Hidden Lakes Trail

EASTERN REGION LANDSCAPE RESTORATION ACTIVITIES

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO PUT TESTED MESSAGES ON THE GROUND TO ACHIEVE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND REACTIVATION (R3) THROUGH PODCAST AND STREAMING AUDIO ADS IN 4 PILOT STATES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN US. WORKING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH STATE AND THE NATIONAL DEER ASSOCIATION, WE WOULD DEVELOP AUDIO ADS FOR PLACEMENT IN EACH STATE. WE WOULD USE THE RESEARCH FUNDED BY THE MULTISTATE CONSERVATION GRANT F22AP01126, WHICH DEVELOPED NEW HUNTER PERSONAS, AND DEVELOP AD CREATIVE AROUND EACH OF THE PERSONAS AND TARGET THE MESSAGES DEVELOPED TO FAMILY FIRSTS, SELF SUFFICIENTS, LOCAVORES, AND RECREATIONALISTS. THEN THIS PROJECT WILL MEASURE SUCCESS AT INCREASING PARTICIPATION BY USING LICENSE PURCHASE BEHAVIOR TO DETERMINE SUCCESS USING PIXEL TRACKING TECHNOLOGY. THE PERSONA RESEARCH FOUND IN THE R3 CLEARINGHOUSE RECOMMENDS PLACING ADS IN STREAMING OR PODCASTS AS THESE TARGETED GROUPS ENGAGE WITH THAT MEDIUM VERY OFTEN. ON TOP OF THAT RESEARCH, IN 2023 PODCAST LISTENERS INCREASED TO 164 MILLION IN THE US AND LISTENERSHIP HAS INCREASED 60 PERCENT SINCE 2020. OF ALL PODCAST LISTENERS, ALMOST HALF (47 PERCENT) ARE AGED 12-34 YEARS 33 PERCENT ARE 35 TO 54-YEAR-OLDS AND THE REMAINING 20 PERCENT ARE AGED 55 YEARS. THE MAJORITY OF PODCAST LISTENERS ARE MALE (53 PERCENT). THESE STATISTICS LEND TO PODCASTING AND STREAMING ADS BEING A GOOD MARKETING INVESTMENT TO ACCOMPLISH R3. OUR EXPECTED OUTCOMES WILL BE THAT NEW PEOPLE ARE MOTIVATED WITH THESE ADS TO TRY HUNTING AND THAT PEOPLE THAT USED TO HUNT ARE MOTIVATED TO PICK THE HOBBY BACK UP AGAIN. USING THE PSYCHOGRAPHIC NETWORK, A DATABASE OF LISTENERS THAT TRACKS DIGITAL INTERACTIONS OF USERS AND ALLOWS YOU TO TARGET PERSONAS, WE ARE ABLE TO TARGET THE PERSONAS IDENTIFIED. THEN USING PIXEL TRACKING WE CAN SEE WHICH PEOPLE WHO HEARD THESE MESSAGES ALSO PURCHASED A LICENSE INDICATING THAT THEY ARE PARTICIPATING IN HUNTING. THIS WILL ALSO MEASURE HOW EFFECTIVE THE ADS WERE AND WHICH AD WAS MOST EFFECTIVE. THE DELIVERABLES FROM THIS PROJECT WILL BE SCRIPTS FOR ADS AS WELL AS RECORDINGS OF ADS THAT ANY STATE OR REGION CAN USE AS WELL AS A REPORT WITH A CASE STUDY FROM EACH STATE WITH ALL THE FINDINGS FROM PLACING THESE ADS IN 4 PILOT STATES, INCLUDING WHICH ADS RECRUITED OR REACTIVATED THE MOST HUNTERS. THE BENEFICIARIES OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE THE PEOPLE THAT DISCOVER OR REDISCOVER HUNTING. THE 4 PILOT STATES WILL BENEFIT THE MOST, BUT ALL STATES IN THE SOUTHEAST (OR ANYWHERE) WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS MARKETING CAMPAIGN BECAUSE THE ADS CREATED WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY STATE TO USE AT NO COST AND THE LESSONS LEARNED AND CAMPAIGN ENGAGEMENT AND EFFECTIVENESS WILL BE SHARED WITH STAFF FROM EACH STATE. THE PILOT STATES WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM THE INCREASED PARTICIPATION. THIS PROJECT WILL LEVERAGE RESEARCH FROM MULTISTATE GRANT F22AP01126. THE CASE STUDIES FROM EACH STATE STAND TO BENEFIT ANY STATE THAT LEARNS FROM THEM AND THEN MAY DECIDE TO UTILIZE THIS R3 TACTIC. THERE WILL BE ONE CONTRACTOR IN THIS GRANT THAT IS THE MARKETING FIRM THAT WILL BE PLACING THE ADS.

CROATAN WILDLIFE HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

THE 2022 NATIONAL SURVEY OF FISHING, HUNTING AND WILDLIFE-ASSOCIATED RECREATION REPORTS 56% OF U.S. HUNTING DAYS TARGET BIG GAME, MOST OF WHICH ARE FOR DEER (ALL SUBSPECIES). DEER HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES HAVE INCREASED OVER THE YEARS AS STATES HAVE SUPPORTED NEW HARVEST METHODS (MUZZLELOADER, BOW, CROSSBOW, ETC.) AND AS DEER POPULATIONS HAVE GROWN. HOWEVER, WHETHER OUT OF NECESSITY OR RESULTING FROM PUBLIC DEMAND, DEER MANAGEMENT DECISIONS INVOLVING OPPORTUNITY, CHRONIC WASTE DISEASE (CWD), AND ANTLER RESTRICTIONS MORE OFTEN IMPACT DEER HUNTING PARTICIPATION. BY HELPING STATES UNDERSTAND THE NEXUS BETWEEN DEER MANAGEMENT, DEER HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES, PARTICIPATION, AND HUNTER RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND REACTIVATION (R3) EFFORTS, THIS PROJECT WILL HELP STATES R3 PROGRAMS BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE. ALSO, IMPROVED COORDINATION AND BETTER HUNTER DATA WILL HELP STATES INCREASE HUNTER SATISFACTION AND BETTER MEET TARGET HARVEST OBJECTIVES. THIS PROJECT WILL BEGIN BY GAINING INPUT FROM DEER MANAGERS AND STATE R3 LEADERS, THUS PROVIDING A FIRST STEP IN BETTER COORDINATING STATES R3 AND BIOLOGICAL EFFORTS. REGIONAL DEER MANAGEMENT AND R3 COMMITTEES WILL BE ENGAGED TO IDENTIFY KNOWLEDGE GAPS SUCH AS THE NUMBER OF DEER HUNTING LICENSES SOLD (USED AS AN INDICATOR OF PARTICIPATION) COMPARED TO ACTUAL PARTICIPATION, WEAPON PREFERENCE TRENDS, AND HOW REGULATORY AND DISEASE FACTORS MAY HAVE IMPACTED PARTICIPATION. THE SECOND PHASE WILL COLLECT INFORMATION FROM STATES TO FILL THESE GAPS AS BEST AS POSSIBLE. USING MULTIVARIATE TECHNIQUES, 20 YEARS OF LICENSE SALES WILL BE ANALYZED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTS OF REGULATORY, DISEASE AND OTHER CHANGES ON DEER HUNTING PARTICIPATION. WE WILL ALSO SURVEY U.S. DEER HUNTERS TO UNDERSTAND HOW REGULATORY CHANGES TO DEER HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES HAS IMPACTED MOTIVATIONS AND EFFORT. THE FINAL PHASE WILL SHARE RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ACROSS ALL LEVELS OF STATE AGENCIES TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW STATES BIOLOGICAL AND R3 FUNCTIONS CAN BETTER WORK TOGETHER TO SUSTAIN AND GROW DEER HUNTING.

OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS MULTIPLE RESEARCH PROJECTS CENTERED AROUND NEW HUNTERS HAVE UNCOVERED THE SAME FIVE KNOWLEDGE GAPS AS BARRIERS TO NEW POTENTIAL HUNTERS. INTERNATIONAL HUNTER EDUCATION ASSOCIATIONS STUDIES ON ADULT HUNTER EDUCATION GRADUATES, WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT INCORPORATEDS WORK WITH NEW HUNTERS SEEKING MENTORS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT INCORPORATEDS STUDIES ON NEW HUNTER PERSONAS AND THE JOURNEY NEW HUNTERS TAKE TO HUNTING WERE JUST A FEW OF THE PROJECTS TO UNCOVER ESSENTIALLY THE SAME LIST OF KNOWLEDGE GAPS: 1. UNDERSTANDING REGULATIONS, SEASONS, AND LICENSING. 2. LEARNING HOW TO FIELD DRESS AND PROCESS WILD GAME. 3. LEARNING FIREARM HANDLING. 4. FINDING SOMEWHERE TO HUNT AND UNDERSTANDING ACCESS TO HUNTING AREAS. 5. UNDERSTANDING GENERAL HUNTING TECHNIQUES AND PREY BEHAVIOR. WHILE THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS ARE NOT IN THE SAME ORDER FOR EVERY STUDY OR AUDIENCE SEGMENT, THESE SAME KNOWLEDGE GAPS PREVENT NEW ADULT HUNTERS FROM FEELING CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY HUNT. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP VIDEO LESSONS AND POWERPOINT DECKS FOR LIVE TRAINING FOR THE THREE KNOWLEDGE GAPS AS OF YET UNANSWERED BY THE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND REACTIVATION (R3) COMMUNITY. 1. UNDERSTANDING REGULATIONS, SEASONS, AND LICENSING. 2. LEARNING HOW TO FIELD DRESS AND PROCESS WILD GAME. 3. FINDING SOMEWHERE TO HUNT AND UNDERSTANDING ACCESS TO HUNTING AREAS THESE LESSONS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE AT NO COST TO STATE AGENCIES, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, OUTDOOR LEARNING CENTERS, AND OTHER R3-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS TO USE AND DISSEMINATE AMONG THEIR HUNTING AUDIENCES, AND FOR NEW PROSPECTIVE HUNTERS TO FIND ON THEIR OWN ON YOUTUBE. WE WILL ALSO BE CREATING PHOTOGRAPHY ASSETS DURING THE PRODUCTION OF GAME PROCESSING VIDEOS FOR SHARING WITH THE ENTIRE R3 COMMUNITY TO ASSIST IN TELLING THE STORY OF FOOD AS THE CENTER OF THE MOTIVATION FOR HUNTING.

REFORESTATION IN PAOLI EXPERIMENTAL FOREST

NON COMMERCIAL WILDLIFE HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

IDAHO PANHANDLE NATIONAL FORESTS RESLIANT LANDSCAPE PROJECT

ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST VEGETATION MANAGEMENT STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENT

FRANCIS MARION RESTORATION AND TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENTS

COOPER CREEK STEWARDSHIP

NORTH AMERICAN DEER DENSITY SURVEY

THIS AGREEMENT WILL PROVIDE THE FOREST SERVICE THE MEANS TO ESTABLISH A NEW PARTNER IN THE NATIONAL DEER ASSOCIATION. THIS PARTNERSHIP WILL ALLOW THE CHEROKEE NATIONAL FOREST TO ESTABLISH NEW AVENUES FOR USING STEWARDSHIP AND TIMBER VALUE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF WORK WE ACCOMPLISH ON THE GROUND AS WELL AS THE ACRES OF UNHEALTHY FOREST THAT WILL BE TREATED.

BARBER BRANCH HARVEST TIMBER STABILIZE SOIL AND IMPROVE HABITAT

CHICKASAWHAY LONGLEAF PINE RESTORATION