Using Latent Profile Analysis to Evaluate Preferences for Chronic Wasting Disease Management Options among Different Hunter Types.

Wildlife agencies seek to understand how hunters have and will respond to chronic wasting disease (CWD) management policies because of the vital role hunters play in deer management efforts. As such, dozens of studies have examined the human dimensions of CWD management and policy to assess stakeholder support for management alternatives and reveal what drives support. However, most of these studies have not (1) fully explored the heterogeneity that exists among hunters, and (2) accounted for the tradeoffs that agencies and hunters must make with regard to deer management and potential CWD policy alternatives. To address these deficiencies, we used latent profile analysis to create different typologies of hunters based on a survey of Texas hunters, then analyzed discrete choice experiments investigating the CWD management preferences of these typologies. Across five hunter typologies, we found strong overall support for CWD management, although attitudes towards Texas Parks and Wildlife Department were variable. Preferences for CWD management policies greatly differed between each hunter typology. Wildlife agencies can refer to our findings to better develop hunter-preferred CWD management policies and identify areas of compromise between typologies. Our results also provide agencies with insights regarding how to better communicate about CWD management with different types of hunters.