This is the tally of dead and wounded, protected and game species found on half a dozen wetlands this season. Field and Game Australia estimates that 500,000 birds were shot in Victoria (http://www.mmg.com.au/local-news/country-news/victorian-duck-hunting-season -closed-1.51131) and then-Department of Sustainability and Environment accepted US ballistics expert Tom Roster’s estimate that one in four birds shot is wounded, not killed.
So it’s reasonable to guess there were around 100,000 birds wounded but not killed this season, most of which suffered inhumane, slow deaths. On grounds of this cruelty alone, duck shooting should be banned.
The effort involved in retrieving a wild bird in order to save its life is huge; the work of duck rescuers in retrieving 110 is remarkable. Good news about this soon.
Please let me know if formatting doesn’t work.
Thanks.
WOUNDED BIRDS
DEAD GAME SPECIES
Australasian Shoveler
3
Black Swan
1
Australasian Shoveler
10
Black-tailed Native-hen
3
Chestnut Teal
2
Black-winged Stilt
1
Grey Teal
68
Blue-billed Duck
1
Hardhead
8
Pacific Black Duck
4
Chestnut Teal
1
Pink-eared Duck
116
Eurasian Coot
51
Wood Duck
11
Freckled Duck
4
Total:
219
Grey Teal
4
Hardhead
2
Pacific Black Duck
1
TOTAL DEAD:
613
Pink-eared Duck
33
Raven
1
TOTAL DEAD & WOUNDED:
723
Red-necked Avocet
2
Wood Duck
2
Total:
110
DEAD PROTECTED SPECIES
Black Swan
25
Black-fronted Dotterel
1
Black-tailed Native-hen
1
Black-winged Stilt
1
Blue-billed Duck
5
Darter
1
Dusky Moorhens
4
Eurasian Coot
223
Freckled Duck
107
Hoary-headed Grebe
5
Little Black Cormorant
3
Little Pied Cormorant
1
Long-billed Corella
1
Musk duck
2
Raven
1
Red-necked Avocet
11
Whistling Kite
1
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
1
Total:
394
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