A Meta-Regression Analysis of Hunters’ Valuations of Recreational Hunting

Hunters’ valuations of recreational hunting have been estimated by a large number of location-specific studies since the early 1970s, but to date there has been no systematic assessment of this research at the global scale. The present study performed a meta-analysis of 80 studies with 588 value-per-day estimates. The assessment showed a high concentration of studies pertaining to the valuation of deer and the valuation of hunting in the USA. The average value was USD 69 /hunting day in 2020 prices, but the variation was large, ranging from USD 4 to 325 /hunting day. The statistical performance of alternative mixed-effect models explaining the estimated value differences was tested with different hunting attributes (targeted game animal); context variables (income/capita, population density, year of study, region of application); and study characteristics (valuation method, publication outlet). The results showed that the type of game animal, income per capita, and valuation method had significant effects on estimated values. The predictive power was high for all models, supporting the application of the meta-analysis results to guide the management of hunting where primary valuation studies have not been undertaken, in particular outside the USA.