Gender and Ethical Judgments About Suburban Deer Management

Abstract We compared how men and women made decisions about what options were most appropriate for managing an overabundant deer herd in Irondequoit, NY. Data were collected through a set of in-depth, semistructured interviews and a mail survey. Women and men evaluated deer management alternatives differently; women considered more criteria than men and were more concerned about the ancillary impacts of deer management techniques?the impacts those techniques would have on aspects of their community other than deer-related problems. Results are consistent with theories of gender differences in moral reasoning. Tomore fairly consider both men's and women's concerns when making management decisions, it is recommended that agencies: (1) consider gender when selecting stakeholders to participate in decision making; (2) emphasize deliberative approaches to citizen participation; (3) focus on both men's and women's concerns in communication efforts; and (4) recruit and retain more female professionals for their staffs. Keywords: Decision Making Deer Management Ethical Judgments Gender Differences