Incorporating the effect of successfully bagging big game into recreational hunting: An examination of deer, moose and elk hunting

This analysis aims to quantify the effect that the probability of bagging game will have on the demand for recreational hunting. A two equation structural model has been developed which allows the probability of bagging game to be simultaneously entered into the travel cost model. The basic model is based on a Poisson distribution for the travel cost, and a Negative Binomial distribution is used to deal with the issue of overdispersion. Likelihood ratio tests and non-nested model selection tests have been adopted to choose the model which best fits the data. The results show that a Negative Binomial structural model is the best and the probability of bagging game has a significant effect on the travel cost model. The welfare per hunting day is around $300.