This report discusses the results of a telephone survey that was conducted for the National Shooting Sports Foundation in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) as part of a larger study regarding messages to encourage lapsed hunters to purchase a hunting license. The overall project entailed the following:
1. Identification of lapsed hunters (i.e., to develop the sample for the survey), including categorizing the lapsed hunters into their various Tapestry segments. (Tapestry Segmentation™ is a market segmentation system developed by Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. Tapestry segments are more fully explained in the section of this report titled “An Examination of the Data Regarding Tapestry Segments.”) This portion of the project was completed by Southwick Associates.
2. A review of VDGIF strategic and marketing plans, a literature review regarding past research pertinent to the study, an inventory of current VDGIF outreach and educational activities, and staff interviews. This portion of the project was completed by Tammy Sapp.
3. Three focus groups of lapsed hunters (used in part to develop the survey instrument for the telephone survey that followed). This portion of the project was completed by Responsive Management.
4. A telephone survey of lapsed hunters and an analysis of the telephone survey data. This portion of the project was completed by Responsive Management.