Hunters in researchers' sights: Study explores what drives them

For the first time, a study has looked into what motivates New Brunswick hunters — and apparently it's the chance to be in nature.

The New Brunswick Provincial Survey on Hunting compiled responses from more than 400 hunters across the province on a range of issues, including the game they prefer, how much money they spend, and what makes them hunt. 

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"We thought it would be important to look at what was happening with hunters regarding different subject matter."

Fewer buy hunting licences

Commissioned by the province two years ago, the study points to white-tailed deer as the animal most hunters want to get.

About 95 per cent of respondents expressed their desire to hunt antlered deer, regardless of whether they had ever purchased a permit to do so.

Moose came in a very close second, also being chosen by about 95 per cent.

"This is consistent across North America," Gautreau said. "The deer family is the important game species that we have in North America." 

Bears down the list

Bears were among the least important game species to those surveyed, with only 56 per cent of hunters expressing interest in the animal.

Waterfowl and migratory birds came in last, a choice of 41 per cent of hunters.

The study's findings suggest that Crown land is the most used territory for hunting, as opposed to woodlots and industrial freeholds.

But it appears hunters want more active policing of New Brunswick woods. 

"More than half of the hunters that were surveyed did indicate that they wanted more conservation officers out there,"  Gautreau said.

"We know there's not many conservation officers out there, and this, I guess, gives the right-of-way to poachers to go out and do what they do. And honest hunters don't like that, and they wish that there were more conservation officers to control the amounImages/Mediat of poaching out there." 

Big bucks 

According to the study, a New Brunswick hunter spends thousands of dollars each hunting season.

"We've calculated the expenses of hunters in 2015 was worth around $145 million, which is significant and contributes to the diversification of what forests can bring to the economy," Gautreau said.

The study broke hunters into two groups: those who spend less than $10,000 annually on hunting and those who spend more. 

Most fall into the first category and spent, on average, $3,000 last year.

But those who spend more seem to go all out.

"The second group, which is a minority group, they had very high expenses," Gautreau said. "We found their expenses to be around $28,000." 

The hunting drive

The study also asked hunters what they get most out of the sport.

"To make the most of nature or of being outdoors" topped the list of motivating factors, with 99 per cent of hunters surveyed declaring it a "very important," "important" or "more or less important" factor.

Spending time with friends or family was a close second as a motivating factor, chosen by 97 per cent of hunters as very important, important or more or less important.

Eighty-one percent of hunters said bringing home meat was a very important, important or more or less important factor. 

Bringing home a trophy placed last, with 49 per cent of hunters saying it was very important, important or more or less important.

Valuable information 

Gautreau said he expects this study will be used to help shape, or even create, policies surrounding hunting and natural resource management in years to come. 

"It's the first type of study on hunters in New Brunswick that I know of, with this detail," he said. "Studies like this exist throughout North America, especially in the United States." 

"The U.S.A. has been very good at studying the human dimensions of wildlife management, and hunters are part of that."

The information is valuable in that country for developing policies on wildlife management, forest management, land use planning, rules and regulations.