Hunters’ Responses to Urine-Based Scent Bans Tackling Chronic Wasting Disease

Wildlife managers and researchers have suspected that urine-based lure products collected from captive cervids could be potential media contributing to the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer (Odocoileus spp.). Although personnel in multiple wildlife agencies have taken the precautionary approach to prohibit the sales or use of urine-based lure products, it is not well understood whether hunters will accept and willingly cooperate with these policies. To address this gap in the literature, we examine hunters’ attitudes and behavioral intentions toward a hypothetical policy proposing to ban urine-based products and how risk beliefs, trait psychological reactance, and hunting experience affect these responses. In May 2017, we recruited 739 members of an online advocacy group of deer hunters to complete a web-based survey with experimental elements. Overall, participants held positive attitudes toward the proposed policy to ban these products and high intentions to cooperate. Participants also characterized CWD as an increasing risk that was associated with dread, well known to science, and observable. These risk beliefs were positively related to attitudes and behavioral intentions to comply with the policy. In contrast, trait psychological reactance and prior experience using urine-based scents were negatively related to attitudes and behavioral intentions. Findings indicate that wildlife management agency personnel communicating with the public may find better acceptance of controversial CWD policies by first establishing a shared understanding of its risks through thorough risk communication.