Form 3-2386 National Mourning Dove Hunter Survey 2011

OMB Control Number 1018-XXXX
Expires[[xx/xxxx

Dear Mourning Dove Hunter:
You are one of a select group of mourning dove hunters chosen at random from across the United States
to help us better understand hunter opinions on some of the most important issues facing dove hunting
today. One such issue concerns the potential effects of spent lead on doves and other wildlife.
This survey is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National
Flyway Councils, and State fish and wildlife agencies. We have undertaken this study because of the belief
that hunter opinions and preferences should be taken into account whenever possible in planning the
science-based management of our migratory bird resources.
Your answers will not be associated with your name and your questionnaire is tracked for mailing
purposes only. Please return the questionnaire in the postage-paid envelope provided.
Thank you for helping us understand more about what's important to dove hunters in North America.
Sincerely,
Ken Richkus
Chief, Branch of Population and Habitat Assessment
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Ron Regan
Executive Director
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Jeff Herbert
Chair
National Flyway Council

In accordance with the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C.522a) and the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501), please note the following information. This study is
authorized by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.) The information that you provide will be used for estimating dove hunter attitudes and
awareness of nontoxic shot. It is our policy not to use your name for any other purpose. All names and identifying information will be removed when we
compile the results, and only summary information will be reported. The information is maintained in accordance with the Privacy Act. Your response is
voluntary. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to an information collection unless it displays a current valid
OMB control number. The information collection has been approved by OMB and assigned the clearance number 1018-XXXX. We estimate that it will
take you about 8.5 minutes to read the instructions, fill out and mail the survey. Comments on this form should be mailed to the Information Collection
Clearance Officer, Mail Stop2042-PDM, Arlington Square, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington D.C. 20240.

Form 3-2386
Rev 03/2011

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2011 National
Mourning Dove Hunter Survey
Your ideas count! Please help us understand your experiences with dove hunting
by answering the following questions--and please, provide your opinions and
experiences without asking others. Your name will never be associated with your
answers in any tabulation or reporting of this information.
Please completely and carefully fill in each chosen circle with a #2 pencil or
blue/black pen.
1. How many total years since you first began hunting
have you actually hunted doves? (Please include
only those years when you actually hunted doves.)
Less than 5 years
5 to 10 years
11 to 20 years

I’ve never hunted doves.
Thank you—you’re done!
Please return your survey.

21 to 30 years
31 to 40 years
More than 40 years

2. About how many doves do you typically harvest in
a season?

3. About how much do you typically spend in a year
on shotgun shells for dove hunting?

None
Between 1 and 10 doves
Between 11 and 30 doves
Between 31 and 100 doves
Between 101 and 200 doves
More than 200 doves

4. How important is dove hunting to you?
It's my most important recreational activity.
It's one of my most important recreational activities.
It's no more important than my other recreational
activities.
It's less important than some of my other recreational
activities.
It's one of my least important recreational activities.

6. How would you describe your participation in dove
hunting? Typically, do you dove hunt. . .
“Opening day” only.
First complete weekend of the Season.
First 2 weekends of the Season or no more than 5
total days.
Occasionally throughout the dove season.
As many days as I can throughout the entire dove
season.
Only occasionally over the years.

Less than $5
$5 to $15
$16 to $24
$25 to $50
$51 to $100

$101 to $200
More than $200

5. Have you hunted the following types of game in
the past 3 years?
Yes

No

Upland birds (pheasants, quail, chukar,
etc.)
Other small game (rabbits, squirrels, rail,
snipe, etc.)
Waterfowl (ducks & geese)
Big game
7. How many miles is it, one-way, to the area you
hunt most for doves?
Less than 5 miles
5 to 10 miles
11 to 20 miles
21 to 49 miles
50 or more miles

8. When dove hunting, do you typically hunt. . .

9. How much ammunition do you typically use in a season
of hunting doves?

Only on public land.
Mostly on public land.
On public and private land equally.
Mostly on private land.
Only on private land.

Less than 1 box (25 shells to a box)
1 box
2 to 5 boxes
6 to 9 boxes
1 to 2 cases (250 shells (or 10 boxes) to a case)
More than 2 cases

10. How often do you use lead shot when you hunt doves?
ALWAYS use lead
MOSTLY use lead

OCCASIONALLY use lead
NEVER use lead

11. To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the
following statements? (Check one box in each row.)

Strongly
disagree

Somewhat
disagree

Neutral

Somewhat
agree

Strongly
agree

Don’t know

Strongly
disagree

Somewhat
disagree

Neutral

Somewhat
agree

Strongly
agree

Don’t know

Lead shot substitutes for dove hunting are too expensive.
Non-lead shot doesn't perform as well as lead shot for dove
hunting.
I think it will be hard to find lead shot substitutes for dove hunting
in my local stores.
There are non-lead loads available that will not damage vintage
or older shotguns.
Doves have such a short life span that any exposure to lead
makes practically no difference in the health of the dove
population.
Any changes requiring non-lead shot for dove hunting will reduce
the number of young people recruited to hunting.
I'd probably quit hunting doves if I were required to use nonlead shot for dove hunting.
The U.S. can't limit health effects of lead on dove populations
because countries south of the border have no lead shot
restrictions.
If scientific evidence identifies negative impacts of lead shot on
dove populations, then wildlife agencies have a responsibility
to take appropriate action to conserve dove populations.

12. To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the
following statements? (Check one box in each row.)

Most doves that eat lead pellets become severely ill or die.
I would be willing to use non-lead shot if scientific evidence
showed the dove population was being harmed by eating
lead pellets.
Concerns about effects of wildlife consumption of lead shot
have not been explained to hunters.
If I thought it would help wildlife, I would use non-lead shot for
dove hunting.
Non-lead shot is more likely than lead shot to cripple doves.
The effort to restrict lead ammunition is a tactic by animal rights
groups to eliminate hunting.
Discontinuing the use of lead shot for waterfowl was a necessary
change.
I'd probably reduce the number of dove hunting trips I'd take
if I was required to use non-lead shot for doves.
The effort to restrict lead ammunition is a tactic by gun control
advocates to encroach on gun ownership rights.

13. Based on what you know and feel at the present
time, what is your opinion of requiring the use of
non-lead shot for dove hunting?

14. Have you ever . . . ? (Check one box in each row.)
Yes

No

Reloaded shotshells with lead shot
Reloaded shotshells with non-lead shot
Shot trap/skeet/sporting clays
Hunted doves on your own land
Leased land so you could hunt doves
Traveled to another country to hunt doves
Experienced damage to your shotgun from
using non-lead shot

Strongly oppose requiring non-lead shot.
Somewhat oppose requiring non-lead shot.
Neutral on requiring non-lead shot.
Somewhat support requiring non-lead shot.
Strongly support requiring non-lead shot.
Don't know.

15. Are you currently a member of the following types of organizations? (Check one box in each row.)
Yes

No

Hunting/wildlife conservation organizations (for example, Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey
Federation, Quail Unlimited)
Fishing/fish conservation organizations (for example, Trout Unlimited, North American Fishing Club,
Stripercoast Surfcasters Club)
Gun rights/shooting sports organizations (for example, NRA, NSSF)
Environmental organizations (for example, Audubon Society, Sierra Club)

16. Please indicate how much more or less of a
problem the following have become for you
over the last 5 years in your dove hunting.
(Check one box in each row.)

Much more
a problem

Somewhat
more a
problem

Neither more
nor less a
problem

Somewhat
less a
problem

Much less
a problem

Don’t
know

Leasing a place to hunt doves
Cost of shotshells
Cost of hunting gear other than shotshells
Cost of gasoline
Cost of hunting permits

17. How much trust do you put in each of the following to represent the interests of dove hunters like

you? (Check one box in each row.)

Ammunition manufacturers
Businesses that manufacture hunting products
Avid/experienced dove hunters
Wildlife biologists
Hunting guides
Game wardens
Outdoor writers/TV personalities
Staff at sporting goods stores selling hunting supplies
Hunting organizations
Other (Please fill-in):

High
trust

Medium
trust

Low
trust

No
trust

Don’t
know

18. How much hunting information do you obtain from each of the following sources?

(Check one box in each row.)

Some

A lot

A little

None

Newspapers
Magazines
Radio
Television
Internet
State wildlife agency
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Friends/family
Sporting goods stores
Other (Please fill-in.):

The following background answers are collected for analysis purposes only; we offer our thanks to you for
providing this information, and assure you these answers will never be associated with your name or identity
in any way. Thank you in advance for your help.
19. Which best describes:

Large city
or urban
area

(Check one box in each row.)

Suburban
area

Small city
or town

Rural area

Farm or
ranch

Where you grew up as a child?
Where you live now?
20. Education: (Check one box.)

21. Household income: (Check one box.)

Less than high school
High school graduate
Some college
College graduate
Advanced degree (MD, Lawyer,
Doctorate, Graduate school)

Less than $20,000
$20,000 to $29,999
$30,000 to $39,999
$40,000 to $49,999
$50,000 to $74,999

22. Which best describes your current occupation:
Manufacturing
Professional/managerial
Retail
Skilled trade
Government
Agriculture

Services
Student
Homemaker
Not employed
Retired
Other

24. Which best describes your ethnic group?

$75,000 to $99,999
$100,000 to $119,999
$120,000 or more

23. With which race do you most closely identify yourself?
(Choose one or more.)
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
White
25. You are:

Female
Male

Hispanic or Latino
Not Hispanic or Latino
26. You are:

17 years or younger
18 to 24 years
25 to 34 years
35 to 44 years
45 to 54 years
55 to 64 years
65 years or older

THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO COMPLETE THIS SURVEY!
Please return this questionnaire using the postage paid, self-addressed
envelope provided.