Australia’s hunting community is an oft-maligned bunch, but they could find an important role in keeping pest species down.

Recreational hunters are under-utilised as a resource for wildlife management, a new study says.

“Wildlife management in Australia could benefit from greater engagement between wildlife managers and the recreational hunting community,” said Associate Professor Peter Murray, author of a new report titled Expenditure and Motivation of Australian Recreational Hunters.

“The potential exists for this large and active community to become a valuable resource for wildlife managers as many are already hunting feral pests.”

The report estimates there are between 200,000 and 300,000 recreational hunters in Australia, and a survey showed that more than 99 per cent of respondents indicated they would be willing to participate in pest-control activities, given the opportunity.

“If the public understands there are pest animals eating native animals and destroying native habitat throughout Australia, it makes a lot of sense for hunters to be allowed to assist in the management of those populations at no cost to the government,” Dr Murray said.

In the United States particularly, recreational hunters are widely engaged with wildlife managers, and hunting taxes contribute to the majority of conservation funding.

More than two-thirds of the survey participants supported the idea of paying a levy on hunting merchandise to contribute toward wildlife conservation beyond the killing of feral animals.

Of those that supported the idea, 60 per cent supported a 5 per cent levy and 30 per cent supported a 10 per cent levy.

“Should such a levy be introduced in Australia, it could generate significant funding for conservation in this country,” Dr Murray says.

The report is the first to estimate the numbers of recreational hunters in Australia, what they spend on hunting annually and the effect they have on wildlife and pest management nationally.