THE tradition of the King’s Birthday weekend King Island Wild Pheasant shoot continues.
While Australia’s only wild hunt no longer attracts the numbers of visitors or local licence registrations that it did in the past a few groups took to the wild and hoped to bag at least one bird.
The Hamer contingent used the weekend as a bit of fun, family and friend catchups and once again, donned their caps, pulled on their breeches, waxed the moustache and cried out “To the hunt”.
“Conditions were challenging at times with a few showers, plenty of wind and the birds ducking for cover,” group member Dale Reed said.
“We relied on the keen noses of our dogs to flush the birds as they were holding tight.
“The birds were in abundance, as usual, both hens and cocks.
“The weekend was a great time for catching up with fellow hunters eating, laughing and sharing stories of the success or even about the one that got away.”
In the past up to 100 licences were granted by NRE, but the number steadily decreases. The decline is most likely due to the traditional hunters have now aged; values have changed; farms are getting bigger and property access is harder.
The birds are native to Asia but were introduced by the English and used all around the world for hunting. The brightly coloured males are normally bred in captivity and released for the hunt, but on King Island, they live wild and are feral.
The birds were introduced to the island around 1910 when the Bird and Game Protection Society was formed.
By 1912, the initial release of a dozen birds imported by Dr Cunningham had multiplied, but not to the extent that anyone could shoot them.
But the King Island News reported, that “they were to be found across the island.”.
The island’s early settlers were interested in “developing the island as an attractive resort for sportsmen” and in 1912 pheasants from Victoria were imported. and the settlers, as with today’s farmers, found the pheasants to be efficient insectivores, particularly with corby grubs and grasshoppers.
Around 1917, the society called for their protection and lobbied the government for a pheasant season as they were regarded as ‘useful birds’ .
The local fine for shooting a pheasant illegally was £10 for every bird killed by them or found in their possession and a reward of £5 was offered to anyone supplying information (anonymity was accepted) leading to a conviction.
The birds are very wily, hardy, and incredibly athletic and a challenge to hunt and whether for or against the weekend shoot, visitors are amazed when they see the colourful plumage and pheasants scurrying across the road.