Eat prey and love: Game‐meat consumption and attitudes toward hunting

Abstract

Public support of hunting is a key to sustaining this socio-economic activity that contributes to control of game populations. Previous studies have suggested that experience with hunting and hunters may determine acceptance of hunting. An untested assumption is that consumption of game meat is a causal factor in generating positive attitudes toward hunters and hunting. Here we used a survey, sent during 2009 to a random sample of 1,067 Swedish residents, to test the association between non-hunters' frequency of gamemeat consumption and their attitudes toward hunting. We found that game meat was consumed at least once per year in 65% of non-hunters' household, and that 80% of non-hunters expressed favorable attitudes toward hunting. Game-meat consumption and social relationships were the key factors associated with positive attitudes toward hunting. Our findings suggest game-meat consumption to be an important reason that hunting is well accepted in the Swedish society. We suggest that increased distribution and availability of game meat to non-hunters will increase the likelihood that positive attitudes toward hunters and hunting will be sustained. Our findings are from Sweden, where meat from wild game can freely be distributed and traded; yet, the results can be considered as catalysts for discussion about sale of game meat in countries where it now is illegal. ß

Game Meat Consumption Feeds Urban Support of Traditional Use of Natural Resources

“…Social relationships, for example, having parents or friends who hunt, are positively correlated with attitudes toward hunting (Backman and Wright 1993;Stedman and Decker 1996) because social norms influence attitudes (Denrell and Le Mens 2007), and also because people associate and become friends with similar-minded people (McPherson et al 2001). That being said, attitudes toward hunting are more strongly correlated with frequency of game meat consumption compared to having parents, friends, or household members who hunt (Ljung et al 2012).…”

“…Positive attitudes toward hunting are attributed to sociodemographic variables such as being male, being older, and earning a greater income, but these variables have often low explanatory power (Donnelly and Vaske 1995;Duda et al 2010;Ljung et al 2012). Social relationships, for example, having parents or friends who hunt, are positively correlated with attitudes toward hunting (Backman and Wright 1993;Stedman and Decker 1996) because social norms influence attitudes (Denrell and Le Mens 2007), and also because people associate and become friends with similar-minded people (McPherson et al 2001).…”

Opportunities and challenges with growing wildlife populations and zoonotic diseases in Sweden

“…Wildlife in Sweden generate close to 20 million kg of meat annually (Lööv et al 2013), and 65 % of Swedes 16-65 years of age eat meat from wildlife at least once annually (Ljung et al 2012). Moose provide most of the game meat, with approximately 10 million kg (bone-in carcass weight), followed by wild boar at about three million kg, and then by other ungulates, in particular roe deer, red deer, and fallow deer.…”

Funciones y valoraciones de la caza y su gestión en España: estudios científicos sobre el colectivo cinegético

“…Dunk, 2002;Ljung, Riley, Heberlein y Ericsson, 2012) que en los puntos de vista de los propios cazadores. Además, buena parte de estos trabajos se han realizado en el norte de Europa (p. ej.…”