Evaluation of self-regulation by the hunting community: A case study on the voluntary restraint of woodcock hunting in the UK.

Behaviour change through voluntary action can be an important approach to reducing human impacts on biodiversity. One example is self-regulation in hunting, potentially a vital contributory factor in improving the sustainability of wild bird harvest. There has been a growing realisation among woodcock hunters, reinforced by advice from sector organisations, that components of the UK woodcock populations are declining and that some aspects of woodcock hunting, specifically timing of harvest, may contribute to these.