Forest owners and hunters in Bavaria have been arguing over this for decades. A new hunting law is intended to bring peace – but is that possible?
Hunters and forest owners at odds – this is nothing new. Young trees in the forest can often only grow if they are protected by a fence or tree shelters; otherwise, they are eaten by roe deer. Fences would be unnecessary if hunters shot more deer, forest owners regularly complain. The hunters counter: we shoot enough! A new hunting law is supposed to solve the problem, but it is already facing criticism beforehand.
Fewer Regulations on Roe Deer Culling
So far, only a position paper exists; the responsible minister, Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters), intends to present a legislative proposal shortly. It is already clear: there is to be more personal initiative and fewer regulations regarding the culling of roe deer. However, Forestry Minister Michaela Kaniber (CSU) insists: “Freedom can only be a solution where the interaction between hunting and forestry is successful.” The fact is: in many places, it has not been successful so far.
No More Mandatory Culling Plans
The basis for roe deer culling is the “Forestry Assessment.” The hunting association has heavily criticized this in the past and demanded its abolition, but it remains. Since 1986, surveys on wildlife browsing damage have been conducted every three years in Bavarian forests. These inform the culling plans drawn up by the district hunting authorities at the district offices – for approximately 12,700 hunting grounds in Bavaria.
Hunting Grounds: Red and Green Areas
In green areas with little browsing damage, landowners (i.e., members of a hunting association) will in future be able to decide for themselves whether to stick with the existing procedure (official culling plan) or determine the cull level themselves. A prerequisite is an annual joint forest walk-through by hunters and forest owners. In red hunting grounds with significant browsing damage, a hunting concept must also be submitted to the hunting authority. Currently, about half of all Bavarian hunting grounds are red.
Slit Roe Deer Ears as Proof
Many forest owners already criticize that while hunters fill out their annual cull lists, hardly any hunting authority checks how many roe deer were actually shot. Therefore, the call for “physical proof” has grown louder in the past. This could work as follows: the hunter must present each shot roe deer to a member of the hunting association, then the ears are cut off or slit to prevent the same dead deer from being presented again. Many hunters perceive this physical proof as a vote of no confidence; it currently exists in very few hunting associations. However, those that use it have had good experiences with it. The forest owners’ argument: trust is good, control is better.
Physical Proof to Become Mandatory
In red areas, physical proof is to become mandatory in the future. Christian Kaul from the Bavarian Forest Owners Association wrote in response to a BR24 inquiry: “We see this as a very important confidence-building measure and not a sanction. We therefore generally recommend our members to work towards the introduction of physical proof.” Forestry Minister Michaela Kaniber also welcomes this: “This proof of cull will be legally enshrined for the first time, and that’s a good thing.”
Bund Naturschutz: “This is too late!”
In contrast, Felix Hälbich from the Bund Naturschutz (Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union) criticizes: “The physical proof will come – if at all – only in 2031. That is too late! Furthermore, the proof of cull is only supposed to come into effect if a red area seeks an exemption from the culling plan, but not generally.” Indeed, it is planned to make physical proof mandatory only for hunting grounds classified as red in the 2028 and 2031 forestry assessments. The Bavarian Hunting Association did not wish to comment on what it thinks of mandatory physical proof in response to BR24’s inquiry.
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