EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 



Scope and Objectives 



The primary objective of this study is to estimate the net 

 economic value of a waterfowl hunting trip in Montana. The net 

 economic value of a trip is the amount of money a person would be 

 willing and able to spend for that trip over and above what they 

 actually must spend. Estimates were made of the net economic 

 value of a 1989 waterfowl hunting trip for the average hunter as 

 well as for various subsamples of hunters: residents, 

 nonresidents, Central Flyway hunters. Pacific Flyway hunters, 

 early season trips, late season trips and hypothetically changed 

 waterfowl hunting trips. 



In addition to trip value estimates, statistics descriptive of 

 hunter characteristics, trip characteristics and hunter 

 management preferences were computed and are presented in Chapter 

 III. 



Data Sources 



The questionnaire used in this study 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. 



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. 



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