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Abstract
Policy termination is a tool to ensure that antiquated or underperforming policies are updated or replaced. Understanding how terminating a policy might be received by core wildlife constituencies, such as hunters, is a critical insight to provide agencies and managers with the tools to make wildlife policy changes a more seamless process. However, this critical but negative policy approach is often overlooked in favor of investigating positive policy preferences (i.e., preferences for new policy). To help fill this gap, we applied the potential for conflict index (PCI2) to data from a survey of 318 spring American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) hunters in Texas, USA, conducted in 2020 and 2022. We determined the level of consensus about the potential to terminate the spring alligator hunting season and how aspects of social habitat, freedom to hunt, deference to science, and hunter attributes influence consensus. Results from 111 completed surveys indicated that hunters strongly opposed the removal of the spring season, and we noted the least consensus/most conflict among hunters relating to implementation of a statewide fall alligator hunting season. Consensus about hunter unacceptability of removing the spring season was strongest among hunters whose freedom to exercise alligator hunting privileges is moored to micro-level access points and held less deference for scientific management. There was no difference in unacceptability of terminating the spring season based on strength of beliefs about the nuisance nature of alligators. These findings were compounded by more experienced hunters demonstrating stronger opposition to policy termination and less within-group conflict. This research highlights the limitations of simplistic large carnivore policy-making that uses a support-oppose binary and results in high-intensity conflict. This study also highlights a need for proactive policy experimentation within the large carnivore domain to minimize deviations in policy positions and, thereby, conflict intensity.
Recommended Citation
Serenari, Christopher; Pratt, Elizabeth N.; Meeks, Abigail; Rubino, Elena C.; and Daniel, Kristy L.
(2023)
"Potential for Policy Conflict Among Alligator Hunters in Texas, USA,"
Human–Wildlife Interactions: Vol. 17:
Iss.
3, Article 7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/489d-3272
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/hwi/vol17/iss3/7
Included in
Environmental Policy Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons, Policy History, Theory, and Methods Commons, Political Theory Commons, Public Policy Commons, Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration Commons
