenge, or for a trophy fish. Meanwhile, most methods of fishing have high approval, with the exceptions of gigging and snagging. The survey also examined attitudes toward shooting, finding that 81% of Americans approve of legal recreational shooting. This finding is consistent with the approval rates for shooting found in previous survey years, with the exception of a slight dip in approval in 2011. Trapping is more controversial than the other outdoor recreational activities explored in this study. Public opinion on regulated trapping is split: 52% of Americans approve while 31% disapprove. Again, attitudes appear to be influenced by the stated motivation for the activity: there is relatively high approval of trapping for wildlife restoration, population control, food, and property protection, but less approval of trapping for money, fur clothing, and recreation. Higher approval of all four activities (hunting, fishing, shooting, and trapping) is correlated with being male, white, living in a rural area, living in the Midwest or Southeast regions, and growing up with firearms. Conversely, lower approval of the activities is associated with being female, Hispanic, black, living in an urban area, living in the Northeast or West regions, and not growing up with firearms. 1 For the trend results in this report, comparisons of the new data are made only to previous Responsive Management survey questions that used consistent wording.
ii Responsive Management
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction and Methodology ........................................................................................................1
Use of Telephones for the Survey ...........................................................................................1 Questionnaire Design ..............................................................................................................2 Survey Sample .........................................................................................................................2 Telephone Interviewing Facilities ...........................................................................................2 Interviewing Dates and Times .................................................................................................2 Telephone Survey Data Collection and Quality Control .........................................................3 Data Analysis ...........................................................................................................................3 Sampling Error ........................................................................................................................4 Additional Information About the Presentation of Results in the Report ...............................5 Demographic Correlation Graphs and How to Interpret Them ...............................................6
Attitudes Toward Hunting in the United States ...............................................................................7 Attitudes Toward Hunting in General .....................................................................................7 Motivations for Hunting ........................................................................................................12 Attitudes Toward Hunting Different Species ........................................................................23 Methods of Hunting ...............................................................................................................34
Attitudes Toward Fishing in the United States ..............................................................................44 Attitudes Toward Fishing in General ....................................................................................44 Motivations for Fishing .........................................................................................................48 Methods of Fishing ................................................................................................................57
Attitudes Toward Sport Shooting in the United States ..................................................................67 Attitudes Toward Trapping in the United States ...........................................................................72 Demographics ................................................................................................................................85 About Responsive Management ....................................................................................................89
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 1
INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY This study was conducted by Responsive Management and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) to measure Americans’ attitudes toward hunting, fishing, sport shooting, and trapping. Responsive Management has tracked public attitudes on the four activities in various forms since 1995, and the study makes use of this trend data by examining how Americans’ attitudes have changed over the years.2 The study also examines how approval of hunting, fishing, and trapping varies by motivation, species, and method. The study entailed a scientific telephone survey of adult Americans, ages 18 and older. Data from the survey were weighted to ensure that the results were representative of adult Americans as a whole. In the survey, the four activities are referred to as follows: “legal hunting,” “legal recreational fishing,” “legal recreational shooting,” and “regulated trapping.” The qualifying terms before each activity serve to exclude any illegal or improper variations of the activity, as might be the case if a respondent were to interpret the single term “hunting” as being inclusive of poaching. The project was funded by a Multistate Conservation Grant from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA). Previous similar trend surveys have been funded by a variety of partners and grants, most often through NSSF, AFWA, and regional state fish and wildlife agency associations. Other sources for the data used in the hunting, fishing, and trapping trend analysis include surveys for the Professional Outdoor Media Association and the Archery Trade Association; additionally, the trend analysis on shooting uses data from a survey by Roper Starch Worldwide. Sample sizes for these surveys range from 800 to 5,103, with sampling error ranging from plus or minus 1.4 to 3.5 percentage points. All telephone surveys administered since 2006 entailed landlines and cell phones called in their proper state and regional proportions. Specific aspects of the research methodology are discussed below. USE OF TELEPHONES FOR THE SURVEY For the survey, telephones were selected as the preferred sampling medium because of the almost universal ownership of telephones among Americans (both landlines and cell phones were called in their exact state and regional proportions). Additionally, telephone surveys, relative to mail or Internet surveys, allow for more scientific sampling and data collection, provide higher quality data, obtain higher response rates, are more timely, and are more cost-effective. Telephone surveys also have better representation of the sample than mail surveys because the latter systematically exclude those who are not literate enough to complete the surveys or who would be intimidated by having to complete a written survey—by an estimate of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute of Literacy (2016), up to 43% of the general population read no higher than a “basic level,” suggesting that they would be reticent to complete a written survey. Finally, telephone surveys also have fewer negative effects on the environment than do mail surveys because of reduced use of paper and reduced energy consumption for delivering and returning the questionnaires.
2 For the trend results in this report, comparisons of the new data are made only to previous Responsive Management survey questions that used consistent wording.
2 Responsive Management
QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN The telephone survey questionnaire was developed cooperatively by Responsive Management and NSSF, based on the research team’s familiarity with similar surveys. In addition, the questionnaire in part included questions from previous surveys to allow for a trend analysis. Responsive Management conducted pre-tests of the questionnaire to ensure proper wording, flow, and logic in the survey. SURVEY SAMPLE The sample of adult Americans was obtained from Dynata (formerly known as Survey Sampling International), a firm that specializes in providing scientifically valid samples for survey research. The sample included both landlines and cell phones, which were called in the exact proportions that they exist on a state-by-state and regional basis—the resulting national sample was representative of all Americans living in households with a landline, cell phone, or both. A probability-based selection process ensured that each eligible American had an equal chance of being selected for the survey. This process ensured that the sample was valid because every resident had a known chance of participating in the survey. Responsive Management obtained a total of 3,014 completed interviews. The sample size is less than 3,014 on some graphs because certain questions were asked only of a random subset of the entire sample. This was done to minimize respondent burden by reducing the overall survey length for each respondent. TELEPHONE INTERVIEWING FACILITIES A central polling site at the Responsive Management office allowed for rigorous quality control over the interviews and data collection. Responsive Management maintains its own in-house telephone interviewing facilities. These facilities are staffed by interviewers with experience conducting computer-assisted telephone interviews on the subjects of outdoor recreation and natural resources. To ensure the integrity of the telephone survey data, Responsive Management has interviewers who have been trained according to the standards established by the Council of American Survey Research Organizations. Methods of instruction included lecture and role-playing. The Survey Center Managers and other professional staff conducted a project briefing with the interviewers prior to the administration of this survey. Interviewers were instructed on type of study, study goals and objectives, handling of survey questions, interview length, termination points and qualifiers for participation, interviewer instructions within the survey questionnaire, reading of the survey questions, skip patterns, and probing and clarifying techniques necessary for specific questions on the survey questionnaire. INTERVIEWING DATES AND TIMES Telephone surveying times are Monday through Friday from noon to 9:00 p.m., Saturday from noon to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., local time. A five-callback design was used to maintain the representativeness of the sample, to avoid bias toward people easy to reach by telephone, and to provide an equal opportunity for all to participate. When a respondent
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 3
could not be reached on the first call, subsequent calls were placed on different days of the week and at different times of the day. The survey was conducted in January 2019. TELEPHONE SURVEY DATA COLLECTION AND QUALITY CONTROL The software used for data collection was Questionnaire Programming Language (QPL). The survey data were entered into the computer as each interview was being conducted, eliminating manual data entry after the completion of the survey and the concomitant data entry errors that may occur with manual data entry. The survey questionnaire was programmed so that QPL branched, coded, and substituted phrases in the survey based on previous responses to ensure the integrity and consistency of the data collection. The Survey Center Managers and statisticians monitored the data collection, including monitoring of the actual telephone interviews without the interviewers’ knowledge, to evaluate the performance of each interviewer and ensure the integrity of the data. The survey questionnaire itself contains error checkers and computation statements to ensure quality and consistent data. After the surveys were obtained by the interviewers, the Survey Center Managers and/or statisticians checked each completed survey to ensure clarity and completeness. DATA ANALYSIS The analysis of data was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics as well as proprietary software developed by Responsive Management. The survey data were weighted by age, gender, race/ ethnicity, and geographic region, based on the latest population proportions obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau. Note that this weighting resulted in only minimal adjustments to the results (typically 1-2%), as the raw data collected were quite close to actual population proportions. The findings shown in this report are representative of adult Americans as a whole (see the “Demographics” section at the end of the report for a breakdown of the characteristics of adult Americans used for the weighting of survey data). For all questions in the survey, crosstabulations were run to compare and contrast regional differences. The four geographic regions used for these analyses are shown in the map on the following page.
4 Responsive Management
SAMPLING ERROR Throughout this report, findings of the telephone survey are reported at a 95% confidence interval. For the entire sample of adult Americans, the sampling error is at most plus or minus 1.76 percentage points. This means that if the survey were conducted 100 times on different samples that were selected in the same way, the findings of 95 out of the 100 surveys would fall within plus or minus 1.76 percentage points of each other. Sampling error was calculated using the formula described below, with a sample size of 3,014 and a population size of 253,227,600 adult Americans. Sampling Error Equation
( )( )96.1
1
25.25.
−
−=
p
s
p
NN
N
B
Derived from formula: p. 206 in Dillman, D. A. 2000. Mail and Internet Surveys. John Wiley & Sons, NY.
Note: This is a simplified version of the formula that calculates the maximum sampling error using a 50:50 split (the most conservative calculation because a 50:50 split would give maximum variation).
Where: B = maximum sampling error (as decimal) NP = population size (i.e., total number who could be surveyed) NS = sample size (i.e., total number of respondents surveyed)
Map was created in color; legibility may be compromised if viewed in black and white.
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 5
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRESENTATION OF RESULTS IN THE REPORT In examining the results, it is important to be aware that the questionnaire included several types of questions:
• Closed-ended questions have an answer set from which to choose. • Single or multiple response questions: Some questions allow only a single response,
while other questions allow respondents to give more than one response or choose all that apply. Those that allow more than a single response are indicated on the graphs with the label, “Multiple Responses Allowed.”
• Scaled questions: Many closed-ended questions (but not all) are in a scale, such as excellent-good-fair-poor.
• Series questions: Many questions are part of a series, and the results are primarily intended to be examined relative to the other questions in that series (although results of the questions individually can also be valuable). Typically, results of all questions in a series are shown together.
Some graphs show an average, either the mean or median (or both). The mean is simply the sum of all numbers divided by the number of respondents. Because outliers (extremely high or low numbers relative to most of the other responses) may skew the mean, the median may be shown. The median is the number at which half the sample is above and the other half is below. In other words, a median of 150 means that half the sample gave an answer of more than 150 and the other half gave an answer of less than 150. Most graphs show results rounded to the nearest integer; however, all data are stored in decimal format, and all calculations are performed on unrounded numbers. For this reason, some results may not sum to exactly 100% because of this rounding on the graphs. Additionally, rounding may cause apparent discrepancies of 1 percentage point between the graphs and the reported results of combined responses (e.g., when “strongly approve” and “moderately approval” are summed to determine the total percentage of approval).
6 Responsive Management
DEMOGRAPHIC CORRELATION GRAPHS AND HOW TO INTERPRET THEM Special graphs that show many demographic variables as they relate to a single question are included in this report. As shown in the example below, the graph shows the overall results regarding the percentage who approve of hunting in the striped bar, as well as the percentage of specific demographic groups that approve of hunting in the solid bars. All groups above the striped bar have a higher percentage approving of hunting—in other words, these groups have a higher likelihood of approving of hunting. On the other hand, all groups below the striped bar have a lower percentage approving of hunting.
Percent of each of the following groups who approve of legal hunting:
76.9
75.7
74.3
74.2
73.8
73.7
73.2
72.5
65.6
64.6
61.5
83.4
86.1
86.4
98.8
96.8
90.8
89.8
88.3
86.5
82.7
82.6
81.8
81.6
79.6
77.2
0 20 40 60 80 100
Hunter
Shooter
Angler
Resides in rural area
Grew up with family who owned firearms
White or Caucasian
Male
Resides in Midwest Region
Resides in small city or town
55 years old or older
Wildlife viewer
35-54 years old
Resides in Southeast Region
Total
Resides in West Region
Non-hunter
18-34 years old
Non-wildlife viewer
Non-angler
Resides in large city or suburb
Non-shooter
Female
Resides in Northeast Region
Did not grow up with family who owned firearms
Black or African-American
Hispanic or Latino
Percent (n=3014)
This graph looks at approval of legal hunting. The striped bar shows that 79.6% of adult Americans approve of hunting. Rural residents are more likely than the general population overall to approve of hunting, with 89.8% who do so. Conversely, those groups below the striped bar are less likely to approve of hunting than are residents overall. For instance, Hispanic residents (61.5%) are less likely to approve of hunting than are residents overall.
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 7
ATTITUDES TOWARD HUNTING IN THE UNITED STATES ATTITUDES TOWARD HUNTING IN GENERAL
Overall, 4 out of 5 Americans approve of hunting when the activity is asked about in a general sense. (Note that the survey asked about legal hunting so that poaching or other illegal activities would not be considered in the responses.) • Differences in approval rates can be observed between the geographic regions, as well.
Regional crosstabulations show that approval of hunting is highest in the Midwest (66% of residents strongly approve and 20% moderately approve, for an overall approval of 86%) and lowest in the Northeast (72% overall approval).
• Americans’ level of approval for hunting has remained generally consistent over the past quarter century, with a gradual uptick since 1995 when approval was at 73% (in fact, the current approval level of 80% is the highest yet among the study years).
• Sport shooters and anglers are more likely to approve of hunting than the average American. Other groups associated with higher levels of approval of hunting are those who live in rural areas, those who grew up in a family that owned firearms, white residents, and male residents. On the other hand, groups associated with lower levels of approval of hunting include Hispanic residents, those who did not grow up in a family that owned firearms, black residents, Northeast region residents, and female residents. (Note that the demographic correlation graphs of those who approve and disapprove of hunting are largely the inverse of each other; however, they are not quite mirror images due to neutral and “don’t know/refused” responses.)
The survey also asked respondents, regardless of their personal opinion of hunting, if they
agree or disagree that it is acceptable for other people to hunt provided they do so legally and in accordance with hunting laws and regulations. Most Americans (92%) agree that it is acceptable, compared to only 6% who disagree. Given that the initial question showed that 13% of Americans disapprove of hunting, this follow-up question suggests that just over half of those who disapprove nonetheless feel that others should have the right to hunt. • There was little variation between the regions on overall agreement, although strong
agreement was highest in the Midwest and Southeast regions. • There was a slight decrease in overall agreement compared to 2011.
8 Responsive Management
Q106. Do you approve or disapprove of legal hunting?
55
25
7
4
9
1
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent (n=3014)
80%
13%
Q106. Do you approve or disapprove of legal hunting?
44
28
7
6
13
10
8
3
7
24
58
2
5
2
66
20
5
1
9
4
49
28
9
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=582)Southeast (n=1091)Midwest (n=638)West (n=703)
Q106. Do you approve or disapprove of legal hunting?
22
73 75
17 16
78
20
74
12
79
13
77
14
79
13
80
0
20
40
60
80
100
Overall approval Overall disapproval
Perc
ent
1995 2003 2006 2011 2013 2015 2016 2019
(2019 n=3014)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 9
Percent of each of the following groups who approve of legal hunting:
76.9
75.7
74.3
74.2
73.8
73.7
73.2
72.5
65.6
64.6
61.5
83.4
86.1
86.4
98.8
96.8
90.8
89.8
88.3
86.5
82.7
82.6
81.8
81.6
79.6
77.2
0 20 40 60 80 100
Hunter
Shooter
Angler
Resides in rural area
Grew up with family who owned firearms
White or Caucasian
Male
Resides in Midwest Region
Resides in small city or town
55 years old or older
Wildlife viewer
35-54 years old
Resides in Southeast Region
Total
Resides in West Region
Non-hunter
18-34 years old
Non-wildlife viewer
Non-angler
Resides in large city or suburb
Non-shooter
Female
Resides in Northeast Region
Did not grow up with family who owned firearms
Black or African-American
Hispanic or Latino
Percent (n=3014)
10 Responsive Management
Percent of each of the following groups who disapprove of legal hunting:
11.0
10.8
10.1
7.9
7.8
7.2
6.9
6.1
4.9
1.7
0.4
15.8
15.8
16.2
25.8
22.9
21.0
19.5
17.0
16.2
14.2
13.2
13.0
12.7
12.5
11.5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Hispanic or Latino
Did not grow up with family who owned firearms
Black or African-American
Resides in Northeast Region
Female
Non-shooter
Non-angler
Resides in large city or suburb
Non-wildlife viewer
Non-hunter
18-34 years old
Resides in West Region
35-54 years old
Total
Resides in Southeast Region
55 years old or older
Wildlife viewer
Resides in small city or town
White or Caucasian
Male
Resides in rural area
Resides in Midwest Region
Grew up with family who owned firearms
Angler
Shooter
Hunter
Percent (n=3014)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 11
Q109. No matter your opinion on hunting, do you agree or disagree that it is OK for other people to hunt if they do so legally and in accordance with
hunting laws and regulations?
75
17
2
1
4
Less than 0.5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Neither agree nordisagree
Somewhatdisagree
Strongly disagree
Don't know
Percent (n=3014)
92%
6%*
*Apparent discrepancy is due to rounding of numbers on graph; calculation is made on unrounded numbers.
Q109. No matter your opinion on hunting, do you agree or disagree that it is OK for other people to hunt if they do so legally and in accordance with
hunting laws and regulations?
67
21
2
2
7
00
3
1
2
15
79
1
3
1
81
14
1
1
6
2
72
19
2
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Neither agree nordisagree
Somewhatdisagree
Strongly disagree
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=582)Southeast (n=1091)Midwest (n=638)West (n=703)
Q109. No matter your opinion on hunting, do you agree or disagree that it is OK for other people to hunt if they do so legally and in
accordance with hunting laws and regulations?
4
9592
6
0
20
40
60
80
100
Agree Disagree
Perc
ent
2011 2019
(2019 n=3014)
12 Responsive Management
MOTIVATIONS FOR HUNTING Approval of hunting varies considerably depending on the stated reasons for hunting. When the
reasons are utilitarian in nature—for meat, to protect humans or property, for wildlife management—approval is very high. In addition, a strong majority of Americans are supportive of hunting to obtain organic meat or locally sourced food. On the other hand, approval of hunting drops substantially when the reasons are for the sport, the challenge, or a trophy. The motivations for hunting asked about in the survey and the percentages who approve of each are listed below, in descending order of strong approval: • To protect humans from harm (85% approve; 63% strongly approve) • For the meat (84% approve; 61% strongly approve) • For wildlife management (82% approve; 58% strongly approve) • To get locally sourced food (83% approve; 56% strongly approve) • To get organic meat (77% approve; 50% strongly approve) • To protect property (74% approve; 48% strongly approve) • For the sport (50% approve; 26% strongly approve) • For the challenge (41% approve; 19% strongly approve) • For a trophy (29% approve; 9% strongly approve)
o The nationwide results for this series of motivations are shown together on one graph for comparison. This is followed by graphs showing the series results within each region, as well as the regional crosstabulation for each motivation individually.
o The trend graph shows that the percentages who approve of hunting for the sport, for the challenge, and for a trophy have returned to 2006 levels after showing sharp declines in 2016.
The preceding series showed a high level of approval of hunting for the meat. The survey also
asked respondents if they had eaten wild-caught game meat, such as venison or deer, wild turkey, boar, buffalo, or duck in the 12 months prior to the survey; less than half of Americans (43%) had done so. • Residents of the Midwest are the most likely to have done so: at 55%, the Midwest is the
only region in which a majority of its residents have eaten game meat.
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 13
Percent that [approve / disapprove] of hunting for each of the following reasons:
63
61
58
56
50
48
26
19
9
22
23
25
26
27
26
25
22
20
3
3
3
3
5
5
5
5
4
5
4
6
4
5
9
11
14
15
6
8
9
8
11
11
34
39
51
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
2
0 20 40 60 80 100
To protect humansfrom harm
For the meat
For wildlifemanagement
To get locallysourced food
To get organic meat
To protect property
For the sport
For the challenge
For a trophy
Percent (n=975)
Strongly approveModerately approveNeither approve nor disapproveModerately disapproveStrongly disapproveDon’t know
14 Responsive Management
Percent that strongly approve or moderately approve of hunting for each of the following
reasons:
74
77
82
83
84
85
50
41
29
0 20 40 60 80 100
To protect humansfrom harm
For the meat
To get locallysourced food
For wildlifemanagement
To get organic meat
To protect property
For the sport
For the challenge
For a trophy
Percent (n=975)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 15
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of hunting for each of the following reasons:
(Northeast Region)
25
38
50
83
82
81
79
73
70
0 20 40 60 80 100
To protecthumans from
harm
To get locallysourced food
For the meat
For wildlifemanagement
To get organicmeat
To protectproperty
For the sport
For the challenge
For a trophy
Northeast (n=196)
16 Responsive Management
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of hunting for each of the following reasons:
(Southeast Region)
31
42
52
89
86
85
85
79
79
0 20 40 60 80 100
To protect humansfrom harm
For wildlifemanagement
For the meat
To get locallysourced food
To get organicmeat
To protect property
For the sport
For the challenge
For a trophy
Southeast (n=361)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 17
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of hunting for each of the following reasons:
(Midwest Region)
34
51
57
89
87
84
84
78
78
0 20 40 60 80 100
For the meat
To protect humansfrom harm
For wildlifemanagement
To get locallysourced food
To get organicmeat
To protect property
For the sport
For the challenge
For a trophy
Midwest (n=198)
18 Responsive Management
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of hunting for each of the following reasons:
(West Region)
24
33
42
82
80
77
77
75
68
0 20 40 60 80 100
For the meat
To get locallysourced food
To protect humansfrom harm
For wildlifemanagement
To get organicmeat
To protect property
For the sport
For the challenge
For a trophy
West (n=220)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 19
Q118. For the meat?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this reason?)
51
30
3
7
9
12
8
3
2
19
66
0
5
2
67
22
4
1
11
3
56
26
4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q119. For a trophy?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this reason?)
6
20
7
14
51
21
46
18
4
19
12
3
46
14
12
22
3
2
60
11
7
18
3
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q120. To protect humans from harm?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this reason?)
61
23
3
5
7
10
4
4
3
21
67
1
6
4
64
23
1
1
8
7
57
19
7
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q121. For the challenge?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this reason?)
14
25
7
16
38
11
36
15
6
22
20
0
30
15
24
27
4
2
51
10
17
17
4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
20 Responsive Management
Q122. To get organic meat?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this reason?)
45
28
6
7
11
42
11
4
4
28
52
2
9
5
51
27
6
2
11
8
52
22
5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q123. For wildlife management?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this reason?)
53
25
4
6
11
11
6
5
2
25
61
0
7
6
63
22
2
0
12
6
52
25
5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q124. To protect property?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this reason?)
41
29
4
13
13
01
8
6
6
25
54
0
12
8
54
24
2
2
13
9
39
28
9
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q125. For the sport?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this reason?)
21
30
6
12
32
01
31
9
7
24
28
1
31
10
30
27
1
0
42
12
24
18
4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 21
Q126. To get locally sourced food?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this reason?)
48
34
3
7
8
01
9
3
2
24
61
4
6
2
60
24
5
2
9
6
53
26
4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q118-125. Percent who strongly or moderately approve of hunting for the following motivations:
7469
36
2621
77 74
50
41
29
71
*
81
*
8585
53
40
28
78
88 87 85838584 82
0
20
40
60
80
100
For the meat To protecthumans from
harm
To get locallysourced food
For widlifemanagement
To getorganic meat
To protectproperty
For the sport For thechallenge
For a trophy
Perc
ent
2006 2016 2019
(2019 n=3014)*Motivation not asked about in 2006 survey
22 Responsive Management
Q111. Not including meat from farm-raised sources, ordered at restaurants, or bought at
stores, have you eaten any wild-caught game meat, such as venison or deer, wild turkey, boar, buffalo,
or duck, in the past 12 months?
43
56
Less than 0.5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Yes
No
Don't know
Percent (n=3014)
Q111. Not including meat from farm-raised sources, ordered at restaurants, or bought at
stores, have you eaten any wild-caught game meat, such as venison or deer, wild turkey, boar, buffalo,
or duck, in the past 12 months?
37
63
0
0
54
46
55
45
1
36
64
0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Yes
No
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=582)Southeast (n=1091)Midwest (n=638)West (n=703)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 23
ATTITUDES TOWARD HUNTING DIFFERENT SPECIES Attitudes toward hunting vary according to the species being hunted. This study, consistent with
others, shows that hunting of ungulates, such as deer and elk, or waterfowl is more acceptable than is hunting of predators, such as bear, mountain lions, or wolves. Meanwhile, less than a fifth of Americans approve of hunting for exotic species such as African lions and elephants. The species asked about in the survey and the percentages who approve of hunting each are listed below, in descending order of strong approval: • Deer (78% approve; 56% strongly approve) • Wild turkey (78% approve; 55% strongly approve) • Duck (74% approve; 47% strongly approve) • Rabbit (72% approve; 47% strongly approve) • Squirrel (65% approve; 43% strongly approve) • Elk (66% approve; 39% strongly approve) • Alligator (61% approve; 36% strongly approve) • Mourning dove (44% approve; 24% strongly approve) • Black bear (44% approve; 21% strongly approve) • Grizzly bear (40% approve; 20% strongly approve) • Wolf (39% approve; 20% strongly approve) • Mountain lion or cougar (38% approve; 18% strongly approve) • African lion (14% approve; 6% strongly approve) • African elephant (7% approve; 3% strongly approve)
o The nationwide results for this series of species are shown together on one graph, followed by graphs showing the series results within each region and the regional crosstabulation for each species individually.
o The trend graph shows that approval of hunting black bear and wild turkey has increased since 2016.
o It is interesting to note that there is no species for which hunting approval is as high as it is for hunting in general. This suggests that, for some, it is easier to approve of hunting in general when specific animals are not being considered.
24 Responsive Management
Percent that [approve / disapprove] of hunting each of the following species:
56
55
47
47
43
39
36
24
21
20
20
18
6
3
22
24
28
25
22
27
25
20
23
20
19
20
8
3
3
4
4
3
5
6
8
10
7
7
7
7
6
5
5
5
7
9
9
8
10
11
12
11
13
13
9
7
14
11
14
15
19
18
17
31
34
39
39
39
68
80
0
2
1
1
1
2
4
4
3
2
3
2
4
2
0 20 40 60 80 100
Deer
Wild turkey
Duck
Rabbit
Squirrel
Elk
Alligator
Mourning dove
Black bear
Grizzly bear
Wolf
Mountain lion or cougar
African lion
African elephant
Percent (n=975)
Strongly approveModerately approveNeither approve nor disapproveModerately disapproveStrongly disapproveDon't know
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 25
Percent that strongly approve or moderately approve of hunting each of the following species:
7
14
38
39
40
65
66
72
74
78
78
61
44
44
0 20 40 60 80 100
Wild turkey
Deer
Duck
Rabbit
Elk
Squirrel
Alligator
Mourning dove
Black bear
Grizzly bear
Wolf
Mountain lion or cougar
African lion
African elephant
Percent (n=975)
26 Responsive Management
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of hunting each of the following species:
(Northeast Region)
42
46
57
74
72
69
66
60
59
40
36
32
14
5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Wild turkey
Deer
Duck
Rabbit
Elk
Alligator
Squirrel
Black bear
Grizzly bear
Wolf
Mountain lion or cougar
Mourning dove
African lion
African elephant
Northeast (n=196)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 27
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of hunting each of the following species:
(Southeast Region)
44
52
65
82
82
76
75
70
69
40
37
37
17
9
0 20 40 60 80 100
Deer
Wild turkey
Duck
Rabbit
Squirrel
Alligator
Elk
Mourning dove
Black bear
Grizzly bear
Mountain lion or cougar
Wolf
African lion
African elephant
Southeast (n=361)
28 Responsive Management
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of hunting each of the following species:
(Midwest Region)
46
48
63
82
80
75
74
71
68
44
43
39
11
4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Deer
Wild turkey
Duck
Rabbit
Elk
Squirrel
Alligator
Black bear
Wolf
Grizzly bear
Mountain lion or cougar
Mourning dove
African lion
African elephant
Midwest (n=198)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 29
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of hunting each of the following species:
(West Region)
39
47
48
77
75
72
71
68
62
37
34
33
10
7
0 20 40 60 80 100
Duck
Wild turkey
Deer
Rabbit
Elk
Squirrel
Alligator
Mourning dove
Black bear
Mountain lion or cougar
Wolf
Grizzly bear
African lion
African elephant
West (n=220)
30 Responsive Management
Q129. Deer?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
47
25
4
7
17
01
12
3
2
24
58
0
11
5
69
13
1
0
18
4
49
23
5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q130. Wild turkey?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
47
27
4
9
10
31
10
3
3
25
58
2
11
5
62
18
3
3
12
5
51
24
6
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q131. Black bear?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
19
27
9
14
28
31
35
13
7
22
21
5
30
11
27
21
6
2
43
10
19
20
5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q132. Mourning dove?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
12
20
11
13
39
54
28
9
6
22
30
3
35
12
22
17
11
5
26
9
28
20
12
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 31
Q133. Mountain lion or cougar?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
13
23
9
19
33
41
41
13
8
17
20
2
37
12
19
24
7
1
46
11
18
19
5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q134. Elk?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
27
33
6
11
20
31
19
8
6
25
40
5
14
8
44
27
3
1
16
7
45
23
7
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q135. Duck?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
39
30
4
10
16
20
12
8
3
27
49
1
15
6
52
22
4
0
13
4
46
30
6
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q136. Grizzly bear?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
16
26
11
13
29
51
39
13
7
19
22
3
37
9
23
22
6
2
50
9
18
15
5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
32 Responsive Management
Q137. Alligator?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
32
27
9
13
14
52
17
8
4
24
45
3
13
12
32
31
8
4
23
10
28
20
15
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q138. Wolf?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
18
22
8
14
33
43
40
12
7
18
19
2
32
14
23
23
6
1
48
11
18
15
7
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q139. Rabbit?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
34
32
3
10
20
21
17
6
2
27
48
1
7
14
54
21
3
1
16
8
51
20
3
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q140. Squirrel?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
31
26
5
16
20
10
18
8
3
23
47
3
14
9
50
18
6
1
24
6
43
19
6
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 33
Q141. African lion?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
3
10
9
10
64
43
68
8
4
9
9
4
65
11
7
4
9
3
76
7
3
7
4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q142. African elephant?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
for this species?)
1
4
7
7
80
12
79
5
5
4
5
3
80
8
3
1
5
2
81
7
3
3
3
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q129-142. Percent of respondents who strongly approve or moderately approve of hunting for each of the following species:
6966
58
4240 39
37 37
16
4
7874
79
72
65 66
61
4440 39
44
38
14
7
**
42
47
*
60
**
75
*
78
*
40
*
71
77 76
71
0
20
40
60
80
100
Deer Duck Wildturkey
Rabbit Squirrel Elk Alligator Mourningdove
Grizzlybear
Wolf Blackbear
Mountainlion orcougar
AfricanLion
Africanelephant
Perc
ent
2006 2016 2019
(2019 n=3014)*Species not asked about in 2006 survey
34 Responsive Management
METHODS OF HUNTING
The methods used to hunt also affect Americans’ attitudes toward the sport. The hunting methods asked about in the survey and the percentages who approve of each are listed below, in descending order of strong approval: • Hunting with a bow and arrow (80% approve; 60% strongly approve) • Hunting with dogs (55% approve; 26% strongly approve) • Hunting using scents that attract game (43% approve; 18% strongly approve) • Hunting over bait (32% approve; 13% strongly approve) • Hunting bear during the spring (20% approve; 10% strongly approve) • Hunting using high-tech gear such as hearing devices or laser tripwires
(26% approve; 9% strongly approve) • Hunting on property that has a high fence around it
(21% approve; 8% strongly approve) o The nationwide results for this series of hunting methods are shown together on one
graph, followed by graphs showing the series results within each region and the regional crosstabulation for each method individually.
o Although hunting using high-tech gear and on high-fence property remain unpopular methods of hunting, approval for each has notably increased since 2016.
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 35
Percent that [approve / disapprove] of hunting using each of the following methods:
60
26
18
13
10
9
8
6
7
8
11
6
8
11
12
14
17
17
14
12
24
33
41
43
46
52
3
4
5
5
9
4
513
18
10
19
25
29
20
2 4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Hunting with a bow and arrow
Hunting with dogs
Hunting using scents that attract game
Hunting over bait
Hunting bear during the spring
Hunting using high-tech gear such ashearing devices or laser tripwires
Hunting on property that has a high fencearound it
Percent (n=975)
Strongly approveModerately approveNeither approve nor disapproveModerately disapproveStrongly disapproveDon't know
36 Responsive Management
Percent that strongly approve or moderately approve of hunting using each of the following
methods:
21
26
32
43
55
80
20
0 20 40 60 80 100
Hunting with a bowand arrow
Hunting with dogs
Hunting usingscents that attract
game
Hunting over bait
Hunting using high-tech gear such ashearing devices or
laser tripwires
Hunting on propertythat has a highfence around it
Hunting bear duringthe spring
Percent (n=975)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 37
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of hunting using each of the following methods:
(Northeast Region)
17
71
55
40
27
22
20
0 20 40 60 80 100
Hunting with a bowand arrow
Hunting with dogs
Hunting usingscents that attract
game
Hunting using high-tech gear such ashearing devices or
laser tripwires
Hunting over bait
Hunting bear duringthe spring
Hunting on propertythat has a highfence around it
Northeast (n=196)
38 Responsive Management
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of hunting using each of the following methods:
(Southeast Region)
25
27
39
45
52
81
21
0 20 40 60 80 100
Hunting with a bowand arrow
Hunting with dogs
Hunting usingscents that attract
game
Hunting over bait
Hunting using high-tech gear such ashearing devices or
laser tripwiresHunting on
property that has ahigh fence around
it
Hunting bearduring the spring
Southeast (n=361)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 39
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of hunting using each of the following methods:
(Midwest Region)
21
87
64
48
31
30
25
0 20 40 60 80 100
Hunting with a bowand arrow
Hunting with dogs
Hunting usingscents that attract
game
Hunting over bait
Hunting using high-tech gear such ashearing devices or
laser tripwires
Hunting bearduring the spring
Hunting onproperty that has ahigh fence around
it
Midwest (n=198)
40 Responsive Management
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of hunting using each of the following methods:
(West Region)
15
79
51
39
31
22
18
0 20 40 60 80 100
Hunting with a bowand arrow
Hunting with dogs
Hunting usingscents that attract
game
Hunting over bait
Hunting using high-tech gear such ashearing devices or
laser tripwires
Hunting on propertythat has a highfence around it
Hunting bear duringthe spring
West (n=220)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 41
Q145. Hunting over bait?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
using this method?)
6
16
8
23
42
53
40
10
7
19
20
5
38
16
13
19
10
7
46
10
10
21
6
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q146. Hunting on property that has a high-fence around it?
(Do you approve or disapprove of huntingusing this method?)
4
13
9
16
54
54
51
11
9
16
9
5
51
15
10
11
9
8
53
15
8
10
6
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q147. Hunting using scents that attract game?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
using this method?)
11
29
9
17
31
34
33
10
8
23
22
6
27
13
21
28
6
6
39
11
16
23
5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q148. Hunting with dogs?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
using this method?)
21
34
6
12
24
33
27
12
6
26
27
5
16
9
35
30
6
5
29
9
24
27
6
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
42 Responsive Management
Q149. Hunting using high-tech gear such as hearing devices or laser tripwires?
(Do you approve or disapprove of huntingusing this method?)
7
20
6
17
47
45
47
14
7
16
11
2
44
19
9
21
5
7
45
20
7
15
7
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q150. Hunting with a bow and arrow?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
using this method?)
51
20
4
8
15
33
11
2
2
20
61
1
9
2
68
19
0
3
12
3
59
20
3
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Q151. Hunting bear during the spring?(Do you approve or disapprove of hunting
using this method?)
9
11
13
24
34
98
47
14
11
11
10
10
40
14
14
11
10
11
47
17
8
7
10
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=196)Southeast (n=361)Midwest (n=198)West (n=220)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 43
Q145-151. Percent who strongly approve or moderately approve of hunting for each of the following methods:
22
14
22
80
55
43
3226
21 20202027
36
57
* *
29
76
54
38
0
20
40
60
80
100
Hunting with abow and arrow
Hunting with dogs Hunting usingspecial scents
that attract game
Hunting over bait Hunting usinghigh-tech gear
Hunting in a high-fence preserve /
Hunting onproperty that has
a high fencearound it
Hunting bearduring the spring
Perc
ent
2007 2016 2019
*Method not asked about in 2007 survey(2019 n=3014)
44 Responsive Management
ATTITUDES TOWARD FISHING IN THE UNITED STATES ATTITUDES TOWARD FISHING IN GENERAL
There is less controversy surrounding fishing, relative to hunting, with the vast majority of Americans approving of fishing. Nationally, 93% of Americans approve of legal recreational fishing, while only 3% disapprove. • There is little variation between the regions regarding overall approval, although strong
approval is highest in the Midwest. The nationwide percentage of approval has remained consistent over the years.
• The demographic correlations graphs show little variation between the groups regarding approval of fishing. Compared to the overall percentage of Americans who approve of fishing, there is slightly less approval among Hispanic residents and those who did not grow up with firearms in the family.
Q107. Do you approve or disapprove of legal recreational fishing?
75
18
3
1
2
Less than 0.5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent (n=3014)
93%
3%
Q107. Do you approve or disapprove of legal recreational fishing?
70
21
4
2
3
00
1
1
3
18
77
0
1
1
84
12
2
1
2
1
70
22
4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=582)Southeast (n=1091)Midwest (n=638)West (n=703)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 45
Q107. Do you approve or disapprove of legal recreational fishing?
3
9590
4 5
93
2
93
3
93
0
20
40
60
80
100
Overall approval Overall disapproval
Perc
ent
1995 2003 2006 2011 2019
(2019 n=3014)
46 Responsive Management
Percent of each of the following groups who approve of legal recreational fishing:
92.5
91.9
91.9
91.9
91.5
91.4
91.3
91.2
91.1
88.3
87.7
94.9
95.1
95.1
98.5
98.2
98.1
96.7
95.9
95.8
94.7
94.4
94.3
94.0
93.5
92.7
0 20 40 60 80 100
Hunter
Angler
Shooter
Grew up with family who owned firearms
White or Caucasian
Resides in Midwest Region
Resides in rural area
Male
35-54 years old
Wildlife viewer
Resides in Southeast Region
55 years old or older
Resides in small city or town
Total
Non-hunter
Resides in large city or suburb
Resides in West Region
Female
Non-shooter
18-34 years old
Non-wildlife viewer
Resides in Northeast Region
Non-angler
Black or African-American
Did not grow up with family who owned firearms
Hispanic or Latino
Percent (n=3014)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 47
Percent of each of the following groups who disapprove of legal recreational fishing:
2.5
2.3
2.3
2.2
2.1
2.0
1.7
1.4
1.2
1.1
0.6
3.4
3.4
3.6
6.5
5.3
4.6
4.0
3.9
3.6
3.2
3.1
2.9
2.8
2.7
2.5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Hispanic or LatinoDid not grow up with family who owned
firearmsResides in Northeast Region
18-34 years old
Non-angler
Black or African-American
Female
Non-wildlife viewer
Non-shooter
Resides in large city or suburb
Non-hunter
Resides in West Region
Total
Resides in small city or town
Wildlife viewer
55 years old or older
35-54 years old
Resides in Midwest Region
Resides in rural area
Resides in Southeast Region
Male
White or Caucasian
Grew up with family who owned firearms
Shooter
Hunter
Angler
Percent (n=3014)
48 Responsive Management
MOTIVATIONS FOR FISHING
Approval of fishing can vary depending on the motivations for fishing. Fishing for food is considered much more acceptable than fishing for the sport, for the challenge, or for a trophy fish. These results largely mirror those of the hunting portion of the survey, indicating that Americans approve of fishing for utilitarian purposes much more than they approve of fishing for sport. The motivations for fishing asked about in the survey and the percentages who approve of each are listed below, in descending order of strong approval: • For fish to eat (96% approve; 84% strongly approve) • To supplement income (82% approve; 55% strongly approve) • For the challenge (70% approve; 43% strongly approve) • For the sport (73% approve; 43% strongly approve) • For a trophy fish (53% approve; 26% strongly approve)
o The nationwide results for this series of motivations are shown together on one graph, followed by graphs showing the series results within each region and the regional crosstabulation for each motivation individually.
o For most motivations, strong approval is highest in the Midwest and strong disapproval is highest in the Northeast.
o Approval of fishing to supplement income has increased substantially, going from 65% in 2006 to 82% in 2019. The percentages of Americans who approve of fishing for the challenge and for a trophy fish have also notably increased.
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 49
Percent that [approve / disapprove] of fishing for each of the following reasons:
84
55
43
43
26
12
27
26
30
27
5
9
7
9
5
7
7
13
6
13
12
24
3
1
1
1
1 1
1
0
0 20 40 60 80 100
For fish to eat
To supplementincome
For the challenge
For the sport
For a trophy fish
Percent (n=1041)
Strongly approveModerately approveNeither approve nor disapproveModerately disapproveStrongly disapproveDon't know
50 Responsive Management
Percent that strongly approve or moderately approve of fishing for each of the following
reasons:
53
70
73
82
96
0 20 40 60 80 100
For fish to eat
To supplementincome
For the sport
For the challenge
For a trophy fish
Percent (n=1041)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 51
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of fishing for each of the following reasons:
(Northeast Region)
97
81
66
65
47
0 20 40 60 80 100
For fish to eat
To supplementincome
For the challenge
For the sport
For a trophy fish
Northeast (n=197)
52 Responsive Management
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of fishing for each of the following reasons:
(Southeast Region)
96
83
75
71
58
0 20 40 60 80 100
For fish to eat
To supplementincome
For the sport
For the challenge
For a trophy fish
Southeast (n=380)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 53
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of fishing for each of the following reasons:
(Midwest Region)
97
82
78
77
61
0 20 40 60 80 100
For fish to eat
To supplementincome
For the sport
For the challenge
For a trophy fish
Midwest (n=224)
54 Responsive Management
Percent that strongly or moderately approve of fishing for each of the following reasons:
(West Region)
95
80
71
64
42
0 20 40 60 80 100
For fish to eat
To supplementincome
For the sport
For the challenge
For a trophy fish
West (n=240)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 55
Q155. For fish to eat?(Do you approve or disapprove of fishing
for this reason?)
84
12
0
1
2
00
1
1
2
14
82
0
2
0
90
7
1
1
1
2
81
14
1
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=197)Southeast (n=380)Midwest (n=224)West (n=240)
Q156. For the sport?(Do you approve or disapprove of fishing
for this reason?)
35
30
5
10
19
11
10
6
8
30
46
2
7
7
49
29
6
2
12
7
38
33
9
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=197)Southeast (n=380)Midwest (n=224)West (n=240)
Q157. To supplement income?(Do you approve or disapprove of fishing
for this reason?)
56
24
5
4
6
42
5
4
6
26
57
4
5
5
57
25
5
2
6
6
49
32
4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=197)Southeast (n=380)Midwest (n=224)West (n=240)
Q158. For the challenge?(Do you approve or disapprove of fishing
for this reason?)
41
25
7
7
19
11
13
7
9
27
44
2
8
5
53
24
8
2
11
11
36
29
11
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=197)Southeast (n=380)Midwest (n=224)West (n=240)
56 Responsive Management
Q159. For a trophy fish?(Do you approve or disapprove of fishing
for this reason?)
22
25
8
16
29
01
22
10
8
27
31
1
19
9
30
31
10
3
27
17
19
23
10
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=197)Southeast (n=380)Midwest (n=224)West (n=240)
Q155-159. Percent who strongly or moderately approve of fishing for the following motivations:
5348
6465
75
96
70
96
73
82
0
20
40
60
80
100
For fish to eat For the sport To supplementincome
For the challenge For a trophy fish
Perc
ent
2006 2019
(2019 n=3014)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 57
METHODS OF FISHING
As with hunting, the methods used to fish can influence Americans’ attitudes toward the sport. Approval is high for the most common fishing methods (catch-and-release fishing, fishing with bait, fly-fishing, and fishing with lures). Crabbing has slightly lower approval, and then there is a sharp decline in approval for gigging and snagging. The fishing methods asked about in the survey and the percentages who approve of each are listed below, in descending order of strong approval: • Catch-and-release fishing (89% approve; 73% strongly approve) • Fishing with bait (91% approve; 68% strongly approve) • Fly-fishing (84% approve; 63% strongly approve) • Fishing with lures (86% approve; 63% strongly approve) • Crabbing (79% approve; 54% strongly approve) • Gigging (57% approve; 32% strongly approve) • Snagging (43% approve; 21% strongly approve)
o The nationwide results for this series of fishing methods are shown together on one graph, followed by graphs showing the series results within each region and the regional crosstabulation for each method individually.
o Strong approval is highest in the Midwest for all methods except crabbing, which has higher approval in the Northeast and Southeast.
o Although the least popular methods of fishing are gigging and snagging, approval of each has increased substantially since 2006.
58 Responsive Management
Percent who [approve / disapprove] of fishing using each of the following methods:
73
68
63
63
54
32
21
23
21
24
25
26
22
3
3
5
5
8
10
9
3
3
2
8
14
4
2
3
16
25
2
3
7
4
9
9
9
16
1
1
2
2
0 20 40 60 80 100
Catch-and-releasefishing
Fishing with bait
Fly-fishing
Fishing with lures
Crabbing
Gigging
Snagging
Percent (n=1041)
Strongly approveModerately approveNeither approve nor disapproveModerately disapproveStrongly disapproveDon't know
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 59
Percent who strongly approve or moderately approve of fishing using each of the following
methods:
57
79
84
86
89
91
43
0 20 40 60 80 100
Fishing with bait
Catch-and-releasefishing
Fishing with lures
Fly-fishing
Crabbing
Gigging
Snagging
Percent (n=1041)
60 Responsive Management
Percent who strongly or moderately approve of fishing using each of the following methods:
(Northeast Region)
35
88
84
81
77
76
47
0 20 40 60 80 100
Fishing with bait
Catch-and-releasefishing
Fishing with lures
Crabbing
Fly-fishing
Gigging
Snagging
Northeast (n=197)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 61
Percent who strongly or moderately approve of fishing using each of the following methods:
(Southeast Region)
44
92
90
88
88
84
61
0 20 40 60 80 100
Fishing with bait
Catch-and-releasefishing
Fishing with lures
Fly-fishing
Crabbing
Gigging
Snagging
Southeast (n=380)
62 Responsive Management
Percent who strongly or moderately approve of fishing using each of the following methods:
(Midwest Region)
51
94
94
92
87
77
64
0 20 40 60 80 100
Fishing with bait
Catch-and-releasefishing
Fishing with lures
Fly-fishing
Crabbing
Gigging
Snagging
Midwest (n=224)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 63
Percent who strongly or moderately approve of fishing using each of the following methods:
(West Region)
40
88
86
83
82
78
55
0 20 40 60 80 100
Fishing with bait
Catch-and-releasefishing
Fly-fishing
Fishing with lures
Crabbing
Gigging
Snagging
West (n=240)
64 Responsive Management
Q162. Fishing with bait?(Do you approve or disapprove of fishing
using this method?)
63
24
3
1
3
52
1
1
3
23
70
1
2
1
79
16
1
4
1
2
61
28
5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=197)Southeast (n=380)Midwest (n=224)West (n=240)
Q163. Fishing with lures?(Do you approve or disapprove of fishing
using this method?)
59
23
3
3
3
93
1
2
6
25
63
3
2
1
75
17
2
4
3
5
54
28
7
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=197)Southeast (n=380)Midwest (n=224)West (n=240)
Q164. Catch-and-release fishing?(Do you approve or disapprove of fishing
using this method?)
65
19
3
5
6
31
4
2
3
16
73
1
2
1
81
13
1
3
4
4
69
16
4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=197)Southeast (n=380)Midwest (n=224)West (n=240)
Q165. Fly-fishing?(Do you approve or disapprove of fishing
using this method?)
52
23
8
2
3
126
1
1
3
24
63
6
3
0
75
12
4
5
1
2
61
22
8
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=197)Southeast (n=380)Midwest (n=224)West (n=240)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 65
Q166. Crabbing?(Do you approve or disapprove of fishing
using this method?)
58
19
6
3
4
106
2
2
7
25
59
11
3
1
50
26
8
9
2
2
47
31
10
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=197)Southeast (n=380)Midwest (n=224)West (n=240)
Q167. Gigging?(Do you approve or disapprove of fishing
using this method?)
26
21
12
8
19
138
14
8
9
26
35
7
16
7
36
28
7
9
15
8
27
28
13
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=197)Southeast (n=380)Midwest (n=224)West (n=240)
Q168. Snagging?(Do you approve or disapprove of fishing
using this method?)
19
16
11
13
27
1410
22
14
11
23
21
7
22
14
29
22
6
7
30
14
17
24
8
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=197)Southeast (n=380)Midwest (n=224)West (n=240)
66 Responsive Management
Q162-168. Percent who strongly or moderately approve of fishing for each of the following methods:
79
58
4345
79858686
90
32
8491
86 89
0
20
40
60
80
100
Fishing withbait
Fishing withlures
Catch-and-release fishing
Fly fishing Crabbing Gigging Snagging
Perc
ent
2006 2019
(2019 n=3014)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 67
ATTITUDES TOWARD SPORT SHOOTING IN THE UNITED STATES Overall, 81% of Americans approve of legal recreational shooting, compared to 12% who
disapprove. • As with hunting and fishing, approval is highest in the Midwest and lowest in the
Northeast. • This approval rate is consistent with the 2016 survey.
o Groups most commonly associated with approval of sport shooting are hunters and anglers, those who grew up with a family that owned firearms, those who live in rural areas, white residents, and male residents. At the opposite end, the groups most commonly associated with disapproval of shooting are black residents, those who did not grow up with a family that owned firearms, Northeast region residents, Hispanic residents, and female residents.
The survey also asked respondents to select a statement that best reflects their opinion of
recreational shooting sports. The three statements and the percentages who selected each are as follows: • Shooting sports are perfectly acceptable. (65%) • Shooting sports are OK, but maybe a little inappropriate now. (23%) • Shooting sports are inappropriate nowadays. (9%)
o Residents of the Midwest and Southeast regions are the most likely to say shooting sports are perfectly acceptable, whereas those in the Northeast are the least likely to say this.
o These results are consistent with the findings from 2011.
68 Responsive Management
Q108. Do you approve or disapprove of legal recreational shooting?
59
22
6
3
9
Less than 0.5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent (n=3014)
81%
12%
Q108. Do you approve or disapprove of legal recreational shooting?
51
22
6
4
15
10
9
2
6
22
61
0
6
4
64
20
5
1
7
3
59
23
7
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=582)Southeast (n=1091)Midwest (n=638)West (n=703)
Q108. Do you approve or disapprove of legal recreational shooting?
14
79
71
1913
79
12
81
0
20
40
60
80
100
Overall approval Overall disapproval
Perc
ent
2006 2011 2016 2019
(2019 n=3014)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 69
Percent of each of the following groups who approve of legal recreational shooting:
78.6
78.0
77.8
76.2
75.8
75.5
75.3
75.1
73.0
68.4
61.6
84.7
85.0
86.8
98.6
98.3
91.2
89.1
88.1
87.2
84.3
83.1
82.9
82.6
82.3
81.1
0 20 40 60 80 100
Shooter
Hunter
Angler
Grew up with family who owned firearms
Resides in rural area
White or Caucasian
Male
35-54 years old
Resides in Midwest Region
Wildlife viewer
18-34 years old
Resides in Southeast Region
Resides in small city or town
Resides in West Region
Total
Non-hunter
Resides in large city or suburb
55 years old or older
Non-angler
Female
Hispanic or Latino
Non-wildlife viewer
Non-shooter
Resides in Northeast Region
Did not grow up with family who owned firearms
Black or African-American
Percent (n=3014)
70 Responsive Management
Percent of each of the following groups who disapprove of legal recreational shooting:
10.8
10.3
10.1
9.6
8.5
7.6
7.6
6.6
5.9
0.8
0.8
14.6
14.7
15.3
25.9
21.3
19.8
18.8
16.2
15.9
14.4
13.9
12.3
11.6
11.0
10.9
0 20 40 60 80 100
Black or African-American
Did not grow up with family who owned firearms
Resides in Northeast Region
Hispanic or Latino
Non-shooter
Female
Non-angler
55 years old or older
Non-wildlife viewer
Resides in large city or suburb
Non-hunter
Total
Resides in small city or town
Wildlife viewer
Resides in Southeast Region
18-34 years old
35-54 years old
Resides in West Region
Resides in Midwest Region
Male
White or Caucasian
Resides in rural area
Grew up with family who owned firearms
Angler
Hunter
Shooter
Percent (n=3014)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 71
Q110. Which of the following statements best describes your opinion of recreational shooting
sports?
65
23
9
2
2
0 20 40 60 80 100
Shooting sportsare perfectlyacceptable
Shooting sportsare OK, but
maybe a littleinappropriate now
Shooting sportsare inappropriate
nowadays
None of these
Don't know
Percent (n=3014)
Q110. Which of the following statements best describes your opinion of recreational shooting
sports?
54
31
11
2
22
2
8
19
69
1
1
70
20
8
2
1
64
25
8
0 20 40 60 80 100
Shooting sportsare perfectlyacceptable
Shooting sportsare OK, but
maybe a littleinappropriate
now
Shooting sportsare inappropriate
nowadays
None of these
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=582)Southeast (n=1091)Midwest (n=638)West (n=703)
Q110. Which of the following statements best describes your opinion of recreational shooting sports?
2
11
28
59
3
63
23
115
27
66
2 39
23
65
0
20
40
60
80
100
Shooting sports areperfectly acceptable
Shooting sports are okay,but maybe a littleinappropriate now
Shooting sports areinappropriate nowadays
None of these describesmy opinion / don't know
Perc
ent
2001 2006 2011 2019
(2019 n=3014)
72 Responsive Management
ATTITUDES TOWARD TRAPPING IN THE UNITED STATES Trapping is more controversial than the other outdoor recreation activities discussed in this
study. A slight majority of Americans (52%) approve of regulated trapping, while 31% disapprove. • Approval is higher in the Midwest and Southeast regions, and disapproval is higher in the
Northeast and West regions. • Since 2006, overall approval has remained consistent but strong disapproval has
decreased slightly. o Those who participate in hunting, sport shooting, and fishing are considerably more
likely to approve of trapping than is the average American. Other groups more likely to approve of trapping are those in rural areas, male residents, Midwest region residents, those who grew up with a family that owned firearms, and white residents. Conversely, groups who are more likely to disapprove of trapping are black residents, those who did not grow up with a family that owned firearms, Hispanic residents, female residents, and those who live in the Northeast and West regions.
Opinion is highly influenced by the stated reason for the trapping of wildlife. Approval is
highest for trapping if it is for wildlife restoration and population control. Similarly, trapping to provide food or protect property has more approval than trapping for money, fur clothing, or recreation. The motivations asked about in the survey and the percentages who approve of each are listed below, in descending order of strong approval: • As part of a restoration program (84% approve; 59% strongly approve) • For subsistence (73% approve; 47% strongly approve) • To help control wildlife populations (73% approve; 47% strongly approve) • For food (72% approve; 44% strongly approve) • To reduce damages to crops and gardens (69% approve; 39% strongly approve) • To reduce damage to human property (65% approve; 35% strongly approve) • As part of a biological study (64% approve; 33% strongly approve) • To make money (35% approve; 16% strongly approve) • For fur clothing (30% approve; 13% strongly approve) • For recreation (28% approve; 10% strongly approve)
o The nationwide results for this series of motivations are shown together on one graph, followed by graphs showing the series results within each region and the regional crosstabulation for each motivation individually.
o For most of these motivations, approval of trapping is highest in the Midwest region, although trapping to protect crops or gardens and human property has the most approval in the Southeast. Disapproval is highest in the Northeast region for nearly all trapping motivations.
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 73
Q113. In general, do you approve or disapprove of regulated trapping?
29
23
11
10
21
5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent (n=3014)
52%
31%
Q113. In general, do you approve or disapprove of regulated trapping?
22
24
11
11
27
55
19
9
12
25
30
5
16
8
38
25
8
6
24
14
25
18
13
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=582)Southeast (n=1091)Midwest (n=638)West (n=703)
Q113. In general, do you approve or disapprove of regulated trapping?
21
57
25
106
22
31
10
2923
11
0
20
40
60
80
100
Strongly approve Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Perc
ent
2006 2019
(2019 n=3014)
74 Responsive Management
Percent of each of the following groups who approve of regulated trapping:
47.9
47.7
46.1
45.5
45.3
44.7
43.4
42.4
42.1
40.3
33.2
56.1
58.6
60.1
83.4
74.0
66.2
65.3
62.7
62.3
55.5
54.7
54.5
54.1
52.2
50.3
0 20 40 60 80 100
Hunter
Shooter
Angler
Resides in rural area
Male
Resides in Midwest Region
Grew up with family who owned firearms
White or Caucasian
Resides in small city or town
Resides in Southeast Region
18-34 years old
Wildlife viewer
35-54 years old
Total
55 years old or older
Non-wildlife viewer
Non-hunter
Resides in Northeast Region
Resides in large city or suburb
Non-angler
Non-shooter
Resides in West Region
Hispanic or Latino
Female
Did not grow up with family who owned firearms
Black or African-American
Percent (n=3014)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 75
Percent of each of the following groups who disapprove of regulated trapping:
28.8
28.4
27.8
26.5
25.6
24.7
24.0
22.3
20.4
14.7
9.0
35.9
37.2
37.3
46.8
41.1
40.2
38.3
37.8
37.4
34.6
33.7
32.5
31.4
31.1
30.9
0 20 40 60 80 100
Black or African-American
Did not grow up with family who owned firearms
Hispanic or Latino
Resides in Northeast Region
Female
Resides in West Region
Resides in large city or suburb
Non-shooter
Non-angler
Non-hunter
55 years old or older
Non-wildlife viewer
Total
18-34 years old
Wildlife viewer
35-54 years old
Resides in small city or town
Resides in Southeast Region
White or Caucasian
Grew up with family who owned firearms
Male
Resides in Midwest Region
Angler
Resides in rural area
Shooter
Hunter
Percent (n=3014)
76 Responsive Management
Percent who [approve / disapprove] of trapping for each of the following reasons:
59
47
47
44
39
35
33
16
13
10
24
26
26
28
30
30
31
19
17
17
4
7
6
6
7
7
8
7
7
6
3
7
7
6
9
10
6
15
14
16
6
10
12
14
12
15
18
40
47
48
3
3
2
2
2
3
4
4
3
3
0 20 40 60 80 100
As part of a restoration program
For subsistence
To help control wildlife populations
For food
To reduce damage to crops and gardens
To reduce damage to human property
As part of a biological study
To make money
For fur clothing
For recreation
Percent (n=998)
Strongly approveModerately approveNeither approve nor disapproveModerately disapproveStrongly disapproveDon't know
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 77
Percent who strongly approve or moderately approve of trapping for each of the following
reasons:
28
65
69
72
73
73
84
64
35
30
0 20 40 60 80 100
As part of a restoration program
For subsistence
To help control wildlife populations
For food
To reduce damage to crops and gardens
To reduce damage to human property
As part of a biological study
To make money
For fur clothing
For recreation
Percent (n=998)
78 Responsive Management
Percent who strongly or moderately approve of trapping for each of the following reasons:
(Northeast Region)
26
26
54
82
69
67
66
62
61
21
0 20 40 60 80 100
As part of a restoration program
To help control wildlife populations
For food
For subsistence
To reduce damage to crops andgardens
As part of a biological study
To reduce damage to human property
For fur clothing
To make money
For recreation
Northeast (n=189)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 79
Percent who strongly or moderately approve of trapping for each of the following reasons:
(Southeast Region)
32
37
67
84
77
75
74
74
73
30
0 20 40 60 80 100
As part of a restoration program
To help control wildlife populations
To reduce damage to crops andgardens
For subsistence
To reduce damage to human property
For food
As part of a biological study
To make money
For fur clothing
For recreation
Southeast (n=350)
80 Responsive Management
Percent who strongly or moderately approve of trapping for each of the following reasons:
(Midwest Region)
36
43
63
87
80
77
75
68
66
31
0 20 40 60 80 100
As part of a restoration program
For subsistence
For food
To help control wildlife populations
To reduce damage to crops andgardens
To reduce damage to human property
As part of a biological study
To make money
For fur clothing
For recreation
Midwest (n=216)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 81
Percent who strongly or moderately approve of trapping for each of the following reasons:
(West Region)
27
34
61
82
72
72
68
66
64
26
0 20 40 60 80 100
As part of a restoration program
For food
For subsistence
To help control wildlife populations
To reduce damage to crops and gardens
As part of a biological study
To reduce damage to human property
To make money
For recreation
For fur clothing
West (n=243)
82 Responsive Management
Q171. For food?(Do you approve or disapprove of trapping
for this reason?)
38
29
4
7
20
22
12
6
7
26
48
3
8
5
50
27
7
2
16
4
40
31
6
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=189)Southeast (n=350)Midwest (n=216)West (n=243)
Q172. For recreation?(Do you approve or disapprove of trapping
for this reason?)
10
11
6
18
53
23
48
12
6
19
12
6
41
18
10
21
5
2
48
17
10
17
6
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=189)Southeast (n=350)Midwest (n=216)West (n=243)
Q173. For subsistence?(Do you approve or disapprove of trapping
for this reason?)
43
23
7
12
13
13
10
5
8
25
49
3
6
6
52
28
5
4
10
5
42
29
10
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=189)Southeast (n=350)Midwest (n=216)West (n=243)
Q174. To help control wildlife populations?(Do you approve or disapprove of trapping
for this reason?)
41
28
5
8
17
11
9
5
7
21
56
3
12
7
49
26
3
3
12
6
37
31
10
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=189)Southeast (n=350)Midwest (n=216)West (n=243)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 83
Q175. To reduce damage to crops and gardens?(Do you approve or disapprove of trapping
for this reason?)
31
31
9
11
17
12
9
8
6
28
47
4
13
11
43
25
4
3
12
9
32
34
10
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=189)Southeast (n=350)Midwest (n=216)West (n=243)
Q176. To reduce damage to human property?(Do you approve or disapprove of trapping
for this reason?)
25
29
11
14
19
13
12
6
5
29
45
4
13
11
36
30
6
4
18
9
30
31
8
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=189)Southeast (n=350)Midwest (n=216)West (n=243)
Q177. For fur clothing?(Do you approve or disapprove of trapping
for this reason?)
10
16
8
13
51
12
45
15
6
18
14
5
38
15
18
18
6
3
52
12
11
15
6
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=189)Southeast (n=350)Midwest (n=216)West (n=243)
Q178. To make money?(Do you approve or disapprove of trapping
for this reason?)
8
18
9
17
45
34
35
16
8
18
19
5
33
13
21
22
7
4
46
12
13
21
4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=189)Southeast (n=350)Midwest (n=216)West (n=243)
84 Responsive Management
Q179. As part of a biological study?(Do you approve or disapprove of trapping
for this reason?)
34
28
10
5
22
25
16
7
6
31
36
5
16
8
31
32
9
4
18
6
32
32
8
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=189)Southeast (n=350)Midwest (n=216)West (n=243)
Q180. As part of a restoration program?(Do you approve or disapprove of trapping
for this reason?)
59
22
6
3
6
34
7
3
3
22
62
2
5
3
62
25
2
3
7
3
54
28
6
0 20 40 60 80 100
Strongly approve
Moderatelyapprove
Neither approvenor disapprove
Moderatelydisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
Don't know
Percent
Northeast (n=189)Southeast (n=350)Midwest (n=216)West (n=243)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 85
DEMOGRAPHICS These demographic data were collected for crosstabulations and data analysis. Because
survey results were weighted by age, gender, race, and region to reflect the proportions of the population according to the U.S. Census, the results shown here are representative of adult Americans. The data collected include: • Age. • Gender. • Race or ethnicity. • Type of residential area. • State of residence.
Q191. May I ask your age?
4
19
16
17
16
17
12
0 20 40 60 80 100
65 years old orolder
55-64 years old
45-54 years old
35-44 years old
25-34 years old
18-24 years old
Refused
Percent (n=3014)
Mean: 46.86Median: 47
Note that the survey was limited to adults age 18 or older.
Q191. May I ask your age?
4
20
17
16
14
17
12
4
12
17
16
17
15
18
3
13
16
15
19
17
17
5
12
18
16
17
15
16
0 20 40 60 80 100
65 years old orolder
55-64 years old
45-54 years old
35-44 years old
25-34 years old
18-24 years old
Refused
Percent
Northeast (n=582)Southeast (n=1091)Midwest (n=638)West (n=703)
Northeast Mean: 47.40 Median: 48Southeast Mean: 46.48 Median: 46Midwest Mean: 47.61 Median: 47West Mean: 46.26 Median: 45
Note that the survey was limited to adults age 18 or older.
86 Responsive Management
Q199. Respondent's gender (not asked; observed by interviewer).
49
51
0 20 40 60 80 100
Male
Female
Percent (n=3014)
Q199. Respondent's gender (not asked; observed by interviewer).
48
52
51
48
49
51
49
50
0 20 40 60 80 100
Male
Female
Percent
Northeast (n=582)Southeast (n=1091)Midwest (n=638)West (n=703)
Q188. What races or ethnic backgrounds do you consider yourself? Please mention all that apply.
3
1
1
3
1
4
Less than 0.5
69
12
12
0 20 40 60 80 100
White or Caucasian
Hispanic or Latino
Black or African-American
Native American orAlaskan native or
Aleutian
East Asian
South Asian
Middle Eastern
Other
Don't know
Refused
Mul
tiple
Res
pons
es A
llow
ed
Percent (n=3014)
Q188. What races or ethnic backgrounds do you consider yourself? Please mention all that apply.
0
0
2
1
3
2
0
1
3
0
3
68
21
4
4
2
1
0
3
1
4
4
1
2
1
18
10
62
0
4
2
17
13
66
3
1
3
81
5
9
0 20 40 60 80 100
White or Caucasian
Hispanic or Latino
Black or African-American
Native American or Alaskan native orAleutian
East Asian
South Asian
Middle Eastern
Other
Don't know
Refused
Mul
tiple
Res
pons
es A
llow
ed
Percent
Northeast (n=582)Southeast (n=1091)Midwest (n=638)West (n=703)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 87
Q190. Do you consider your place of residence to be a large city or urban area, a suburban area, a
small city or town, a rural area on a farm or ranch, or a rural area not on a farm or ranch?
1
27
24
26
6
14
1
0 20 40 60 80 100
Large city or urbanarea
Suburban area
Small city or town
Rural area on afarm or ranch
Rural area not ona farm or ranch
Don't know
Refused
Percent (n=3014)
Q190. Do you consider your place of residence to be a large city or urban area, a suburban area, a
small city or town, a rural area on a farm or ranch, or a rural area not on a farm or ranch?
1
25
26
27
6
13
1
2
2
16
7
27
22
25
2
1
15
10
22
27
25
2
1
10
3
36
23
25
0 20 40 60 80 100
Large city orurban area
Suburban area
Small city or town
Rural area on afarm or ranch
Rural area not ona farm or ranch
Don't know
Refused
Percent
Northeast (n=582)Southeast (n=1091)Midwest (n=638)West (n=703)
88 Responsive Management
Q194. What is your state of residence?
1.11.21.7
0.52.02.23.4
1.50.71.9
0.40.50.80.4
2.60.6
6.42.7
0.33.5
1.01.2
4.10.41.4
0.31.9
9.30.80.2
2.32.3
0.51.7
0.20.5
6.40.31.2
1.40.2
2.10.8
12.41.7
3.50.20.5
3.52.1
1.4
0 20 40 60 80 100
AlabamaAlaska
ArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColorado
ConnecticutDelaware
FloridaGeorgia
HawaiiIdaho
IllinoisIndiana
IowaKansas
KentuckyLouisiana
MaineMaryland
MassachusettsMichigan
MinnesotaMississippi
MissouriMontana
NebraskaNevada
New HampshireNew JerseyNew Mexico
New YorkNorth CarolinaNorth Dakota
OhioOklahoma
OregonPennsylvaniaRhode Island
South CarolinaSouth Dakota
TennesseeTexas
UtahVermontVirginia
WashingtonWest Virginia
WisconsinWyoming
Washington, D.C.
Percent (n=3014)
Americans’ Attitudes Toward Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Trapping 89
ABOUT RESPONSIVE MANAGEMENT Responsive Management is an internationally recognized survey research firm specializing in attitudes toward natural resource and outdoor recreation issues. Our mission is to help natural resource and outdoor recreation agencies, businesses, and organizations better understand and work with their constituents, customers, and the public. Since 1985, Responsive Management has conducted telephone, mail, and online surveys, as well as multi-modal surveys, on-site intercepts, focus groups, public meetings, personal interviews, needs assessments, program evaluations, marketing and communication plans, and other forms of research measuring public opinions and attitudes. Utilizing our in-house, full-service survey facilities with 75 professional interviewers, we have conducted studies in all 50 states and 15 countries worldwide totaling more than 1,000 projects. Responsive Management has conducted research for every state fish and wildlife agency and most of the federal resource agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. We have also provided research for many nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations, including the National Wildlife Federation, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the National Rifle Association, the Archery Trade Association, the Izaak Walton League, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, SCI, and Dallas Safari Club. Other nonprofit and NGO clients include Trout Unlimited, the Sierra Club, the American Museum of Natural History, the Ocean Conservancy, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, and the BoatUS Foundation. Responsive Management conducts market research and product testing for numerous outdoor recreation manufacturers and industry leaders, such as Winchester Ammunition, Trijicon, Yamaha, and others. Responsive Management also provides data collection for the nation’s top universities, including Auburn University, Clemson University, Colorado State University, Duke University, George Mason University, Michigan State University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, Penn State University, Rutgers University, Stanford University, Texas Tech, University of California-Davis, University of Florida, University of Montana, University of New Hampshire, University of Southern California, Virginia Tech, West Virginia University, and many more. Our research has been upheld in U.S. Courts, used in peer-reviewed journals, and presented at major wildlife and natural resource conferences around the world. Responsive Management’s research has also been featured in many of the nation’s top media, including Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, and on the front pages of The Washington Post and USA Today.
responsivemanagement.com
top related