New research published over the weekend in the online PLoS ONE journal gives insights into the efficacy of electronic quail callers. It raises questions about ‘fair chase’ in a game hunting context. “Fair chase”, put simply, is the ethical and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wildlife species in a manner that does not give an individual an improper advantage over such animals.
The introductory paragraph of the research gives a good understanding of the context and the broader considerations at play.
“Hunting has been an integral aspect of human evolution and has co-evolved with human tool use for hundreds of thousands of years. Over this time, humans have continuously innovated their hunting techniques and technologies. Historically, this has involved the development of projectile weapons (e.g. arrow heads) and the integration of domestic animals (e.g. hunting dogs). Modern developments have included the utilization of advanced technology such as non-lead firearm ammunition, thermal and night vision scopes, scent-neutralizing technology, trail cameras and drones. There is increasing scrutiny of newly developed technology applied to hunting and a growing societal expectation that empirical testing of outcomes related to sustainability or animal welfare will occur, in order for social license to be maintained.”
In March, this research was referenced as the rationale for the Game Management Authority (GMA) suspending the use of quail callers for the 2022 Stubble Quail season, with GMA CEO Graeme Ford saying
“We now have evidence that using electronic quail callers significantly increases the number of quail in the vicinity of the caller. 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 2012. The results of the research show there is a very real risk that widespread use of quail callers could result in overharvesting.”
The research was undertaken on privately owned agricultural land in western Victoria and sought to measure the effectiveness of ‘Electronic acoustic lures’ (Quail callers) on Native Stubble Quail in a scenario akin to recreational hunting. Whilst SSAA Victoria is wary of any restrictions placed on recreational hunting, the Association will assess its position based on verifiable evidence, with concerns for the sustainability of both the resource and of hunting foremost in considerations.
The concluding paragraph of the research provides a reasonably clear explanation of why electronic quail callers were prohibited for this year’s season and gives a good indication of where regulation is headed.
“We demonstrate that ‘quail callers’ concentrate and aggregate stubble quail and as such have the potential to markedly increase the harvest rate of stubble quail, compromise the concept of fair-chase, and may cause indirect impacts, such as disturbance from foraging and other behaviors, that direct energy into responding to the ‘quail callers’–an area requiring further research. Consideration should be given to regulating their use, particularly in the context of a lack of rigorous stubble quail abundance estimates at present creating the potential for undetected unsustainable harvesting. ‘Quail callers’ could, however, if investigated further, be an advantageous tool for facilitating much-needed ecological research on this species.”
