Author(s)

Christos K. Sokos^1*, Periklis K. Birtsas^1,2, Konstantinos G. Papaspyropoulos¹, Carlos Sánchez-García³

¹Research Division, Hunting Federation of Macedonia and Thrace, Ethnikis Antistasis, Thessaloniki, Hellas (Greece).
²Wildlife Laboratory, Department of Forestry and Management of Natural Environment, Technological Education Institute of Thessaly, Karditsa, Hellas (Greece).
³The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Burgate Manor, Fordingbridge, UK.

Hunting organizations in cooperation with the Forest Service release thousands of artificially reared pheasants and partridges in Hellas (Greece). To evaluate the effectiveness of this practice a questionnaire was applied to hunting wardens of four hunting federations in 2002 and one in 2011. Moreover data were obtained from the wildlife managers of one federation from 2009 to 2014. The release of hybrid pheasants and chukar partridges was conducted by the majority of local hunting clubs (H.C.). Most hunting wardens and wildlife managers stated that even during the most successful release only a small percentage (1% - 10%) of released birds can survive for more than three months and usually none of the released birds or a few achieve to rear chicks. However, repeated releases led to the establishment of small groups of birds in some areas, but without a serious benefit for hunting activity. In case of releases for hunting purposes (put and take), the respondents said that the majority (90%) of galliforms were killed by predators or hunters within a few days after release, and that only few (18 - 25) hunters harvested the survived birds. Until 2009, in northern and central mainland Hellas, the minimum cost per bird entering to the hunter’s bag was 143€. That amount is estimated to be 33.47€ in islands and after 2009 in mainland. In conclusion, the professionalism in galliforms releases should get improved with appropriate legal decisions and organization structures.

Survival, Reproduction, “Put and Take”, Hunting, Population Establishment

Sokos, C. , Birtsas, P. , Papaspyropoulos, K. and Sánchez-García, C. (2016) Professionalism in Wildlife Management: The Case of Gallifoms Releases in Hellas. Open Journal of Forestry, 6, 51-58. doi: 10.4236/ojf.2016.62005.