Research

The issue of lead poisoning in California condors has been a topic of much discussion among condor biologists for many years. However, until recently, very little effort has been directed toward communicating with hunters and ranchers regarding this issue and what actions hunters and ranchers could take to help prevent lead poisoning in condors.

The following reports document the first systematic efforts to communicate with hunters and ranchers on this issue — to develop messages that work with hunter and rancher audiences, followed by repeated delivery of these messages over a long-term time frame.

Results obtained from three telephone surveys and 11 focus groups suggest that a targeted communications effort may be effective in reducing condor exposure to lead from lead bullets, bullet fragments or lead shot pellets from un-retrieved animals or in the gut piles of big game animals taken by hunters.

This assessment is based on the relatively low level of current hunter awareness of the issue of lead poisoning in California condors. While current awareness is low, a majority of hunters and ranchers surveyed or interviewed in this study indicated a willingness to take some action to help prevent lead poisoning of condors. However, very few knew what actions to take.

Focus Group Report

Based on a situation analysis, telephone survey results, and focus groups in three states, key messages and a communications strategy were developed to guide efforts to communicate with hunters, ranchers, and other target audiences about the lead-condor issue.

           Download Focus Group Report 

           Download Implementation Phase Report

Survey Reports

Following are results of telephone surveys of hunters who hunt in condor range (in California, Arizona, and Utah) to assess their knowledge of and attitudes toward threats to condors. The objective for the phone surveys was to establish a baseline to measure subsequent changes in hunter/rancher knowledge and opinions regarding this issue, and obtain information that would be useful in developing effective techniques for communicating with these audiences.

Download California Survey Report

Download Arizona Survey Report

Download Utah Survey Report

Funding and in-kind support for the communications research was generously provided by:

  - National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
  - Wildlife Management Institute
  - National Shooting Sports Foundation

Research Reports

Download Lead Reduction Subcommittee Report
 

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