Bag records as indicators of population trends in partridges.

Abstract

A large amount of information has been published for records of game shot and for the breeding density and survival of partridges in Britain (see Huband and Ash 1967 for the most recent survey of results). This information is collected through the National Game Census, and much of the information is provided by gamekeepers and sportsmen. So far no attempt has been made to show whether there is any relationship between the numbers of birds shot (i.e. bag records) and population fluctuations at different times of the year. Although fluctuations based on the numbers killed have been demonstrated for various species, generally there have been no other data available on the actual population levels with which they could be compared (e.g. Matheson 1960 a, b). Thus it has not been known whether the recorded changes in the annual bag have been due to actual changes in the population level, or to changes in man's ability to kill the animals concerned.

At the present time information on long-term population trends would be of great value in assessing the effects of climatic changes, agricultural practices, game management, etc. Evidence that the numbers exploited and cropped annually are good indicators of the population changes in the years concerned would mean that the long series of game-bag records in existence would be particularly valuable.