The draft of the new state hunting law presented by the Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of the Environment Eder (Greens), and praised as trend-setting for the Federal Republic, is met with great rejection by associations and hunters.

Thus not only the German hunt federation, the regional hunt federations, the federation of the occupation hunters, the hunt supervisor federation and many further federations, but also international hunt federations go on the barricades.

After all, hunting as we know it is to be completely undermined and counteracted.

The district system and the independent hunting practice as well as the preservation of the game are to give way to a national central planned economy. The hunt-exercisers are used only as fulfilment-assistants of a national forestry.

The mother animal protection is to be softened and leading parents animals are to be shot contrary to animal protection already starting from 1 November. Often the offspring are not yet completed in your development at this time and require compellingly the guidance of the parent animal.

Fallow deer and mouflon may only be managed in tolerated areas, outside of which they are threatened with total culling, regardless of the hunting season. Failure to comply will even have consequences for the hunters.

The hunting ground system will be reduced to absurdity. The hunt tenants are to be obligated to issue a free hunting permit to all property owners. According to Ms. Eder, this would strengthen the rights of landowners. The opposite is the case, if everyone may hunt also nobody is responsible! How is a uniform Hege and a reasonable planning to take place if in a district suddenly a multiple at hunters appears? Who represents then still the interests of the game?

A professional wildlife management is not possible. Nevertheless, the tenants should continue to be liable. At your expense, third parties are hunting in your hunting ground at any time. In the worst case (the hunting cooperatives are virtually forced to do this), the lease can be terminated without notice if the silvicultural objective is significantly endangered. The damage if only a reduced lease price would be obtained with the new lease, would be debited to the old tenants. A with these reprisals by all means not improbable scenario!

Animal ethics, animal protection and rights of the hunters become with this draft with feet trampled.

The waidmännische principle of the Hege and the co-operation for the reaching of a species-rich, healthy and to the national culture adapted game existence is not only prevented but consciously by the culture forest before game and the conflict creation between hunter shank and landowners replaced. Do not forget, we hunters are the lawyers of the game!

You can find a complete version of the law at: https://mkuem.rlp.de/service/fragen-und-antworten-faq/landesjagdgesetz

Support therefore the efforts and campaigns of the DJV https://www.jagdverband.de/ and the LJV Rhineland-Palatinate https://ljv-rlp.de/ and fight for our game and our hunt!