DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERIZATION AND CONSUMPTION HABITS OF PORTUGUESE HUNTERS

Abstract

Hunting is the most popular rural activity in Portugal. Currently, the number of licensed hunters in Portugal is around 115 000, preferentially hunting large game, particularly wild boar. The objective of this study is the demographic characterization of the hunters who consume game meat. In an ongoing anonymous survey of hunters on `wild boar consumption habits`,were raised questions about personal demographic data (age, gender, scholar level, and residency) and wild boars’ meat self-consume, such as the number of hunted animals per season and their self-consume and if, they consume it undercooked or make traditional products, as sausages. Of the 206 hunters from all over Portugal who responded to the survey, the majority are males aged between 31 and 50 years (n = 106; 51.5%) and practice selfconsumption of wild boar meat they hunt (average wild boar hunted per hunting season is 4). 177 do not make traditional products based on raw game meat (86%), nor do they consume it undercooked. Knowing these data is important to understand the attributable risk of self-consuming game meat and the perception of hunters about this.