place a value on a trip in which they "saw twice as many birds 

 and the bag limit was more liberal" and the other version asked 

 them to value a trip in which they "saw half the number of birds 

 and the bag limit was more conservative". These different 

 versions were presented to facilitate valuation of alternative 

 hypothetical management practices and trip experiences. The 

 differences across surveys resulted in four survey versions: 



(1) Surveys addressing the "first" trip and improved 

 hunting conditions, 



(2) Surveys addressing the "first" trip and worsened 

 hunting conditions, 



(3) Surveys addressing the "last" trip and improved 

 hunting conditions, 



(4) Surveys addressing the "last" trip and worsened 

 hunting conditions. 



Data Sources and Survey Administration 



The questionnaire was administered by the Montana Department of 

 Fish Wildlife and Parks after the 1989 general hunting season. 

 The population targeted by the questionnaire was those people who 

 had purchased a 1989 Montana hunting license as well as a 1989 

 waterfowl stamp. An adaptation of Dillman's (1978) Total Design 

 Method was used in conducting the mail survey. Hunters first 

 received the questionnaire booklet (see Appendix A) and cover 

 letter along with a stamped, addressed return envelope. One week 

 later a postcard reminder was sent to those hunters not yet 

 responding. Finally, a second copy of the questionnaire was sent 

 to nonrespondents three weeks after the initial mailing. 



Response Rates 



An initial sample of 1000 questionnaires was mailed to hunters. 

 Of these, 59 were undeliverable and 644 were completed and 

 returned. This response rate of 68.4% is comparable to other 

 Montana hunting surveys (Loomis, Cooper and Allen, 1988; Brooks, 

 1988) and is quite acceptable for mail questionnaires. Of the 

 644 completed questionnaires, 28 either did not hunt in 1988 or 

 were returned too late to be included in the sample. 



There was no followup survey of nonrespondents conducted in this 

 study. It is not possible, therefore, to know if the 31.6% who 

 did not respond differed significantly from the 68.4% who did. 



