Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference

National animal activist organization leaders were interviewed with the aim of better understanding their ideologies with respect to wildlife issues. Interviewees expressed considerable concern about traditional wildlife management practices and associated consumptive recreation activities. They easily identified a number of needed changes, while had difficulty identifying things they liked about the status quo. The top suggested changes related to using more nonlethal management methods and reducing allegiance with consumptive users. The most common "bottom line" concern expressed by interviewees was the alleviation or elimination of unnecessary pain and suffering in wildlife.