Hunters' and Other Citizens' Reactions to Discovery of CWD in Central New York

The discovery of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in New York in March 2005 resulted in a major effort by state and federal natural resource agencies to contain the disease, protect wild deer herds, and inform the public about the disease. One of the most urgent information needs of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) concerned the level of awareness of CWD among hunters and other New York residents. A “rapid response” survey effort was designed jointly by staff from the Human Dimensions Research Unit at Cornell University and NYSDEC. The survey assessed the effect of the discovery of CWD on hunters' plans to hunt deer in fall 2005. The results showed hunters were much more aware of the discovery of CWD than the general public. Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) was perceived by most respondents as a highly credible source of information on CWD, and the various agencies were rated above the midpoint between not trusting at all and greatly trusting information on CWD.