Rural Areas and Big Game Hunting in Spain: Analysis of Preferences According to Hunter's Gender and Family Income

Abstract

Abstract Hunting is one of the main uses associated with land which, in the current context, has a strong economic significance for rural areas. This work generates knowledge that can be useful for designing strategies that favour the economic dynamisation of rural areas, in a context of population loss and scarce economic diversification. In this sense and based on the results of a survey of hunters (N = 1662), the objectives of the work are first to analyse the territorial distribution and abundance of big game species in Spain and secondly, to examine the existence of correlations, between hunters' income, hunters’ gender and preferences for certain big game species. This analysis is based on primary and secondary sources and its characteristics are explained in the methodology section. Univariate and bivariate descriptive statistics were used, specifically the chi-square contingency test, which allows us to determine the relationship of dependence between two variables. We found that female hunters showed greater interest than their male counterparts in hunting big game species, and the same interest was found in hunters with higher income level regardless of their gender. Our results may help to design and develop socio-economic strategies related to supply and demand hunting activities.