Abstract
Damage to property from deer hunters, though usually not discovered immediately, is a problem for many Arkansans. A questionnaire survey was mailed to 3,773 rural landowners in Arkansas to determine the type and cost of damage suffered from hunters. Thirty-five percent reported minor problems, and 15% reported severe damage from hunters. The most common problems caused by hunters were fence cutting (33%), severe littering (16%), road damage (13%), crop damage (10%), cattle shot (8%), gates left open (6%), and trespassing (6%). Eighty-three (5%) of the landowners reported damage costs of $500 or more; one sustained a $15,000 loss. Total state-wide losses are estimated at almost $15 million per year. Solutions lie in cultivating a stewardship position among landowners and a stronger ethic of respect among hunters. Mandatory hunter education programs can help instill hunter ethics, while posting laws can provide the administrative mechanism to control access and exposure.
Recommended Citation
Kluender, Richard A. and Wigley, T. Bentley Jr.
(1991)
"Landowner Reports of Deer Hunter Damage in Arkansas,"
Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 45, Article 15.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol45/iss1/15
Included in
Human Ecology Commons, Other Forestry and Forest Sciences Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
