FROM THE MOUTHS OF HUNTERS: HUNTER PERCEPTIONS IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUNTERS AND CONSERVATION IN CANADA

Abstract

As a group of nature-based outdoor recreationists, hunters in Canada are not well understood, particularly in the context of their role in conservation. Hunters in Canada are not typically equated with being conservation actors, however there is a dearth of current academic literature that addresses the relationship between hunting and conservation in Canada and thus hunters may not accurately be represented within conservation circles. Collaboration between different groups of conservationists could be improved, and gaining a better understanding of how hunters perceive their place in conservation may contribute to greater unity around issues of conservation concern. The research question I explored was “Do hunters in Canada perceive they contribute to conservation, and if so, in what ways?”. I used an anonymous online questionnaire to survey hunters across Canada using Qualtrics as the survey tool. The survey link was distributed through six provincial and territorial hunting-conservation organizations affiliated with the Canadian Wildlife Federation: Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters, Manitoba Wildlife Federation, Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, Alberta Wildlife Federation, B.C. Wildlife Federation, and Yukon Fish & Game Association. The survey consisted of 23 questions and was conducted over a six-week period in the fall of 2023. 4022 valid responses were received from every province and territory, with the majority from Ontario. Four key themes emerged from the survey results of hunters in Canada: hunters identified more strongly as conservationists than as hunters, hunters identified numerous ways in which they participate in and support conservation, hunters are political actors, and hunters can be allies for conservation. Focusing on hunter perceptions was a necessary first step in exploring the relationship between hunters and conservation in Canada. The breadth of these results highlight opportunities for further empirical research and the need for more research to be conducted in Canada on this topic.