Cloven-hoofed game refers to all wild animals living in the wild, which are subject to hunting rights and which are cloven-hoofed. The claws are called shells in the hunter's language.

The cloven-hoofed game includes: Roe deer, wild boar, fallow deer, red deer, sika deer, chamois, rock deer, mouflon, elk and bison (European bison).

Except for roe deer, all cloven-hoofed game belongs to big game. Wild boar is special in several respects. First, it is the only cloven-hoofed game species that does not belong to the ruminants but to the omnivores. Second, it is the only game species that cannot be assigned to the bovids or cervids. Finally, due to the strong population and the imminent danger of African swine fever, there are currently no closed seasons for wild boar in Germany.

Cervids are antlered animals, to which deer and fallow deer belong. In cervids, only males grow antlers annually as frontal arms, which are shed during the year. Cervids include roe deer, fallow deer, red deer, elk and sika deer.

In bovids, both male and female animals grow horns, which are not shed but continue to grow throughout life. Chamois, rock deer, mouflon and bison are bovids.