7/31/2008

All bark and no bite? Evaluating the effectiveness of a public input process for addressing issues related to hunting with hounds in Virginia.
Sarah G. Lupis Kozlowski, Research Associate, and Dr. Steve L. McMullin, Associate Professor Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 D t t f Fi h i d Wildlif Vi i i T h Bl k b

Hound Hunting 101

Hunting with hounds is a time-honored tradition practiced throughout the United States. Since the birth of our nation, hunters have used hounds to chase game animals from areas of cover into the open or up trees, where the hunter can then choose to release or harvest those animals. In several southeastern states, hounds are used to drive deer from areas of concealment toward waiting hunters who harvest them as they pass by. Today, at least 30% of all hunters in Virginia use hounds to pursue game; 40% use some type of dog while hunting (Jagnow et al. 2008). Hound hunters in Virginia are extremely passionate about their sport and value the experience of raising, training, and working their dogs. However, larger contiguous tracts traditionally used by hound hunters are increasingly being fragmented by residential and commercial development. Land development is occurring rapidly in Virginia and many parts of the nation. Development shrinks the land base available for hunting and intensifies competition among land uses and activities on undeveloped lands (Miniter 2008). In addition, many residents now living in exurbia are unfamiliar with or unaware of the history, tradition, and practices associated with hound hunting. These modern trends are a recipe for conflicts involving hunters. Due to relatively large acreage requirements, high visibility, frequent interactions with landowners and other outdoor users, and hunting methods many Americans find unacceptable, hunting with hounds is controversial nationally. These factors, and others, have contributed to an increase in the number and urgency of complaints being made about hound hunting, particularly from private landowners, nonconsumptive recreationists, and other hunters who prefer not to use hounds. Other states have taken steps to address issues related to hound hunting. In the past 10-20 years, ballot initiatives, public input processes, and legislative/regulatory actions have resulted in shorter hound hunting seasons, restrictions based on number of contiguous acres and pack size, requirements for dog and kennel registration, limitations on the use of radio-telemetry equipment, and complete elimination of hound hunting for certain species, especially bears and deer.

The Public Input Process

FocusGroup Meetings Content Analysis A l i InformalSurvey Public Meetings

Informal Survey
An on-going informal survey is being used as another mechanism with which to identify and compare the experiences of affected stakeholders on issues related to hunting with hounds in Virginia. The survey is open to anyone who wishes to take it. However, to prevent mass submissions, on-line participants must email Virginia Tech researchers to obtain a unique password to access the survey and paper surveys were stamped with unique numbers. The self-selecting surveys were not intended to be q p g g g y g quantitative measures of p public opinion regarding hunting with hounds. They were designed to broaden participation in the process and to provide VDGIF and Virginia Tech personnel with a larger sampling of experiences among the primary stakeholder groups. Potential respondents were notified about the survey through the VDGIF web site and an email alert system available through that site, via word of mouth and through a press release To date, approximately 1,256 individuals have completed the survey on-line. Hunters make up 91% of survey respondents, 63% of respondents identified themselves as being hound hunters, 71% of respondents indicated that they own land in Virginia, and 1% are neither hunters nor landowners. Most respondents are male (86%) and on average have lived in the Commonwealth for 35 years (range: 2-69 years). Respondents were asked about the frequency with which they have personally experienced various events related to hound hunting in the last 12 months. Responses to some survey items are presented b l below. Hunter Experiences Game animals scared off by someone elses hounds. n 1076 Often 23% 5% 11% Often 33% 53% 37% 29% 25% 20% 34% 27% 23% 18% 21% Sometimes 19% 29% 13% Sometimes 16% 15% 12% 10% 14% 15% 17% 12% 15% 17% 20% Rarely 21% 34% 8% Rarely 10% 18% 10% 3% 12% 19% 15% 11% 10% 23% 23% Never 38% 32% 68% Never 42% 14% 41% 58% 49% 45% 34% 50% 52% 42% 36%

VDGIFWildlife DivisionDirector& Board VirginiaTech HumanDimensionsResearch Facilitation Oversight&accountability

StakeholderAdvisory Committee Exploreissues Developvalue focusedstrategies Nonregulatory Nonregulatory, educationalefforts

TechnicalInfo. ValueChoices

VDGIFTechnical Committee Provideinformation Developtechnically focusedstrategies Regulatoryamendments Regulatory amendments Statutoryamendments

IntegrateStrategies RECOMENDATIONS

Focus Group Meetings

Focus group meetings were held with 9 different stakeholder groups. Each focus group was asked the same questions about their attitudes on hound hunting, experiences they had with hound hunting, and changes they witnessed relative to the sport in Virginia. All focus group participants noted that land ownership in rural Virginia has changed over the last 10 years and that development was fragmenting the remaining farm and forest lands, and that new people moving into these areas often were unaware of rural traditions, including hunting with hounds. Participants often believed these changes were reducing access for all types of hunting. Participants generally agreed that hound hunting is a valuable, important part of Virginias hunting tradition, but thought a small number of highly visible hound hunters are jeopardizing the sport for all. Issues related to hound hunting identified during this public input opportunity included: p g g p p pp y Hunter ethics Landowner education Running hounds out of season Hunting from the road Blocking roads/interfering with traffic. Right-to-retrieve Hounds running on posted property Trespassing Interference with other recreational activities Inconsistent laws/regulations Property damage

Virginias Goal
To proactively address concerns about hound hunting, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) initiated a public input process, facilitated by human dimensions researchers from the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Science at Virginia Tech. The goal of the project is to: Provide diverse opportunities for hunting with hounds in Virginia in a manner that is fair, sportsmanlike, and consistent with the rights of private property owners and other citizens.

Content Analysis
Nearly 1,000 letters and emails have been sent to the VDGIF or Virginia Tech from concerned citizens since the inception of this project in July 2007. A content analysis was performed in which key words and phrases were coded into 43 categories broadly reflective of positive and negative experiences related to hound hunting and suggestions for change As the table below illustrates the major stakeholder groups change. illustrates, were engaged in this form of public input. Most frequently, correspondence included comments about the project itself, hounds running on property where they are not wanted, or support for continuing the tradition of hound hunting. Stakeholder Type Hound Hunter Non-Hound Hunter Private Landowner Number of Quotes Recorded 1062 1317 1446

Your Thoughts?
How have you handled public input processes involving strongly polarized groups (especially landowners and hunters)? Have you used the internet effectively to engage diverse stakeholders in public input processes?

Game animals that I was pursuing were shot by 1056 another hunter. I, my family, or my hunting partners felt threatened 1087 by hound hunters. Landowner Experiences (abbreviated) n Hound hunting helped to control wildlife populations 747 on my property. property Hound hunter responded promptly when I called about 696 a hound on my property. Hound hunters asked for permission to access my 779 land. Hound hunters helped to maintain roads/fences. 681 Hounds/hound hunters created a noise disturbance . 842 Hound hunters vehicles interfered with traffic. 829 I observed hound hunters hunting from public roads. 855 Hounds/hound hunters disrupted my personal hunting. 798 Hound hunters hunted my land without permission. 830 Hounds I encountered seemed to be in poor condition. 838 I encountered lost/abandoned hounds on my property. 855

Jagnow, C. P, J. Howell, and D. E. Steffen. 2008. Virginia survey of hunter harvest, effort, and attitudes: 2006-2007. Wildlife Resource Bulletin No. 08-in press, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Richmond, USA. Miniter, F. 2008. Forecasting the future of hunting. American Hunter 36(3): 43-47.

Special thanks to Dr. Jim Parkhurst and Regina Elsner at Virginia Tech, Rick Busch and Nelson Lafon and other members of the VDGIF Technical Committee, and invaluable undergraduate Research Assistants Brooke Wright, Kayle Severin, and Hunter Crosby.