Who are the rehaleros? A first analysis of socio-demographics, habits and perceptions of the hunting dog-pack owners in Spain

Big game-driven hunting with dogs is a traditional and popular type of hunting in Spain, in which dog-pack owners are a key but understudied stakeholder. The authors aimed to evaluate the socio-demographics, hunting habits, and perceptions of dog-pack owners through a survey (n = 134). The majority of respondents (n = 76, 57%) were under 46 years old, male (97%), had an education higher than secondary level (63%), and were employees (62%), hence hunting was mainly a form of leisure. The average owner had 1.27 dog packs with 31 dogs per pack, and hunted in two different regions 40 days per season. Dog-pack owners from southern regions had a significantly higher number of dogs per pack compared with northern owners. Above half of respondents (52%) hunted only in private hunting grounds. Dog-pack owners were in favor of improving education and training activities for them and conducting a public "pro-hunting campaign." Policy makers and dog-pack owners should work in close collaboration to ensure the key role of the latter in wildlife management, either for leisure or control purposes.AU: The abstract is currently too long. Please edit the abstract down to no more than 150 words.