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It is easy to think of ranchers as a single community with similar opinions and viewpoints. In reality, ranchers are a diverse group of individuals with a range of viewpoints on issues such as the role of government in range management, conservation, wildlife management, and motivations for ranching. By understanding this range of perspectives, it is possible to develop more responsive research, extension, and policy. Using Q-methodology, a technique borrowed from psychology, we've developed a new understanding of the range of opinions about conservation and range management in the ranching community in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Q-methodology, though not new technique, is new in its application to a range management context. Through factor analysis, Q-methodology provides a quantitative means of evaluating what is normally treated as qualitative data - statements by ranchers about their views on ranching. In applying Q-methodology in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, we've identified several perspectives on the relationship between ranching and conservation, the role of government, and the business of ranching. We are using these perspectives to inform a larger body of research into innovative incentive programs for the conservation of endangered species. We will review Q-methodology, how our study was conducted, analysis and results, and discuss the challenges and potential for using Q-methodology in range management research and extension.