2.3. Data collection
Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews giving the
interviewee the opportunity to develop his answers but also to give his
point of view (Relun et al., 2015). The questionnaire was implemented
among hunters and pig farmers. The questionnaire consisted of 30
questions for hunters and 50 for pig farmers and the time required to
answer the various questions of the two questionnaires was estimated at
20 and 30 minutes respectively. This questionnaire was previously tested
with a hunter and a breeder to verify the understanding of the different
questions and the response times. Before beginning the interview, the
interviewer explained the aim of the study and emphasized that the
information the hunters and the farmers provided would be processed
anonymously.
The questionnaire for hunters included different questions related to
the 2017-2018 hunting season except for the last question which referred
to the observation of interactions within the last 10 years. The
questionnaire was divided in two parts: the first was based on the
description of the hunting area and on the management of hunting
activities, while the second focused on the nature and frequency of the
different interactions between wild boars and domestic pigs observed
during last seasons.
For the questionnaire intended for farmers, all questions referred to
the observations of interactions occurring between 2017 and 2018. The
first part of the questionnaire was related to the farm characteristics;
the second part addressed questions on management and farming practices.
Finally, the third part focused on the nature and frequency of the
different interactions between domestic pigs and wild boars observed by
the farmer and the last part explored other human practices related to
potential indirect interactions (slurry or slaughtering offal disposal).
A wild boar incursion, was defined as the fact of observing a wild boar
in the farm or observing any evidence of potential visits (broken fence,
tracks, birth of hybrids). An interaction was defined as the direct
observation of wild boar or domestic pigs mating, fighting or foraging
together within the farm. Reports of incursions and interactions were
merged together into a single “contact” variable for the analysis.
Finally, observations of wild boars by the farmers around their farms
were also recorded during the survey.