Yesterday the GMA announced another restriction on hunting. This time, it was the suspension of electronic callers for the 2022 stubble quail season. As you’d expect, the social media landscape is on fire once again. This article contains my thoughts on the matter, and why you shouldn’t be upset about it…
Why introduce this suspension?
According to the GMA, concerns were raised by the hunting community over the ethics of using quail callers. From what I’ve witnessed on the quail hunting pages, this was undoubtedly due to a higher-than-usual number of people filling their quota, with many repeating these results every single day. Some people flaunted the use of electronic callers to boost their success rate, while others flat-out denied it. Either way, it’s irrelevant. As with all groups on social media, a toxic pattern of behaviour has started to form. For many of us, quail hunting has become more about the numbers, and less about the experience. We’ve lost sight of why we are hunting in the first place…
In response to these complaints, the GMA has partnered with Deakin University to investigate the efficacy of the devices. Unsurprisingly, the research found that quail callers significantly increased the number of quail in the vicinity of the activated callers, raising concerns they were inconsistent with the concept of ‘fair chase’ – a legal and ethical obligation that applies to all hunters. As a result, they’ve placed a suspension on the use of electronic callers – pending future review.
Why you shouldn’t be upset about it
I will extend upon GMA’s original statement and say this: Based upon the effectiveness of these callers to attract and hold animals, it is reasonable to predict that prolonged and widespread usage of these devices may result in the decline of the population for this species. While this may not be a common occurrence in game animals, take a moment to check out your local state fisheries pages. Restocking efforts are an uphill battle, and this is made worse when the species has a high mortality rate. We’ll revisit this point later on in this article.
How long will the suspension last?
This suspension will be in place until the review of the Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2012 is undertaken. An opportunity for public consultation will be offered, but no further information has been given.
When is the 2022 Stubble Quail season?
Stubble Quail season is open from Saturday 2 April – Thursday 30 June 2022. If hunting on private property, hunters must have permission from the landowner or manager. The GMA will be patrolling both public lands and private properties across Victoria throughout the 2022 Stubble Quail season to ensure compliance with hunting laws. The full media release can be found here: https://bit.ly/3NtE51e
Community response
Social media commentators are either in full support of the suspension or wholly against it. While each side has some validity to their arguments. Personally, I’m against them. I’ve weighed in on a few of the community talking points below.
Do electronic callers have a place in a hunter’s arsenal?
In my opinion, yes, but limitations should be imposed on their use. When it comes to pest species, such as cats and foxes, a hunter should be able to call in the animal with an electronic device. Our aim is to heavily reduce the population, so it doesn’t make sense to handicap our efforts.
So, at what point do electronic callers become unethical? I would suggest that’s when you target game species for consumption. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for taking the advantage over your prey. But this should only apply when your knowledge, skills, and dedication produce the advantage. Not an electronic gadget. As an example;
– The training and use of scent hounds. Tick.
– The use of human-influenced callers (i.e. fox whistles, or duck callers). Tick.
– The use of firearms or bows. Tick.
Each of the above requires a level of proficiency, and proficiency brings reward. In my mind, anything that is purely “set and forget” defeats the purpose of hunting for food in the first place. Why not save yourself the hassle and just go to the supermarket instead
Stubble Quail is listed as a species of “least concern”…
Yes. If we want to maintain a stable population of animals, we need to manage that resource. That means focusing less on hitting a quota, and more on habitat improvement.
I want to take my elderly (dad, grandad, etc) on a productive final hunt…
I empathise with this position. You want to assist an older person in doing the one thing they love before they’re too old to participate. That’s a noble position to take. But think about this, what will they cherish the most about the hunt? The number of birds harvested? Or the quality time spent with a loved one? Time with a person who is willing to sacrifice their energy and effort, in order to take them out on a hunting trip. I’ll go out on a limb and suggest the latter. Unfortunately, if we allow one person to do something – even with the best of intentions, everyone will demand the same right for themselves. It sucks, but it’s the reality of modern life…
Why can’t we replace wild birds with pen-raised stock?
This is a common solution to concerns over population decline, but – is it possible? Possible? Yes. Viable? Not really…
If you’ve ever researched quail – both wild and domestic, you would know that they’re squishy and temperamental, and by that, I mean they have a high mortality rate. Ask any breeder and they’ll tell you the same story – breeding and raising quail requires controlled conditions; a minor variation in temperature will kill them, incremental weather will kill them, hell, anything more than an ice cream container lid full of water will kill them. While wild animals are more capable of handling these conditions in comparison to pen-raised stock, they aren’t immune to the factors either. I’m no chicken little, and I’m not suggesting that the sky is falling in, but you have to admit, the weather has become more erratic and severe over the past few years. This is going to affect breeding seasons and mortality rates.
For the sake of a hypothetical, let’s say that a pen-raised bird survives the hatchery (etc), and is released into the wild. It now has to contend with two other mortality factors; predatory species and recreational hunting pressure. That’s where we come in…
What can WE as hunters do?
The buzzword “conservation” often floats around hunting circles. It tends to be the first phrase out of a hunter’s mouth when confronted by someone with an anti-hunter sentiment. But how many of us action this concept? In reality, probably less than we like to admit. So be the exception to the rule; Follow sustainable hunting practices, chip in, lend a hand to a farmer, restore native habitat, and get involved in pest control activities.
Circling back to my initial statement -Try not to get sucked into the social media b/s! Put away the plastic speaker box, and enjoy hunting for what it really is – Both the highs AND the lows. You don’t need to bag out every day to enjoy your trip. Less greed and that reduced hunting pressure will allow future generations to have the same access, and more importantly, the same sense of enjoyment as what you experience every season. I think we can all agree, that’s pretty damn important!
References
1. https://nri.tamu.edu/blog/2018/july/why-dont-pen-raised-quail-survive-in-the-wild/
