Changes in wildlife agency trust and perceived risks before and after the discovery of chronic wasting disease in North Dakota

Using a pre−post chronic wasting disease (CWD) natural experiment, we compared deer hunters' perceived trust in the North Dakota Game and Fish (NDGF) Department and perceived CWD risks to wildlife and humans before and after the discovery of the disease in the state. We obtained data from 2 mail surveys. One study was conducted in 2004 (n = 855, response rate = 43%) when CWD had not been detected in North Dakota; the second was conducted in 2021 (n = 3,242, response rate = 29%) after the disease was known to exist in the state. We hypothesized that when compared to the 2021 hunters, the 2004 hunters would (1) be more trusting of the NDGF's management of CWD, (2) perceive more risk to deer, and (3) perceive more risk to humans. All 3 hypotheses were supported. Hunters expressed greater trust in NDGF information regarding CWD (Cohen's d = 0.173, P < 0.001), higher levels of risk to deer (d = 0.433, P < 0.001), and higher levels of risk to humans in 2004 than in 2021 (d = 0.730, P < 0.001).