Hunting participation has been decreasing in the United States for several decades. This decline is
concerning because of the role that hunting plays in funding wildlife and conservation programs. Without
an alternative funding source, management agencies will have difficulty managing and restoring wild bird
and mammal communities as well as acquiring, developing and managing their habitats. Thus, there has
been a concerted effort to slow the decline by understanding hunter recruitment, retention, and
reactivation (R3). As part of this understanding process, there is a critical need to know why hunters
participate in hunting activities and what things may hinder participation. The objective of our research
was to examine the hunter identities, preferences, motivations, and constraints among Nebraska resident
big game (deer and turkey) and small game hunters