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Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
RESEARCH ARTICLE

What does hunting market price reflect? The role of species, landscape and management

M. Martinez-Jauregui A B E , A. C. Herruzo C and P. Campos D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A INIA–CIFOR, Carretera. A Coruña, km 7,5, 28040 Madrid, Spain.

B Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute, University of Valladolid–INIA, Avenida. de Madrid 57, 34004 Palencia, Spain.

C Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Department of Forestry Economics and Management, Madrid, Spain.

D Institute for Public Goods and Policies (IPP), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), C/Albasanz 26-28, 28037 Madrid, Spain.

E Corresponding author. Email: martinez.maria@inia.es

Wildlife Research 42(3) 280-289 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR14206
Submitted: 10 October 2014  Accepted: 29 May 2015   Published: 15 July 2015

Abstract

Context: Hunting transactions can be considered a composite good that includes various attributes or characteristics. Obtaining information regarding the utility derived from the different characteristics of the hunter’s bag might help elucidate the purchasing behaviour of hunters. This behaviour is, in turn, an important aspect to be considered by land managers in adaptive hunting management.

Aims: The present study attempts to identify the values given by hunters to species, landscape and management in the pricing of the hunter’s bag. Our analysis is focused on the hunting bag characteristics and adds to previous research the joint consideration of the amount and quality (sex, age classes and trophy) of various species in the hunter’s bag.

Methods: We use a dataset of 740 forest hunting estates at Andalucía (1 162 405 ha in the south of Spain) with an important mixed-species bag composition and where 225 game-hunting marketed transactions were declared by the hunting managers, including 13 541 hunting journeys. Hedonic-price analysis and mixed-effect models are used.

Key results: Our results showed that the composition of the harvested species (quantity and trophy of different species, sex and age classes), the activities related to harvesting and organisation of hunting events and landscape in hunting areas are relevant attributes in big-game market transactions. In small-game market transactions, species and landscape are the primary significant variables found. The latter variable plays a more important role in small game than in big game.

Conclusions: These findings indicated that hunting market values include, in addition to hunters’ recreational experience, ecological and management aspects with a broader social scope.

Implications: A further discussion regarding the possible conflict among hunter preferences, long-term game-management decisions and ecological goals is also provided.

Additional keywords: big game, hedonic method, hunter preferences, market transactions, small game, sustainable hunting.


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