The problems
Regarding the biggest problems faced by hunters today, two out of three respondents, or 67%, believe that the lack of prey is the biggest problem. Beyond that, almost one in ten consider the lack of training of hunters as one of the biggest problems, while another 6% raise the issue of safety. One in twenty notes the financial crisis, one in twenty-five dog thefts / poisonings, while one in 3% report poaching and another 3% report state indifference.
The crisis has hit them
Although in the previous question, the issue of the financial crisis does not seem to be one of the biggest problems for hunters, however, in the question "to what extent has the current economic situation affected the hunting market", half of the respondents state that they were affected to a large extent (26%) or to a considerable extent (26%), while 28% state that they were affected to a small extent and only 19% state that they have not been affected at all. When this question is answered only by hunters, the percentages in the answers "to a large extent" and "to a sufficient extent" increase to 30%, while "to a small extent" to 25%.
With ecological consciousness
In relation to the ecological consciousness of hunters, public opinion appears divided, as 42% report that hunters operate, to some extent, positively on the environment with an ecological conscience, while 43% have the opposite view, while only one in six respondents clearly believes that hunters have an ecological conscience. It is noteworthy, moreover, that when the question is asked only to hunters, the percentage who believe that "to a point" hunters have ecological consciousness rises to 51%, while the clear answer to ecological consciousness to 30%. When asked whether hunting brings man closer to nature, 81% answered in the affirmative, while one in five answered in the negative.
The controls are wrong
At the same time, the citizens have a negative view in relation to the controls carried out by the Thera Service. In particular, in a relevant question, half of the respondents, although they answer that the Service carries out audits, nevertheless, indicate that they are wrong, while one in ten believes that it does not even carry out audits. Despite these negative performances, at least one in three respondents believes that the Service carries out audits and that they are correct.
Reproductive and release centers are problematic
An important finding from the survey is the fact that 49% of hunters report that prey breeding and release centers are not working properly. At the same time, non-hunters do not even know if their prey breeding and release centers are working properly, bringing the overall rate to 63%, while hunters say only 17% are unaware.
Fear hunting…
Anxious, perhaps, from the latest incident with the murder in Paramytha, the participants in the survey, in their vast majority that reaches 92%, emphasize the need to examine the hunters to determine their psychological condition both when obtaining a hunting license and and when renewing that license. At the same time, three out of four respondents believe that shotguns in the home increase the risk of using firearms for criminal purposes - the corresponding rate for hunters is 60%, with the highest fear being expressed by women (87%). In addition, two out of three respondents believe that the current financial situation may lead to the possession of hunting weapons by illegal use.
They do not feel safe
Interesting conclusions are also drawn from the citizens' point of view as to whether the presence of shotguns in the home increases their sense of security, taking into account, in fact, the answers regarding the dangers of their existence. So, answering a relevant question, more than three out of five respondents (63%) believe that having a shotgun in the house does not increase their sense of security. In fact, this percentage purely for hunters reaches only 36%, while in respondents who are not hunters it jumps to 67%. At the same time, 90% of respondents believe that hunters must have insurance coverage.
Source: SigmaLive