Do Biologists Listen to Hunters? Reality is, wildlife managers listen more than many believe — but hunters have to listen in return, too Although such situations can be frustrating, officials say open dialogue is the key to bridging the gap between hunters and biologists. Butler believes that starts with giving hunters real-world numbers. “Here in Mississippi, we have great deal of data on what real hunters see and hear while in the field based on the observations they record as a part of our Spring Gobbler Hunting Survey,” he said. “Over the past 20 years, hunters in Mississippi hear between one and two gobblers per hunt, on average. Hunts in which more than four gobblers are heard only happen on about six to eight trips out of every 100. Most properties only harvest about one gobbler per 500 acres, on average. These numbers don’t sound eye-popping, but they’ve been pretty consistent through time and should help us all really appreciate those rare days when the woods are on fire and there seem to be gobblers in every direction.” Finger said biologists can also try to provide a big-picture, long-term view, which can help temper unrealistic expectations. “We try to provide perspective and ask if hunters keep a hunting log or journal, and if so, does this year really rank as a poor year compared to what they experienced five or 10 years ago, or is it recency bias?” he said. “In reality, most times when hunters think of a the most recent season as being bad, it’s pretty comparable to the majority of their hunting seasons.” Biologists also need perspective, Cain said, especially when it comes to hunter satisfaction and criticism of management agencies. Some of that feedback, although perhaps unfair, is part of the job. “I often tell folks there are a million deer hunters in Texas, and there are a million opinions on how to manage deer,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what regulations we have in place or what we recommend. Someone is not going to be happy, or the deer season didn’t live up to their expectation. Hunters today are more educated about deer management than any time in the past, but some time talking with a professional biologist — state, federal or private — often helps to put the volumes of information about deer and deer hunting in proper context and dispel some of the barstool biology, stereotypes and myths.” Ultimately, Naylor said, the best thing managers can do is openly engage in honest discussions about populations, habitat conditions and other factors that might influence the opportunities hunters experience. “I find those types of conversations — often with individuals or small groups of hunters — to be extremely impactful for me and other hunters,” he said. “I learn more about where they are coming from, and hopefully they leave with increased understanding of the complex drivers of waterfowl migration and hunting success. We have a lot to learn from each other. Those conversations aren’t productive if they involve finger pointing and the blame game — in either direction.” That philosophy is widespread among biologists across the country. “Rest assured, waterfowl managers are not operating some deep conspiracy to pull the wool over hunters’ eyes in regards to waterfowl populations and how we manage those populations and the habitats they need,” Naylor said. “In fact, we’re pretty open about sharing information. Sure, we can always do better, but I don’t know a single colleague who isn’t willing to engage in reasonable conversations like I mentioned.” Although hunters might not always believe it, local, state and federal biologists listen to our opinions and concerns. They can’t please everyone — especially if folks expect miracles — but that continuing communication ultimately creates dialogue that should help boost wildlife and hunting opportunities for years.