Hunters and Anglers Buy from Companies that Support Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation

Large majorities of hunters and anglers say they are more likely to buy products from companies that support wildlife and fisheries conservation efforts, according to a recent survey. Hunters and anglers also perceive specific firms as being particularly strong in their support for conservation.

In separate November 2008 surveys (one for hunters and the other for anglers), respondents were asked if they would be more or less likely to buy from companies that support conservation of wildlife and fisheries resources. A significant 67% of hunters and 52% of anglers stated that they are “much more likely” to buy products from conservation-supporting companies. A further 22% of hunters and 29% of anglers describe themselves as “slightly more likely” to buy products from such companies.

Only 7% of hunters and 14% of anglers stated that companies’ support for conservation had no influence either way on their purchasing decisions.

“These results show that clear majorities of both hunters and anglers are positively influenced in their purchasing decisions by companies’ perceived efforts in support of wildlife and fisheries conservation,” said the survey’s author, Rob Southwick of Southwick Associates .

The survey results also show that hunters and anglers perceive specific companies as being supporters of conservation efforts. In the separate surveys, hunters were asked which listed companies they felt contributed to hunting and wildlife conservation, and anglers were asked which listed companies they felt contributed to fishing and fisheries conservation. A list of companies to choose from was provided to each respondent. The top five brands were (the figure following each company or brand name indicates the percentage of respondents who perceived that company as a conservation supporter):

Chevy Trucks: hunters 16%, anglers 15%;
Budweiser: hunters 13%, anglers 12%;
Polaris: hunters 12%, anglers 8%;
Ford: hunters 10%, anglers 8%;
Yamaha: hunters 8.5%, anglers 10.5%;