Bush tucker is still alive with nearly a quarter of those surveyed saying they hunted, fished or gathered food from the wild.
Those most likely to be hunter-gatherers were blue-collar workers, Maori and male. They were also most likely to be living in the provinces, with 28 percent of respondents there getting the occasional meal from the wild.
Wellingtonians were the least likely to hunt, fish or forage for their dinner, with only 13 per cent saying that they did so. One in five Aucklanders and Christchurch residents got their meals from the wild.
Food Safety Authority deputy chief executive Sandra Daly said it was the first time the survey asked questions about wild foods.
It was part of work the authority was doing on understanding New Zealanders' consumption of wild foods and their awareness of the risks.
"We're very keen to make sure that they understand how, when they are eating deer that's been shot in the wild, or eating wild pig that hasn't been through any safety process, that they are completely on their own."
But the survey found that only 45 per cent of recreational hunter-gatherers were interested in receiving information on the safety of the foods they caught.
