Research – Partner with a Payer

From Detections to Decisions: Improving Motus Data Quality and Analytical Tools for Species of Greatest Conservation Need

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is a global network of radio receivers that track small flying animals carrying tiny lightweight transmitters. As these animals fly within range of a station their unique signal is automatically recorded allowing researchers to track movements across continents without recapturing the animal. However, the rapid growth of the system has … Read more

Prioritizing Eastern brook trout habitat restoration using Hyper-Resolution Hydrography Data

Brook trout are a recreationally and ecologically important native fish species across the Eastern United States. They are sensitive to water quality and temperature making them strong indicators of stream health. However, their populations have declined due to land use changes, habitat fragmentation and warming water temperature. This project aims to enhance brook trout habitat … Read more

Pathways to Partnership: Empowering Agency Ambassadors to Achieve R3 Success

This project will provide state fish and wildlife agencies (SFWAs) with a reliable, replicable, and field-tested methodology for initiating new partnerships that increase their capacity to effectively deliver hunting, angling, and shooting sports recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) efforts. The need for effective methods of finding and partnering with new, R3-vested groups and organizations has … Read more

Advancing the use of Motus to track migratory bat movement throughout the year

Conservation of migratory species requires cross-border collaboration within and beyond the United States to coordinate conservation measures over the entire species phenology. Understanding movement patterns and habitat use throughout the year is essential to coordinating these efforts. A total of 44 states identify at least one of the three long-distance migratory bats (silver-haired, red and … Read more

Beyond the Catch: Investigating the Role of Fishing Guides in Angler R3

This project aims to provide key insights to help practitioners of recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3) and the recreational fishing industry bolster fishing participation by exploring the underexamined role that fishing guides play in recruiting, retaining and reactivating anglers. Fishing participation counts and rates are at or near their highest levels in recent years; however, … Read more

Bowhunting in the U.S. Market Study: Updated Insights into Bowhunter Attitudes, Motivations, and Economics

The 1999 publication “Bowhunting in the United States: A Market Study” was based on national research by the Archery Trade Association and Responsive Management and remains one of the most requested reports by industry groups agency partners and other bowhunting stakeholders. To remain a useful resource for agency and organizational planning and recruitment, retention and … Read more

Comprehensive Research on Participation and Perceptions of Four Key Fishing Segments: Flyfishing, Surf fishing, Ice fishing, and Charter boat fishing

Past research from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (funded by Federal grant F20AP00134), the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s Special Report on Fishing, (funded by Federal grant F23AC00806), and Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation’s Honing Youth Fishing Programs to Create Avid Anglers (funded by Federal … Read more

Deploying Ultralight Solar Transmitters on Rufous (Selasphorus rufus) and Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) to Document Movement Ecology

Recent innovations in wildlife tracking have advanced the field of movement ecology, yet applications to the smallest species have remained limited by the acceptable weight of tracking devices relative to that of the organism. Despite a century of banding, hummingbird migration across North America remains poorly understood, limiting efforts to develop effective conservation strategies in … Read more

Determine Why Recreational Target Shooting Participation is Declining

Recreational target shooting is a fun and safe activity enjoyed by millions of Americans each year. It is also an extremely important funding source for wildlife conservation. Recent research on recreational target shooting participation shows some good news and some bad news. Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundations’ Welcome New Shooters research, funded by Multistate Conservation … Read more

Documenting the Nutritional Value of White-tailed Deer Meat: An Unmet Need for R3 Engagement

In North America, the number of people who hunt and purchase hunting licenses has been declining over the past few decades. There is also less public support overall for hunting, especially if it is considered “trophy” hunting. Yet, long-term survey data (Responsive Management et al., 2025) shows that public approval of hunting for meat (81%) … Read more

Facilitating Adoption of Uncrewed Aerial Systems In Wildlife Monitoring Through Northern Bobwhite Thermal Surveys and Habitat Mapping

State fish and wildlife agencies face increasing wildlife monitoring demands but often lack the time and resources to rapidly adopt and assimilate emerging technologies. Uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) are one of those emerging technologies. Despite their time on the market, along with their cost-effectiveness, rapid deployment, and minimal habitat impact, the use of UAS among … Read more

Filling the Hole in the ORAM: A Fix for Practitioners

Reliable research supporting the evaluation of Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation (R3) efforts have progressed significantly in recent decades with methodologies and tools being developed and increasingly adopted by R3 practitioners. Central to the structuring of these numerous evaluation techniques is the Outdoor Recreation Adoption Model (ORAM), a foundational theoretical framework that has been instrumental in … Read more