Voluntary surveys such as the one on Bowsite are not considered to be scientifically valid nor representative of the population. But they have some qualitative value. They become a problem when they are presented as representative.

Perception often is reality so we may think that overall the population is very dissatisfied with deer hunting in Indiana if all we read is the Bowsite survey.

The Deer Hunter Survey that is reflected in the county-by-county results in the DNR's 2016 Indiana White-Tailed Deer Summary report paint a different picture where most responses were in the positive range.