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Successes and Challenges of University First Hunt Programs
Author(s) -
Ringelman Kevin M.,
Collier Bret A.,
Laborde Lucien P.,
Rohwer Frank C.,
Reynolds Larry A.,
Messerli Jake,
McLandress M. Robert,
Oberstadt George,
Eadie John M.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the journal of wildlife management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1937-2817
pISSN - 0022-541X
DOI - 10.1002/jwmg.21878
Subject(s) - wildlife , stewardship (theology) , sustainability , work (physics) , variety (cybernetics) , transformative learning , wildlife management , public relations , wildlife conservation , political science , resource (disambiguation) , business , geography , environmental resource management , environmental planning , sociology , ecology , engineering , pedagogy , politics , mechanical engineering , computer network , environmental science , artificial intelligence , computer science , law , biology
ABSTRACT Wildlife professionals are tasked with sustainably managing habitats and wildlife for the benefit of a variety of stakeholders, and hunters are an important user group. But the number of hunters in North America has continued to decline, and as a result, new wildlife professionals entering the field are less likely to be hunters than their predecessors. We find this trend concerning because future wildlife professionals would be better equipped to manage wildlife resources and develop policies if they understand the motivations and culture of the hunter constituents supporting their work. To address this trend, we have developed collegiate hunting experience programs at the University of California Davis (UC Davis) and Louisiana State University (LSU), USA, wherein undergraduates in wildlife programs are provided with the education, training, equipment, and opportunity to hunt waterfowl and deer. The hunting experience is transformative for our students, resulting in a deeper connection to the wildlife resource, and a richer understanding of hunting culture and hunters’ stewardship of wildlife habitat. In the 2 programs, we have encountered challenges (e.g., timidity around firearms), and opportunities for expanding our reach to broader segments of society (e.g., leveraging social media). The relative success of our programs indicates that the possibility for implementation of similar opportunities elsewhere is high, and may provide new ways for private landowners, non‐governmental organizations, and corporate outfitters to engage in undergraduate education. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.