90 Keartland, The AUeraiion of the Quail Season. W^^\^,i^^\' 



THE ALTERATION OF THE QUAIL SEASON, AND ITS 



EFFECT. 



By G. a. Keaetland. 

 {Read before tlie Field Naluralisls' Club of Victoria, lotli July, 191 1 .) 

 Almost from the inception of tire Game Act, fifty years ago, 

 there has been agitation regarding the time for opening the 

 shooting season. At first it was argued that quail should be 

 protected during the same period as ducks — from ist August 

 to 20th December ; but I believe one season was enough to 

 satisfy all parties interested that an extension of the close 

 season was necessary, as shooting started soon after the first 

 broods of young ones were hatched. 



During the years that have intervened since that period 

 the administration of the Act has not only changed hands with 

 each change of Ministry, but it has passed from one Govern- 

 ment department to another ; but with each change the agita- 

 tion for an alteration of the close season for quail has invariably 

 cropped up. It has been altered from ist February to ist 

 March, then to ist April, then to different dates on each side 

 of the Dividing Range, then back to ist March ; but this year 

 the 14th February was the date fixed upon for commencing 

 shooting. 



It is nearly twenty years since I first brought the matter of 

 the protection of quail under the notice of this Club, advocating 

 an extension of the close season until ist Aj^-il In doing so 

 I was actuated by two motives — a wish to increase the number 

 of birds by allowing the old ones to finish breeding and giving 

 the young ones time to mature. It also delayed shooting until 

 the weather was cooler, and enabled the sportsman to arrive 

 home with his game in good condition. A further reason is 

 that the best dogs will often pass birds in the hot days of 

 February and March which they would be certain to find in 

 cooler weather. An alteration was tried, but there is a class 

 of quail shooters who delight to boast of the number of brace 

 they kill in a season. They like to get to work early, and, as 

 the quail with young ones lies close and flies slowly when 

 flushed, it is easily bagged, whilst the full-grown young ones 

 and those free from parental cares are more alert, and dash away 

 when disturbed, often flying out of sight before they alight 

 again. When on deputations to the Government on this 

 subject the statement is often made that no sportsman will 

 shoot a " squeaker " — that is, a young bird not fully grown, 

 which always utters a squeaking note when flushed. Well, if 

 such be the case, I can only say that the majority of quail- 

 shooters are not sportsmen. 



This season (1911) it was ilotified a few days before that the 



