SEAFWA 2016

AUTHORS: Lucien P. Laborde, Jr., School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University; Michael D. Kaller, School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University; Larry A. Reynolds, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

ABSTRACT: We surveyed Louisiana waterfowl hunters using 3 distribution methods – 2,500 by random mail, 24,842 by e-mail, and by open web convenience sample following the 2014-2015 hunting season. We asked identical questions about waterfowl hunting effort, success, satisfaction, attitudes toward proposed regulations, and demographics. We hypothesized no statistically significant differences (≤ 0.05) no differences in demographic, satisfaction, or attitudinal variables, but higher levels of effort and success in the convenience sample. After elimination of duplicate responses, we received 603 usable responses to the random mail survey, 4,873 usable responses to the e-mail survey, and 1,480 usable responses to the open web survey. We compared results across survey methods using generalized linear models (GLMs) with Tukey-Kramer post hoc tests. In tests of 3 variables measuring effort and harvest, 6 variables measuring hunter satisfaction, 6 variables measuring attitudes towards proposed regulations, and 7 demographic variables, we identified no significant differences between any of the 3 methods in responses to 6 attitudinal variables. Compared to the random mail survey respondents, e-mail survey respondents were statistically similar in harvest, demographics, and satisfaction, but differed in consistency of effort. Respondents to the open web survey were significantly younger, more avid, harvested more waterfowl, and were less satisfied. The cost per usable response for the random mail, e-mail, and open web surveys were $85.41, $0.36, and $1.18, respectively. Analysis of attitudes towards proposed regulations would lead to identical managerial conclusions irrespective of survey method.