Legitimization of Regulatory Norms: Waterfowl Hunter Acceptance of Changing Duck Bag Limits

Few studies have examined response to regulatory change over time, or addressed hunter attitudes about changes in hunting bag limits. This article explores Minnesota waterfowl hunters’ attitudes about duck bag limits, examining attitudes about two state duck bag limits that were initially more restr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human dimensions of wildlife 2014-05, Vol.19 (3), p.234-252
Main Authors: Schroeder, Susan A, Fulton, David C, Lawrence, Jeffrey S, Cordts, Steven D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acceptances
Attitudes
attitudes and opinions
bag limits
Birds
ducks
Fish
hunters
Hunting
legal norms
Minnesota
Norms
opinions
Regulation
regulations
sport hunting
Surveys
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
waterfowl
Wildlife
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Summary:Few studies have examined response to regulatory change over time, or addressed hunter attitudes about changes in hunting bag limits. This article explores Minnesota waterfowl hunters’ attitudes about duck bag limits, examining attitudes about two state duck bag limits that were initially more restrictive than the maximum set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), but then increased to match federal limits. Results are from four mail surveys that examined attitudes about bag limits over time. Following two bag limit increases, a greater proportion of hunters rated the new bag limit “too high” and a smaller proportion rated it “too low.” Several years following the first bag limit increase, the proportion of hunters who indicated that the limit was “too high” had declined, suggesting hunter acceptance of the new regulation. Results suggest that waterfowl bag limits may represent legal norms that influence hunter attitudes and gain legitimacy over time.
ISSN:1533-158X
1087-1209
1533-158X
DOI:10.1080/10871209.2014.883557