Hunter Willingness-to-Pay for Disease Testing: Evidence from Chronic Wasting Disease in White-Tailed Deer

Abstract

Using the case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer, we estimated hunters' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for testing their game and determined how their perception of disease risk, trust, and confidence in wildlife agency affected hunter participation in ongoing disease surveillance. The average WTP for testing was $23.75 per deer, and it was positively related to trust and confidence in the wildlife agency and the perception of risk about deer populations in the declining area and the pathogen spreading to other areas. These findings imply that implementing active outreach programs can improve hunter participation in user-paid systems for CWD surveillance.