What does hunting bring to communities?

[Widgeon]

After a conversation at work (we're scientists so everything comes down to the quality of the evidence, even lunchtime chat!) I've been having a think about whether it's possible to quantify the impact of hunting, particularly trail hunting, on rural communities. I.e.

• what services (if any) do hunts provide that nobody else does (fallen stock?);
• what businesses operate to support hunting, and if trail hunting were to be banned, how feasibly could they repurpose themselves without a loss of jobs (hirelings etc);
• how much money do hunts raise to support local charities etc.

I'm particularly thinking about trail hunting because that's what it's being proposed to ban, but of course clean boot and drag hunting will share some characteristics. I'm not interested in the ethics of trail hunting or whether it's being legally conducted (although I have my own views on both of those!), more just whether it's possible to quantify the benefits (mainly the benefits, but also the possible harms) of hunting. And does anyone even record this kind of information?

If anyone has thoughts on this I'd be interested to hear them.

 

[teacups]

Some of the bridleways around me are open and accessible mainly because the landowner is a fan of hunting and supports the local hunt.
So e.g. some gates are left open during winter until livestock go back in the fields, say. There are fewer gates, and you will not find electric fencing across a bridleway, or a slurry pool, or a primitive sheep pen, or gates which are broken/rotted/have three different closure systems/tied shut, and so on.

All those are what we find on some of the other landowners’ routes. It is a noticeable difference. Mind you, some of the other landowners really hate the hunt and that is why they make things inaccessible! So swings and roundabouts perhaps.