Beliefs about Chronic Wasting Disease Risks across Multiple States, Years, and Interest Groups

) in several states and provinces. The disease causes abnormalbehavior, emaciation, and death in all infected animals (Williams, Miller, Kreeger, Kahn,& Thorne, 2002). There is no evidence that CWD is transmissible to humans or causeshuman health problems (Belay et al., 2004). Researchers and agency officials are quick topoint out, however, that they are not absolutely certain that it is safe to eat meat frominfected animals (Salman, 2003).Extensive research has examined the pathology, epidemiology, transmission, andclinical signs of CWD (see Williams et al., 2002 for a review). Research on the humandimensions of CWD, however, is limited and has primarily addressed economic impactsof CWD and hunters’ behavior and acceptance of management actions in response to thedisease (e.g., Bishop, 2004; Needham, Vaske, & Manfredo, 2004; Vaske, Needham,Newman, Manfredo, & Petchenik, 2006). Little empirical attention has focused ondescribing hunters’ and non-hunters’ current beliefs about CWD and the extent to whichthese beliefs are consistent across multiple states, years, and interest groups. This findingsabstract helps to address these knowledge gaps.Data were obtained from mail surveys of: (a) residents and non-residents who hunteddeer with a gun in 2003 in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota,Utah, Wisconsin, or Wyoming; (b) residents and nonresidents who hunted elk with a gunin 2003 in Colorado, Utah, or Wyoming; (c) residents and nonresidents who hunted deeror elk with a gun in 2004 in Colorado; and (d) hunters and non-hunters residing inWisconsin’s southwest CWD eradication zone (i.e., 1,351 mi