Changes in deer hunter satisfaction under special antlerless harvest regulations in Pennsylvania, USA

Abstract

Management of white‐tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) to control their consumptive effects on understory forest vegetation has been a long‐standing challenge in Pennsylvania, USA. In 2003, the Pennsylvania Game Commission implemented the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) to allow landowners to increase antlerless harvest in localized areas, which has been used by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) on state forest lands. We evaluated survey data describing hunter participation and satisfaction over 2 periods (2013–2015 and 2019–2021) and across 4 DMAP areas on state forest lands managed by DCNR. Two study sites had greater DMAP permit allocations (1 permit per 6 ha) to attempt to reduce deer density compared to 2 other study sites (1 permit per 20 ha). Prior to 2020, only DMAP permits could be used to harvest antlerless deer during the first week of the firearm hunting season. In 2020, regulation changes allowed both DMAP and wildlife management unit antlerless licenses to be used throughout the firearm hunting season and DMAP permit allocations continued to be sold out only in areas where most hunters lived >80 km from the DMAP area. Satisfaction increased between periods, with hunters twice as likely to be satisfied during 2019–2021; however, increased satisfaction may be partly explained by dissatisfied hunters dropping out, as >50% of hunters purchased a single DMAP permit in 6 years, and only 20% of hunters purchased ≥1 permit in both periods. The strongest positive predictors of satisfaction were seeing an antlerless deer, harvesting an antlerless deer, and repeated participation through purchasing multiple DMAP permits. Consequently, understanding why few hunters are consistent purchasers of DMAP permits may provide insights into how landowner permit allocation or other currently unknown factors influence participation in the DMAP or similar programs encouraging harvest of antlerless deer.