Cooperative wildlife management units: Achieving hunter, landowner, and wildlife management agency objectives

We surveyed participants in Utah's alternative, fee-access program for hunt management, Cooperative Wildlife Management Units (CWMUs), during 1994 to determine if the program created satisfying hunting opportunities, improved hunting access to private lands, and increased wildlife habitat. Hunters who received big game tags to hunt CWMUs through a public drawing were more satisfied with their hunting experience than hunters who paid access fees to landowners. The units provided access for big game hunting to 400,000 ha of private land that previously had been closed to the public. Under the program, landowners improved wildlife habitat on >15,000 ha of private rangeland. Cooperative Wildlife Management Units provide an example of how wildlife agencies can guide the development of alternative management programs to promote wildlife conservation and hunting access on private rangelands.