global hunting survey

the worlds biggest hunting audience

GLOBALHUNTINGSURVEY

GLOBAL HUNTING SURVEY

2 #globalhuntingsurvey


Contents

INTRODUCTION

It is the most comprehensive survey of hunters and hunting ever undertaken. The Fieldsports Channel #globalhuntingsurvey reveals our gun owning and buying habits and what we think of the wildlife we hunt and shoot. It uncovers how many birds and animals we successfully hunt each year, how many dogs and horses we own, how many bullets we fire. It shows that we know our 4x4 cars and our quadbikes, that we like and recognise international brands more than national brands. It reveals that hunters are now more likely to turn on YouTube than read a magazine article. In short, it is as comprehensive a survey as ever undertaken

M ore than 2,500 people from 50 countries and four languages took part in our #globalhuntingsurvey. The results show the stark differences and the similarities between sport hunters the world over.

With our samples from across the world, we are able to paint a picture of what wildlife we are hunting, how many, and what guns and methods we are using. The answers will make comfortable reading for some brands uncomfortable for others. We are unquestionably keen on our sport.

Who is keenest to go hunting? As the survey got underway, the French emerged as the keenest hunters. However, the final result shows that Eastern Europe & Baltic is most likely to skip a family wedding at 48%; the Aussies and Kiwis are most likely to skip a childs birthday at 40%, in Scandinavia & Iceland they care least for their partners birthday at 52%, and almost everyone would let down the family doctor, with southern Africans slightly ahead at 88%. The goody two shoes region is the Mediterranean & Balkans. They love their mamas, their babas and their doctors!

Our brand quiz provoked an enormous

response. And we can reveal the most recognised brands in hunting/shooting sports. The top ten are:

1. Hrkila 86%2. Mitsubishi 85%3. John Deere 85%4. Subaru 82%5. Winchester 81%6. Browning 77%7. Deerhunter 77%8. Beretta 73%9. JCB 73%10. Swarovski 72%

Please share this survey widely. Its aim is to inform hunters about hunters.

What would you skip for a special shooting/hunting trip?

O ur survey covered only a tiny part of the huge number of sport hunters worldwide. We estimate these at :USA and Canada: 15 million (source: USA

and Canada governments)Europe: 7 million (source: FACE)Australia & New Zealand: 1.5 million

(source: Australia and NZ governments)Southern Africa: 500,000 (source: North

West University, local research)Total: 24 million sport huntersWe asked our respondents how many

guns, bows, dogs and horses they own.

Introduction.......................................................2Shotguns............................................................3 Bows.....................................................................3Fishing.................................................................3Rifles....................................................................4Ammo...................................................................4Optics...................................................................4Airguns................................................................5Regulation ..........................................................5Cars, quadbikes and UTVs ..............................5Birds and animals.............................................6Hunting and the media....................................7Dogs and horses.............................................7About you, the hunter.....................................8Shopping habits...............................................8Clothing...............................................................8Camo....................................................................8About our survey...............................................8

Do you sell a hunting product? This report could be a vital part of your global marketing strategy. It gives you the buying trends of hunters all over the world and could give you the edge over your competition.

If you would like to buy the full report, updated with another months worth of results, it is available from Charlie Jacoby as a spreadsheet, price 129/174/$199. Email your order, your company name and details to [email protected]. You will receive it + an invoice by return.

Sport hunters worldwideIn current use, worldwide, based on our

survey, here are the extrapolated figures:

Shotguns 79 millionRifles 69 millionDogs 27 millionAirguns 46 millionBows 14 millionHorses 6 million

In addition, every year, hunters fire 7.7 billion rifle cartridges (including rimfires and practise rounds) and 15.2 billion shotshells.

GLOBALHUNTINGSURVEY


n Family weddingn Childs birthdayn Partners birthdayn Doctors appointment

3#globalhuntingsurvey


SHOT

GUNS

, BOW

S

SHOTGUNS

Almost all sport hunters own both rifles and a shotgun. About half of them also own airguns, nearly half of them fish and nearly 10% own bows. For more than two thirds of them it is a thing of

beauty as well as a tool. Just 4.2% of them call it only a thing of beauty (12% in Mediterranean & Balkans). The region with the big collections of guns is the USA and Canada, where 38% own six or more rifles and 20% own six or more shotguns

T he 24 million hunters in our regions own 79 million shotguns and fire at least 15.18 billion shotgun cartridges per year, according to an extrapolation from averages revealed in our survey

The big users of cartridges are in Australia and New Zealand where 15% of respondents claim to fire more than 5,000 a year.

Hunters are more likely to own a shotgun than any other kind of gun. 88% of respondents own shotguns. Along with rifles at around 70%, it is the main tool of their sport.

The keenest shotgun owners are in France, Benelux, Scandinavia and Iceland at more than 90%. The UK and Ireland is close behind. You are least likely to own a shotgun in Eastern Europe and the Baltic at 78%, but the difference in the statistics is minimal. Appetite for shotguns is even across the world.

Scandinavia & Iceland 95%France & Benelux 91%UK & Ireland 89%Australia & New Zealand 87%Germany, Austria & Switzerland 85%All Europe 85%USA & Canada 84%Mediterranean & Balkans 81%Southern Africa 81%Eastern Europe & Baltic 78%

For most of the worlds hunters, a gun is a thing of beauty AND a tool

Whats your gun?

The big two

Posh English

Shotgun wars

The Turks

T he Turks are the next big noise in world sporting gun manufacturing, but how well known are they? We gave respondents a choice of three possible brands via each of these pictures. Armsan leads the pack with 42% recognising its logo. Hatsan is in second place with 32%. Huglu comes a poor third at 23%, with 38% saying they believed it is the Mauser logo.

O f the top two shotgun manufacturers, who has the most recognisable logo, Browning or Beretta? There is almost nothing in it. Browning is just ahead with 77% of respondents recognising the Browning buck. Berettas arrows are on 73%.

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Webley & Scott a clear winner at 63% as for the rest, jolly poor show! Holland & Holland 39%, James Purdey & Sons 35% and William Evans 27%

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Bowhunting

C learly, bowhunting is least popular in the countries in which it has been mainly banned. So USA and Canada are winners with 43% of our respondents owning a bow. There is a big drop to 19% of Southern Africans.

About half the countries in the EU have a bowhunting ban and only 5% of our EU respondents own bows.

USA & Canada 43%Southern Africa 19%Australia & New Zealand 18%Eastern Europe & Baltic 13%Germany, Austria & Switzerland 9%Scandinavia & Iceland 9%France & Benelux 7%All Europe 5%UK & Ireland 4%Mediterranean & Balkans 4%

A bout half of all hunters own fishing rods. There are some wide regional variations in this figure, however. You are most likely to hunt and fish if you live in Southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada.

Hunters are least likely to fish in the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Baltic.

This table shows the percentage of hunters who also fish:

Southern Africa 81%USA & Canada 68%Australia & New Zealand 67%UK & Ireland 46%Scandinavia & Iceland 44%All Europe 44%Germany, Austria & Switzerland 40%France & Benelux 34%Eastern Europe & Baltic 22%Mediterranean & Balkans 15%

DO HUNTERS FISH?

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2nd=n A tooln A thing of beautyn Bothn No response

n Family weddingn Childs birthdayn Partners birthdayn Doctors appointment

n Riflen Airgunn Shotgunn Bown Fishing rodn Other (pistols, catapults)


the worlds biggest hunting audienceRI

FLES

, AIR

GUNS

, OPT

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T he competition for optics recognition is extremely close. The Swarovski goshawk logo just pips it at 72%. Bunched behind are Hawke Optics on 67%,

Whos on target?

T he 24 million hunters in our region own 69 million rifles and fire at least 7.71 billion bullets per year (including rimfire ammunition and target practise) , More than 5 billion are fired in the USA, while nearly 2 billion in Europe, according to an extrapolation from averages revealed in our survey. The big users of bullets are Aussies or Kiwis where 35% claim to fire more than 1,000 a year.

71% of our respondents own a rifle. The leading nations for rifle ownership are the German-speaking nations, Scandinavia, Iceland, Australia and New Zealand, all with more than 90% rifle ownership. Hunters are least likely to own a rifle in the Mediterranean and Balkans.

Australia & New Zealand 94%Scandinavia & Iceland 94%Germany, Austria & Switzerland 93%Southern Africa 88%USA & Canada 85%France & Benelux 84%Eastern Europe & Baltic 74%UK & Ireland 64%Mediterranean & Balkans 42%

There is wide variation in brand recognition of both the rifle and ammunition companies we tested on our respondents. The optics companies, however, are tightly bunched, indicating a competitive market.

If shotguns are the leading kit item in our respondents armoury, rifles come a close second. Some countries, especially in Northern Europe, have a clear culture of rifle hunting. Others, such as the UK, USA and Canada, mix it with shotguns

Rifles

Optics wars Bushnell on 62%, and Leica and Zeiss on 60%. Zeiss is best known in the UK, least known in the Mediterranean & Balkans. Perhaps this shows how an image such as a bird scores over a company name for brand recognition.

The survey did not go smoothly for all these brands 10% confused the Bushnell B with the logo for Benelli shotguns. 15% believe the Leica L belongs to Leupold... well, they are on the right track.

UK-based Hawke scored highly because of the overall proportion of UK respondents. It scored just 49% recognition in the German-speaking countries. Pity poor Aimpoint. 49% of respondents thought the A in the Barrett Rifles logo is the Aimpoint logo.

Rifle wars

W inch-ester is easily the most recog-nisable rifle brand to our respondents. 81% recognition gave it first place among the rifle companies and fifth out of the 50 hunting goods companies we tested. Tikka is second at 62% and Marlin 3rd at 41%. 2% of respondents thought the Marlin logo was for The Pony Club.

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Ammo wars

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1stH ornady is the most recog-nisable ammo brand in the world, according to our survey. Some 70% of respondents know the red H of Hornady. We also offered them Howa and Hodgdon. Close behind at 65%, respondents are able to spot (or possibly work out) RWS. They had to choose between RWS, RAVS and RXS. RWS is part of RUAG and owns brands including GECO. There are no visual clues in the Federal logo, which came in third place with 55% recognition. Norma Precision gets fourth place with 49% recognition. Also part of RUAG, the Swedish ammunition manufacturer Norma has been in production since 1902, while upstart US manufacturer Hornady was founded in 1949.

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RANGEFINDING

W e asked: whats the furthest range (in yards or metres), in clear still conditions, that a hunter would feel confident shooting?

A flying pheasant, with 12-bore shotgun and chokes of your choice

A rabbit, with good quality sub 12 ft/lb airgun

A deer, with good quality fullbore rifle and scope0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

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A massive 91% of our respondents use four-wheel drive vehicles and half of those with off-road tyres. A third of them use a quadbike or UTV. There is insignificant regional variation. Hunters are consistent off-road vehicle users, lovers, buyers

We asked about three car brands and the results show that advertising pays. 85% of our respondents recognise the Mitsubishi brand and 82% the Subaru brand, putting them in first place. Nissan is a long way behind on 64%.

AIRG

UNS,

REG

ULAT

ION,

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ICLE

S

We love our 4x4s

AIRGUNS

A irguns are a vital part of hunters armoury with 56% acknowledging them as a hunting tool and only 3% regarding them as childrens toys.

Respect for airguns is highest in the UK & Ireland, and lowest in Germany, Austria & Switzerland. We reckon there are 46 million airguns in use by sport hunters in the regions we surveyed around the world.

More than half (51%) of our respondents own one or more airguns. Here are the results by region:

UK & Ireland 60%Southern Africa 56%USA & Canada 39%Australia & New Zealand 36%France & Benelux 31%Eastern Europe & Baltic 30%Mediterranean & Balkans 23%Germany, Austria & Switzerland 18%All Europe 18%Scandinavia & Iceland 15%

We asked our respondents: How do you view air rifles?

Top brandsAir rifle wars

T he top three airgun companies by brand recognition are too close to call: Crosman 67%, BSA 66% and Air Arms 64%. We asked respondents whether they thought the Crosman logo was Crosman, CCI or Gamo. Only 10% each chose the wrong answer. The alternatives to BSA were Marlin and Weatherby, both of which scored just 8%. Air Arms is fairly easy to work out from the letters however 12% thought it was Alexander Arms and 2% chose Alcoholics Anonymous. There is a gap, and then Weihrauch on 50% and Daystate on 48% tie for fourth place. 17% think the Daystate logo belongs to Brocock. FX Airguns is sixth with just 38% brand recognition.

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F ew people think there is too much regulation in hunting. However, the world is split on the other possible answers. Half dont think there should be any more, but more than 40% think there should. Where there is polarisation is in southern Africa and Eastern Europe/Baltic, where more than 55% believe there are not enough rules. In the USA, Canada, Scandinavia and Iceland, 70% of hunters believe that the level of regulation is about right. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where hunting regulation is at its most extreme, more than 85% do not want any more.

Another major issue is the change from lead to lead-free ammo. The most accepting of lead-free ammunition are in Scandinavia, Iceland and the German-speaking nations where more than 40% believe it is the future. The regions least keen to accept it are the USA, Canada, southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand where more than 30% do not want it.

56% of the hunting world believe that there will be more gun and hunting regulation in 35 years time. There is little regional variation but the most pessimistic region is Germany, Austria & Switzerland where 58% say there will be more restriction and 34% reckon they will be lucky to own a gun. Least pessimistic is Eastern Europe & Baltic, but not by much.

Regulation

Below: is sufficient training in your country before someone is awarded a hunting license? Below right: green ammunition acceptance

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Quadbikes and UTVs

In the UTV/quadbike market, John Deere is the winner with 85% recognition by our respondents, JCB at 73% and Polaris at 70% take joint second place, and Kubota trails in at a woeful 30%.

Brand recognition winners: Mitsu, Subaru and Nissan

n Childrens toysn Garden funn Hunting tooln Stepping stonen No response

n It's the futuren If its the law, Ill use itn Dont want itn No response

n No, not enoughn Yes, about rightn No, too muchn No response


the worlds biggest hunting audienceBI

RDS,

ANI

MAL

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Hunting habits

H ow many animals and birds do we hunt a year? Extrapolate our findings across the 24 million sport hunters in our regions and it sounds like an incredible answer: at least 290 million birds and animals. However, this is less than 0.2% of the 150 billion+ farm birds and animals killed every year to feed the world. Here are our findings, species group by species group.

Small pests: rabbits, rats, squirrels Australia & New Zealand 7 millionUSA & Canada 57 millionEurope 26 millionSouthern Africa 1.5 millionTotal 91.5 million

Small bird pests: pigeons/doves/corvidsAustralia & New Zealand 6 millionUSA & Canada 60 millionEurope 27 millionSouthern Africa 2 millionTotal 95 million

Small predators: fox/coyote/dingoAustralia & New Zealand 60,000USA & Canada 1.1 millionEurope 300,000Southern Africa 30,000Total 1.5 million

Gamebirds: grouse/pheasantAustralia & New Zealand 1 millionUSA & Canada 54 millionEurope 28 millionSouthern Africa 3 millionTotal 43 million

The world of sport hunting harvests nearly a third of a billion birds and animals every year, according to our research. Here is how the numbers break down

Birds & animalsTrophy or meat?

W hat is our attitude to the birds and animals we hunt? Our experience of filming hunting all over the world is that the British like to save the village from the leopard, the Americans like to go to Africa in order to decorate their houses and the Chinese are meat hunters, pure and simple. The results of the survey are not so clear cut. The questions we asked are designed to find out which of these four categories each hunter fits: hero hunter, trophy hunter, meat hunter, pest controller.

As you can see the biggest hero hunters (save the village from the tiger) are from Eastern Europe and the Baltic. Southern Africans may welcome trophy hunters from across the world but they show statistically zero interest in it themselves because they are the biggest meat hunters, just ahead of the Scandinavians/Icelanders. The keenest rabbit-shooters (pest controllers) are in the UK, Ireland, France and Benelux.

Almost universally, hunters call themselves conservationists: 91% of them. Most regions are 90% or higher.

Wildfowl: duck/geeseAustralia & New Zealand 500,000USA & Canada 9 millionEurope 3 millionSouthern Africa 200,000Total 12.7 million

DeerAustralia & New Zealand 200,000USA & Canada 2.6 millionEurope 600,000Total 3.4 million

Wild boar / feral hogsAustralia & New Zealand 100,000USA & Canada 1.3 millionEurope 400,000Total 1.8 million

Antelope or plainsgameUSA & Canada 10,000Southern Africa 60,000Total 70,000

How reliable are these numbers? The US waterfowl harvest is around 15 million a year, against our researchs figure of 9 million. The Government of South Africa recorded 40,000 trophies taken in 2013. The State of Victoria records 40,000 deer shot against our figure of 200,000 for Australia and New Zealand. The figure for gamebirds shot in the UK is 25 million, against our estimate of 28 million shot across Europe.

The numbers amalgamate pure sport hunters and pure management culls, as respondents carry out both. They include crop protection as well as hunting tourism.

W hat is the aspirational animal? What do hunters most want to hunt? Out of rat, rabbit, red stag and rhino, the clear winner is red stag. However, the other quarry species have

Rat or rhino? followings in many countries across the world.

There are plenty of regional variations. The trophy hunting nations, for example, are most keen on bigger animals.

The winners in each category are UK and Ireland, where 15% put rat as their top species. Mediterranean & Balkans win the rabbit prize at 42%, southern Africa and the USA & Canada are most keen to shoot a rhino, but only 5% of each region want to do that.

Top of the pops for red stags are Scandinavia, Iceland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland where that is favourite animal for more than 80% of hunters.

Colour key:n Hero hunter n Trophy huntern Meat hunter n Pest controller

All Europe

Mediterranean & Balkans

Southern Africa

Eastern Europe & Baltic

UK & Ireland

Scandinavia & Iceland

USA & Canada

France & Benelux

Australia & New Zealand

Germany, Austria, Switzerland

n Rat n Rabbitn Red stagn Rhino



DOGS

, HOR

SES,

MED

IA

HUNTING AND THE MEDIA

A picture emerges of a global hunting community that has found its main voice on YouTube rather than hunting magazines, that are keen and reasoned debaters but scared of being shouted down.

We asked: You are in a bar, pub or crowded cafe. How open are you about your shooting/hunting? We gave these options: in the closet, awkward, plain talking, loud hailer, and dont go to these places. The overwhelming majority are plain talking at 80%. Of the different regions, the ones who claim to be most plain talking are Germany, Austria & Switzerland, with Scandinavia & Iceland, in second place. Eastern Europe & Baltic are the least but still on a healthy 65%.

When it comes to speaking openly about social media, the majority was 43%, who said now and again. The figure for hell, yeah! is just 27%. The most punchy in this category is the USA and Canada with 47% saying hell, yeah!. The most reticent about their sport are hunters from Eastern Europe and the Baltic states.

When they are not outdoors doing it, we asked where the worlds hunters get their hunting fix? Is it magazines, TV, websites or other places? YouTube is the winner on 85%, magazines are still widely read at 71%, websites at 59% and TV a poor fourth at 21%.

There are wide regional variations. The USA and Canada, which has a number of dedicated hunting channels on satellite and cable TV, record 47% for TV. Scandinavia/

Do you speak openly about hunting/shooting on social media?

Puppy powerDogfood wars

T he dogfood companies are seldom multinational. However, it shows a major failing by Nestl Purina that it scores so badly in our survey of the most recognisable dogfood brands. The UKs Skinners is a runaway winner at 67% brand recognition by respondents.Chudleys dogfood, made by Dodson & Horrell, comes second at 55%, with Eukenuba close behind on 49%. Nestl Purina scores a woeful 29%, even though the part of the brand shown should be recognisable internationally. James Wellbeloved comes fifth with a creditable 26%, though 23% of respondents think James Wellbeloveds symbol belongs to Mossy Oak camouflage.

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H unters are animal lovers. We estimate that the world of sport hunting, in the regions we covered, owns 27 million dogs and 6.4 million horses.

In southern Africa, more than 80% of respondents own a dog. The lowest place for dog ownership is Germany, Austria & Switzerland at 46%.

The UK and Ireland are the keenest dog owners, with 6% of respondents owning 6 or more and only 15% with no dog.

Around 10% of our respondents own horses, ranging from 13% in the UK & Ireland, Australia and New Zealand down to 4% in the Mediterranean and Balkans.

Fewer than 2% of our respondents own hawks or falcons. Other hunting animals include ferrets.

DOGS, HAWKS AND HORSES

When not in the field where do you get your hunting/shooting fix?

You are in a bar, pub or crowded cafe. How open are you about your shooting/hunting?

Iceland and southern Africa both score YouTube at more than 90%. Magazines see 70% support or more everywhere except the Mediterranean/Balkans, Eastern Europe/Baltic and USA/Canada, where they are less popular.

Three-quarters of all hunters believe that YouTube has been good for spreading a positive message about hunting, though 18% answer dont know to this one. Australia & New Zealand and the Mediterranean/Balkans lead the enthusiasm on 85%. Germans, Austrians and Swiss are least enthusiastic about YouTube at 45% yes, 12% no, 40% dont know and the rest abstain. Almost all respondents watch Fieldsports Channel (we have global monthly views of 1 million on YouTube plus another 3 million on Youku)

As for how the wider media portrays hunting, hunters are resentful. 62% of them say they are treated badly by their media and a further 25% say their media ignores them. The situation in Scandinavia & Iceland is least bad at a joint total of 54%.

GLOBALHUNTINGSURVEY


The old-fashioned press is holding up surprisingly well. However, YouTube dominates the hunting media landscape

n Magazines n TVn YouTuben Websitesn Other

n No chance! n Now and againn Hell yeah!n Social media? Dont use itn No response

n In the closet n Awkwardn Plain talkingn Loudhailern Never visit such placesn No response


the worlds biggest hunting audienceHU

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HOPP

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CLO

THIN

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T he global battle between Realtree and Mossy Oak? It is close. In terms of logo recognition, Mossy Oak is just ahead on 61%, with Realtree on 56%.

Wearing thin

H unters (shooters in the UK) are basically the same the world over. The figure for the age at which our respondents start hunting shows no significant variation from region to region. 90% began hunting under the age of 40, and nearly half started as kids.

Family members are the most likely to introduce you to hunting, ranging from 48% of hunters in Eastern Europe and the Baltic to 75% of hunters in southern Africa. There is little regional variation among the number of people who lose their hearing due to poor ear protection.

Thats life and health. Now what about where they hunt? The majority more than half go to a farm. A quarter of them have access to or own a big ranch. Some 16% select wilderness. The regions with access to the largest tracts of land are Germany, Austria and Switzerland at more than 70% choosing big ranch or wilderness. The big wilderness hunters are in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA, all at 53%.

75% of hunters drive to their ground. 15% walk (or trot). For an incredible 21% of respondents from Germany, Austria & Switzerland, its a plane ride.

People hunt for a variety of reasons. If forced to answer a multiple choice, nearly 40%, the biggest group, cite excitement. The region that gets most excited is Scandinavia & Iceland at 53%. The region who go hunting mainly for the social life is France & Benelux at 17%, though 41% of them cite excitement.

Most people dont particularly plan

So who is the typical global hunter? The answer is there isnt one. The only areas where there is little regional variation is the age at which they start hunting and the thrill of the chase itself

About youThe hunter

Camo wars

Clothing wars

H rkila is the most recog-nised brand in the survey out of all 50 hunting industry brands. Its letter H is known to 86% of our respondents. Its sister company Seeland does less well, coming in third to last with 55%, joint with Jack Pyke on the same percentage. Deerhunter is in second place with 77%, Ridgeline third with 67%, bunched next to Hunter on 64% and Barbour on 62%. Rivers West is in last place on 42%.

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hunting trips, less than 2% use an outfitter to organise their hunting, and most spend less than $100s on a single hunting trip. Only 12% spend $1000s.

70% of the worlds hunters have not hunted outside their own country in the previous year. 10%, however, spend more than 14 days. The big area for hunting outside their own country is France & Benelux at 24%.

The organisationsHunters are split on why they belong

to hunting organisations. About the same number are in it to support the fight as those that are in it for the insurance package it provides. The number who do it for the insurance rises significantly in the UK and Ireland to 62%, though 58% of Brits say they want to support the fight. Of those that are not members, more than a third cant afford membership and more than a quarter do not see the point of hunting/shooting organisations.

Shopping habitsGood news for the gun trade. 63% of our

respondents have bought a gun in the last year, and a further 22% in the last five years. This rises to 78% in the last year in Australia & New Zealand.

Good news for the high street. More than three-quarters of hunters around the world still buy their kit at a local shop. Online is in second place at 62%.

Regionally, the keenest visitors to the local store are in Australia and New Zealand at 91% with the least loyal the UK and Ireland at 74%. The biggest online shoppers are in Germany, Austria & Switzerland at 70% and the least in Eastern Europe & Baltic at 39%. The British, French and Dutch are most likely to shop at a game fair at around 30%.

When a hunter decides to buy a product, they turn to magazine articles (57%), YouTube films (51%), they talk to their friends (49%), they look at hunting forums (36%) but only 21% of them look at company websites for guidance. Aussies and Kiwis trust both magazines and YouTube the most at around 65%. Germans, Austrians and Swiss are the most trusting of their friends opinion at 69%.

Ask hunters what kind of kit buyer they are and 77% say they invest in the best compared to only 19% who buy cheap and cheerful.

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T his survey is compiled by Fieldsports Channel. We received 2,525 responses in four languages between 1 December 2014 and 31 January 2015. More than 90% of respondents are male, split about 25% under the age of 30, 70% middle-aged and 5% elderly. 50% of respondents are from the UK and the rest from a further 50 different countries.

We reckon the deviation you may wish to apply to these statistics is 2.76%. Thats the number of respondents who claimed to own not just guns, dogs and horses, but highly-trained cormorants too! That is unless they do own cormorants.

ABOUT THE SURVEY

global hunting survey

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