| A mail survey of randomly selected U.S. households assessed general attitudes toward wildlife and specific concerns about wildlife damage management (WDM) and the federal Animal Damage Control program. Respondents strongly supported federal government's role in ensuring public safety, engaging in public education, and continuing research into nonlethal control methods. Weaker support was found for lethal control of predators and crop depredators, and financial compensation for losses due to wildlife activities was generally opposed. When asked to ranked the importance of factors for consideration when selecting management methods, human safety ranked highest followed by animal suffering, effectiveness, and environmental impacts. The lowest ranked factor was public opinion. Using multiple regression analysis, differences in respondents' general environmental attitudes and hunting enjoyment accounted for most of the variation in their attitudes toward WDM practices. Independent variables that most influenced importance of federal involvement in WDM were sex, age, education, and general environmental attitudes. |
