Quail hunting season opens

THE Game Management Authority last week announced that the use of electronic quail callers will be prohibited during the 2022 Stubble Quail hunting season. 'Quail callers' are electronic acoustic lures that emit the calls of Stubble Quail to attract and concentrate the birds into an area so they can be hunted. After concerns were raised by the hunting community over the ethics of using quail callers, the GMA partnered with Deakin University to investigate the efficacy of the devices. The research found that quail callers significantly increased the number of quail in the vicinity of the activated caller and concentrated the birds into a very localised area around it, making it easier for hunters to harvest the quail. GMA chief executive officer Graeme Ford said the results of this research show the effectiveness of electronic quail callers and the need to suspend the use of quail callers for the 2022 quail season. "We now have evidence that using electronic quail callers significantly increases the number of quail in the vicinity of the caller," Mr Ford said. "As the popularity of these devices is increasing, we need to put their use on hold until the costs and benefits of their use can be fully explored during the review of the Wildlife Game Regulations. "The results of the research show there is a very real risk that widespread use of quail callers could result in overharvesting." The use of quail callers when hunting game is already prohibited in many parts of the world. Stubble Quail season opened Saturday and will end Thursday, June 30. If hunting on private property, make sure you 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.

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