Search results

Introduction -- Household dynamics and their contribution to the housing bomb -- How homeownership both emancipates and enslaves us -- Housaholism in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem -- Household dynamics and giant panda conservation -- Defusing the housing bomb with your house -- Individual and local strategies for defusing the housing bomb -- Macro-scale strategies for defusing the housing bomb -- Conclusion.

Context
In many countries, hunting has emerged as a major source of funding for wildlife conservation and research or habitat acquisition. In some countries, recent declines in recruitment of hunters have generated concerns about the consequences of the rapid demographic change within society in general, and among hunters in particular. Gaining a better understanding of how these demographic changes influence dedication to and motivation for hunting has therefore become an important task.

Aims
Our aims included documenting the demographic transition among Danish hunters, and identifying correlates of hunter recruitment age, motivations and dedication.

Methods
We addressed these aims using a national survey of Danish hunters in 2000 (n = 1186) and 2006 (n = 701). Survey data were analysed using multiple regression models.

Key results
Whereas recruitment numbers remained stable, the average age of recruitment for hunters increased from 21 to 34 between 1984 and 2006, and the percentage of new hunters younger than 20 declined from 63% to 19% during the same period. Respondents who hunted to experience nature were recruited at older ages than other hunters. Recruitment age was negatively related to number of days hunting per year and relative importance placed on hunting as a recreational activity, and positively related to being recruited by friends, female gender, being married, and having an urban childhood.

Conclusions
The global demographic transition towards an older and more urban populace may drive a change in hunter demographics rather than a decline of hunting.

Implications
The present study suggests that hunting can persist in the face of rapid demographic change. However, the study also indicates several important structural barriers for new hunters, favouring those hunters being economically most well off and leading to a decline in hunting dedication. To meet these challenges, the study suggests that modifications will be needed in hunter education programs and hunter recruitment campaigns, so as to maintain hunting as a significant positive factor within wildlife conservation.

Self-policing is essential for addressing wildlife-related crime where illegal activity is extremely diffuse, and limited resources are available for monitoring and enforcement. Emerging research on self-policing suggest key drivers including economics, folk traditions, and socio-political resistance. We build on this research with a case study evaluating potential drivers of self-policing illegal wolf killing among Swedish hunting teams. Swedish hunters marginally leaned toward considering illegal hunting of wolves an expression of resistance (10.30 out of a possible 17 on a resistance scale) and strongly believed outsiders had undue influence over hunting (15.79 out of a possible 21 on an influence scale). Most (73%) Swedish hunters stated they would report illegal wolf killing to authorities, but 20% stated they would handle the infractions through internal sanctions. Viewing illegal hunting of wolves as a form of political resistance, viewing wolf management as being controlled locally, and perceived prevalence of illegal wolf killing among hunting acquaintances were positive predictors of preferring internal sanctions to address illegal wolf killing over reporting the crimes. Resistance and perceived prevalence of wolf killing also predicted preferring no action to address illegal wolf killing. These results suggest that a counterpublic of marginalized ruralism may promote forms of self-policing that rely on internal censure for illegal wolf killing rather than using formal legal channels. Similarly, folk traditions within this counterpublic (e.g., perceptions of prevalence of illegal wolf killing) shape if and how internal sanctions are advocated. Re-engaging marginalized hunting groups and emphasizing the rarity of illegal wolf killing may promote wolf conservation, both in Sweden and in other democratic regimes.

Self-policing is essential for addressing wildlife-related crime where illegal activity is extremely diffuse, and limited resources are available for monitoring and enforcement. Emerging research on self-policing suggest key drivers including economics, folk traditions, and socio-political resistance. We build on this research with a case study evaluating potential drivers of self-policing illegal wolf killing among Swedish hunting teams. Swedish hunters marginally leaned toward considering illegal hunting of wolves an expression of resistance (10.30 out of a possible 17 on a resistance scale) and strongly believed outsiders had undue influence over hunting (15.79 out of a possible 21 on an influence scale). Most (73%) Swedish hunters stated they would report illegal wolf killing to authorities, but 20% stated they would handle the infractions through internal sanctions. Viewing illegal hunting of wolves as a form of political resistance, viewing wolf management as being controlled locally, and perceived prevalence of illegal wolf killing among hunting acquaintances were positive predictors of preferring internal sanctions to address illegal wolf killing over reporting the crimes. Resistance and perceived prevalence of wolf killing also predicted preferring no action to address illegal wolf killing. These results suggest that a counterpublic of marginalized ruralism may promote forms of self-policing that rely on internal censure for illegal wolf killing rather than using formal legal channels. Similarly, folk traditions within this counterpublic (e.g., perceptions of prevalence of illegal wolf killing) shape if and how internal sanctions are advocated. Re-engaging marginalized hunting groups and emphasizing the rarity of illegal wolf killing may promote wolf conservation, both in Sweden and in other democratic regimes. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-018-1072-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.