David Fulton, PhD
Assistant Unit Leader - Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Dr. Fulton completed a PhD in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. He joined the Minnesota Coop Unit in October 1998 and has worked closely with state and federal wildlife management agencies in conducting applied social science research to address management concerns.
Research Interests
- Applying social psychological concepts and theory to better understand issues in natural resources management.
- Understanding how values and attitudes influence behavior.
Teaching Interests
- Social science theory and methods applied to natural resource management issues.
- Land use planning.
Education and Certifications
Ph D Colorado State University 1997
MS Washington State University 1992
BS Texas A&M University 1987
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 52
Clarifying beliefs underlying hunter intentions to support a ban on lead shot
Shot from hunting adds toxic lead to environments worldwide. Existing lead shot regulations have been instituted with little understanding of hunter beliefs and attitudes. This study applied the Theory of Reasoned Action, using a multilevel, multivariate approach, to clarify how positive and negative beliefs relate to attitudes about a ban on lead shot. Structure coefficients and commonality analy
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton, Kathy Doncarlos
Smartphones reveal angler behavior: A case study of a popular mobile fishing application in Alberta, Canada
Successfully managing fisheries and controlling the spread of invasive species depends on the ability to describe and predict angler behavior. However, finite resources restrict conventional survey approaches and tend to produce retrospective data that are limited in time or space and rely on intentions or attitudes rather than actual behavior. In this study, we used three years of angler data fro
Authors
Jason T. Papenfuss, Nicholas Phelps, David C. Fulton, Paul A. Venturelli
Assessing tolerance for wildlife: Clarifying relations between concepts and measures
Two parallel lines of inquiry, tolerance for and acceptance of wildlife populations, have arisen in the applied literature on wildlife conservation to assess probability of successfully establishing or increasing populations of controversial species. Neither of these lines is well grounded in social science theory, and diverse measures have been employed to assess tolerance, which inhibits compara
Authors
Jeremy T. Bruskotter, Ajay Singh, David C. Fulton, Kristina Slagle
A replication of a factor analysis of motivations for trapping
Using a 2013 sample of Minnesota trappers, we employed confirmatory factor analysis to replicate an exploratory factor analysis of trapping motivations conducted by Daigle, Muth, Zwick, and Glass (1998). We employed the same 25 items used by Daigle et al. and tested the same five-factor structure using a recent sample of Minnesota trappers. We also compared motivations in our sample to those repo
Authors
Susan Schroeder, David C. Fulton
Fishing for Northern Pike in Minnesota: A comparison of anglers and dark house spearers
In order to project fishing effort and demand of individuals targeting Northern Pike Esox lucius in Minnesota, it is important to understand the catch orientations, management preferences, and site choice preferences of those individuals. Northern Pike are specifically targeted by about 35% of the approximately 1.5 million licensed anglers in Minnesota and by approximately 14,000–15,000 dark house
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton
What predicts support for antler point restrictions?
Although considerable research has focused on satisfaction with recreation experiences, limited work has examined factors related to regulatory support. In 2005, an antler point restriction (APR) regulation was introduced for hunting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Minnesota’s Itasca State Park. Hunter surveys were conducted following the 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009 seasons. We modele
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, Louis Cornicelli, David C. Fulton, Marrett D. Grund
Legitimization of regulatory norms: Waterfowl hunter acceptance of changing duck bag limits
Few studies have examined response to regulatory change over time, or addressed hunter attitudes about changes in hunting bag limits. This article explores Minnesota waterfowl hunters’ attitudes about duck bag limits, examining attitudes about two state duck bag limits that were initially more restrictive than the maximum set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), but then increased to mat
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton, Jeffrey S. Lawrence, Steven D. Cordts
Public lakes, private lakeshore: Modeling protection of native aquatic plants
Protection of native aquatic plants is an important proenvironmental behavior, because plant loss coupled with nutrient loading can produce changes in lake ecosystems. Removal of aquatic plants by lakeshore property owners is a diffuse behavior that may lead to cumulative impacts on lake ecosystems. This class of behavior is challenging to manage because collective impacts are not obvious to the a
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton
Comparing catch orientation among Minnesota walleye, northern pike, and bass anglers
We compared the catch orientations of Minnesota walleye (Sander vitreus), northern pike (Esox lucius), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) anglers. Results were derived from 2009, 2010, and 2012 surveys of anglers targeting these different species. Consistent with previous research, we identified four dimensions of anglers’ catch orientation: (a) cat
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton
Identification and specialization as a waterfowl hunter
Like specialization, identity offers a way for differentiating and understanding recreationists and for gaining insight into the question of participant progression in an activity. We examined how identity related to measures of specialization among lapsed and current waterfowl hunters. Lapsed hunters included those who had purchased a Minnesota waterfowl stamp between 2000 and 2004, but not since
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton, Jeffrey S. Lawrence, Steven D. Cordts
Site choice among Minnesota walleye anglers: The influence of resource conditions, regulations and catch orientation on Lake Preference
Understanding angler site choice preferences is important in the management of recreational fisheries to forecast angling demand and effort. This study investigated lake choice by recreational anglers fishing for walleye Sander vitreus in Minnesota and examined how choices were influenced by lake characteristics, angler demographics, and angler catch orientation. We collected data through a stated
Authors
Caroline Carlin, Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton
Will hunters steward wolves? A comment on Treves and Martin
As wolf conservation transitions away from federally sponsored protection and recovery toward sustainable management under state fish and game agencies, researchers and policymakers are interested to know what role hunters will play. Based upon hunters' responses to three recent surveys in Wisconsin and the northern Rockies, Treves and Martin question the assumption that hunters will steward wolve
Authors
Jeremy T. Bruskotter, David C. Fulton
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 52
Clarifying beliefs underlying hunter intentions to support a ban on lead shot
Shot from hunting adds toxic lead to environments worldwide. Existing lead shot regulations have been instituted with little understanding of hunter beliefs and attitudes. This study applied the Theory of Reasoned Action, using a multilevel, multivariate approach, to clarify how positive and negative beliefs relate to attitudes about a ban on lead shot. Structure coefficients and commonality analy
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton, Kathy Doncarlos
Smartphones reveal angler behavior: A case study of a popular mobile fishing application in Alberta, Canada
Successfully managing fisheries and controlling the spread of invasive species depends on the ability to describe and predict angler behavior. However, finite resources restrict conventional survey approaches and tend to produce retrospective data that are limited in time or space and rely on intentions or attitudes rather than actual behavior. In this study, we used three years of angler data fro
Authors
Jason T. Papenfuss, Nicholas Phelps, David C. Fulton, Paul A. Venturelli
Assessing tolerance for wildlife: Clarifying relations between concepts and measures
Two parallel lines of inquiry, tolerance for and acceptance of wildlife populations, have arisen in the applied literature on wildlife conservation to assess probability of successfully establishing or increasing populations of controversial species. Neither of these lines is well grounded in social science theory, and diverse measures have been employed to assess tolerance, which inhibits compara
Authors
Jeremy T. Bruskotter, Ajay Singh, David C. Fulton, Kristina Slagle
A replication of a factor analysis of motivations for trapping
Using a 2013 sample of Minnesota trappers, we employed confirmatory factor analysis to replicate an exploratory factor analysis of trapping motivations conducted by Daigle, Muth, Zwick, and Glass (1998). We employed the same 25 items used by Daigle et al. and tested the same five-factor structure using a recent sample of Minnesota trappers. We also compared motivations in our sample to those repo
Authors
Susan Schroeder, David C. Fulton
Fishing for Northern Pike in Minnesota: A comparison of anglers and dark house spearers
In order to project fishing effort and demand of individuals targeting Northern Pike Esox lucius in Minnesota, it is important to understand the catch orientations, management preferences, and site choice preferences of those individuals. Northern Pike are specifically targeted by about 35% of the approximately 1.5 million licensed anglers in Minnesota and by approximately 14,000–15,000 dark house
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton
What predicts support for antler point restrictions?
Although considerable research has focused on satisfaction with recreation experiences, limited work has examined factors related to regulatory support. In 2005, an antler point restriction (APR) regulation was introduced for hunting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Minnesota’s Itasca State Park. Hunter surveys were conducted following the 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009 seasons. We modele
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, Louis Cornicelli, David C. Fulton, Marrett D. Grund
Legitimization of regulatory norms: Waterfowl hunter acceptance of changing duck bag limits
Few studies have examined response to regulatory change over time, or addressed hunter attitudes about changes in hunting bag limits. This article explores Minnesota waterfowl hunters’ attitudes about duck bag limits, examining attitudes about two state duck bag limits that were initially more restrictive than the maximum set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), but then increased to mat
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton, Jeffrey S. Lawrence, Steven D. Cordts
Public lakes, private lakeshore: Modeling protection of native aquatic plants
Protection of native aquatic plants is an important proenvironmental behavior, because plant loss coupled with nutrient loading can produce changes in lake ecosystems. Removal of aquatic plants by lakeshore property owners is a diffuse behavior that may lead to cumulative impacts on lake ecosystems. This class of behavior is challenging to manage because collective impacts are not obvious to the a
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton
Comparing catch orientation among Minnesota walleye, northern pike, and bass anglers
We compared the catch orientations of Minnesota walleye (Sander vitreus), northern pike (Esox lucius), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) anglers. Results were derived from 2009, 2010, and 2012 surveys of anglers targeting these different species. Consistent with previous research, we identified four dimensions of anglers’ catch orientation: (a) cat
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton
Identification and specialization as a waterfowl hunter
Like specialization, identity offers a way for differentiating and understanding recreationists and for gaining insight into the question of participant progression in an activity. We examined how identity related to measures of specialization among lapsed and current waterfowl hunters. Lapsed hunters included those who had purchased a Minnesota waterfowl stamp between 2000 and 2004, but not since
Authors
Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton, Jeffrey S. Lawrence, Steven D. Cordts
Site choice among Minnesota walleye anglers: The influence of resource conditions, regulations and catch orientation on Lake Preference
Understanding angler site choice preferences is important in the management of recreational fisheries to forecast angling demand and effort. This study investigated lake choice by recreational anglers fishing for walleye Sander vitreus in Minnesota and examined how choices were influenced by lake characteristics, angler demographics, and angler catch orientation. We collected data through a stated
Authors
Caroline Carlin, Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton
Will hunters steward wolves? A comment on Treves and Martin
As wolf conservation transitions away from federally sponsored protection and recovery toward sustainable management under state fish and game agencies, researchers and policymakers are interested to know what role hunters will play. Based upon hunters' responses to three recent surveys in Wisconsin and the northern Rockies, Treves and Martin question the assumption that hunters will steward wolve
Authors
Jeremy T. Bruskotter, David C. Fulton