Assessing stakeholder perceptions: Listening to avid hunters of western Kentucky

Presented are findings of an interpretive investigation of perceptions held by avid Kentucky hunters about white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herd quality and hunting regulations. Three facilitated focus groups with hunters and five follow-up key informant interviews were conducted and analyzed through an iterative qualitative analysis. Three distinct categories of hunter concerns emerged that reflected aspects of quality of experience, trust, and the regulatory environment. The findings suggested the need for wildlife agency personnel to develop methods to disseminate information about regulation-setting in a more consistent and meaningful manner. The article suggests that adoption of a complementary, qualitative-quantitative approach to data collection and analysis can assist in crafting more relevant questions on statewide quantitative surveys, thereby leading to more relevant results.