Effect of harvest success on hunter attitudes toward white-tailed deer management in pennsylvania

This study examined effects of harvest and subjective evaluations of the state's deer herd on hunter satisfaction with white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) management in Pennsylvania. Hunters were classified as rifle, archery, or muzzleloader through a probability model based on prior experience. Backward hierarchical log-linear analysis was used to model satisfaction with deer management for the three groups. Successfully harvesting deer was significant in predicting satisfaction with deer management among the three hunting groups. Different models explained satisfaction for each type of deer hunter. Harvest was a main effect for archery and a partial-order effect for rifle and muzzleloader deer hunters. Harvest success was directly related to satisfaction with management for archery deer hunters. In the rifle deer-hunter model, harvest success was associated with perception of balanced harvest, which was related to satisfaction with deer management. Harvest success was associated with perceptions of herd size and seeing deer in the muzzleloader model, and seeing deer directly related to satisfaction with deer management. Differing relationships between harvest success and satisfaction with management for different types of hunters may offer understanding into hunter opposition to management programs.