Hunters’ attitudes matter: diverging bear and wolf population trajectories in Finland in the late nineteenth century and today

摘要: During the last 140 years, trajectories of Finnish bear and wolf populations have twice diverged. The first such divergence occurred during 1875–1915; abundance plummeted within a decade, while bears decreased steadily over 40 years. second began in 1990s, coinciding with introduction total protection both species. Within 20 years, population grew fourfold, remained low. These patterns can be accounted for terms historical contemporary stakeholder attitudes. Data from periodicals published 1881–1923 show significant difference that respect: scenario extinction was seen as entirely unacceptable, clearly an objective worth pursuing. Nationwide studies carried out attitudes toward are significantly more positive than those wolf. Increased numbers re-opened sustainable harvesting this valued game. wolf, contrast, has been treated rather pest valuable quarry, spite protection, illegal killing kept its Recent changes synchronize policy adjustments suggesting legal harvest might reduce urge to undertake unlawful acts, but regulated hunting probably allowed too short erratic periods test real conservation potential. Rural people hunters salient wildlife management stakeholders circumstances where they share their territory conflict-prone groups intrinsic power implement forms grassroots-level sometimes override official top-down decisions.