Estimating temporal (2019–2025) and regional effects on Minnesotans' attitudes toward wolf hunting

Abstract

Public attitudes toward wolf hunting are important for developing socially responsive wolf management policy. Drawing on two representative surveys of state residents, this study examined change in Minnesotans' (USA) support for wolf hunting in 2019 and 2025. We found that slight opposition to hunting at the state level remained stable between these years. For the year 2025 we compared support for wolf hunting among residents of a large metropolitan area and residents of non-metropolitan areas both inside and outside of wolf range. There was, on average, slight opposition to wolf hunting among residents in the large metropolitan area, and slight support for wolf hunting in non-metropolitan areas. Similar levels of support among non-metropolitan residents inside and outside wolf range suggest that urban-rural differences may matter more than direct proximity to wolves in shaping attitudes toward wolf hunting.