Knowledge, Beliefs, Agency Trust, and Perceived Risks Associated With Chronic Wasting Disease Among Kansas, North Dakota, and Illinois Deer Hunters

We examined the relationships among knowledge about CWD, normative beliefs about CWD management, perceived trust in the managing agency, and perceived risks to deer and humans. We obtained data from resident deer hunters in Kansas ( n = 1,170), North Dakota ( n = 3,242), and Illinois ( n = 1,237). We tested both differences among states and relationship similarities among concepts. The states differed in terms of knowledge, normative beliefs, trust, and risks (H 1 ). Analyses supported the predicted conceptual relationships. For example, there were positive relationships between knowledge and beliefs about CWD management (H 2 ), agency trust (H 3 ), and risk to deer (H 4 ). There was a negative relationship between knowledge and risk to humans (H 5 ). Beliefs about CWD management were positively related to trust (H 6 ), risk to deer (H 7 ), and humans (H 8 ). Trust was negatively related to risk to deer (H 9 ) and humans (H 10 ). Results highlighted the complexities of managing a disease with no known health consequences for humans.