Valuation of hunting and management of brown hare (Lepus europaeus) in rangelands

The full understanding of rangelands uses is needed for achieving the integrated management. One of these uses is hare hunting, the most important sedentary quarry species in Greece. Aim of this study was to determine hare hunters opinions and the socio-economic importance of their activity. There were completed 120 questionnaires with personal interviews. The population was hare hunters, which are living at the region of the city of Thessaloniki. Hare hunting takes place mainly in rangelands. Hare hunters characterize their activity as irreplaceable because of the benefits which creates to them, they dedicate a lot of time (69 daily excursions/hunter/year) and spend 1660 €/hunter/year. Hare hunters, as users of rangelands, answer that is required to take measures for the improvement of quality of hare hunting. Priority must be given for the management of hunting grounds around cities. For the fulfilment of these, hare hunters declare “willing to pay” and demonstrate the need of proper existing mechanisms for the investment of these “payments”.