Response of Eastern Tennessee Raccoon Hunters to Managed Hunting

Raccoon (Procyon lotor) hunters (N = 269) who participated in 3 nights of managed raccoon hunting in eastern Tennessee during 1984 were surveyed by mail questionnaire; 149 (55%) responded. Hunters responded favorably to hunting in assigned areas, limiting hunting party size to 3 persons, and restricting the number of dogs to lIhunter. Ninety-eight percent planned to hunt under the same managed conditions in 1985. Hunters estimated they spent $15 a night to hunt and were willing to pay an additional $5-$10 for a I-day permit to finance raccoon management practices. The majority of the raccoon hunters surveyed were bluecollar workers, 37-40 years of age, had hunted for 21 years, and had traveled to other states, even outside the southeastern United States, to hunt raccoons.