Meeting harvest expectations is key for duck hunter satisfaction

Current literature suggests that seeing and bagging game, among other experiences, play a major role in overall satisfaction for hunters. In addition, research highlights relationships that harvest expectations may have with harvest success and in explaining satisfaction. We add to the multiple satisfactions concept that, despite other derived benefits, harvest success may be fundamental to sustain participation and duck (Anatidae) hunters themselves are agents of their own success. We used data from mail surveys conducted between 2007-2015 of Wisconsin, USA, waterfowl hunters to investigate the role of duck hunter behavior and expectations in explaining differences in season satisfaction ratings. We found that duck hunters who spent more days afield, scouted prior to hunting, were mobile during the season, and utilized public lands harvested substantially more ducks than those who did not put effort into these behaviors. Furthermore, we find evidence in support of previous work that by examining the effect of harvest success through the lens of harvest expectations, it better describes satisfaction than either measure did alone among this population of duck hunters. Based on past experiences, duck hunters may develop unrealistic expectations that doom them to dissatisfactory harvests. These results provide assistance to managers and conservationists in helping hunters understand and set realistic harvest expectations, achieve their harvest goals, and continue to be active hunters.(c) 2019 The Wildlife Society.