Saxony: Saxony’s hunters have no problems with young talent

Saxony
Saxony’s hunters have no problems with recruiting young people

October 13, 2024, 6:11 a.m

“Hunting is ten percent chance and 90 percent luck,” is a humorous hunter saying. The guild is not without worries, but it does not have one problem: a lack of young talent.

Dresden (dpa / sn) – Waidmannsglück: The interest in hunting is unbroken and brings the Saxon hunters a lot of popularity. “We don’t have a problem with young talent. There is a boom nationwide,” said Martin Wißmann, managing director of the Saxony State Hunting Association, to the German Press Agency. The reasons are different.

“Some people want to have particularly organic meat on their plate – and that is game meat,” said the managing director, who is himself a passionate hunter. “Others combine hunting with a nature experience and want to relax in the forest. For many it will be a mixture of both motives.”

The number of hunters is continually increasing

According to the state hunting association, the number of hunters in the Free State has risen steadily in recent years. According to this, at the end of 2022 there were still 13,849 hunting license holders registered, and within a year the number rose to 14,244. The proportion of women is 10.5 percent. Saxony is thus following a nationwide trend. You can get training here in more than two dozen hunting schools.

In Saxony, 30 species of furred game and 108 species of feathered game were subject to hunting rights. Of these, 49 game species can currently be hunted. Species such as wolves, otters, black deer and birds of prey are taboo. Closed seasons apply to some species, such as red deer and roe deer. Wild boars can be hunted all year round. There are only shooting plans for red deer, fallow deer and mouflon.

Ministry considers reduction of game populations to be essential

The Saxon Forestry Ministry with the state-owned company Sachsenforst regulates game populations by hunting the essentials – especially so-called hoofed game, which includes red deer, fallow deer, roe deer, mouflon and wild boar. The ministry argues that large predators are largely missing and that local game has favorable habitats and plenty of food.

“Especially for urgent forest conversion, it remains necessary to adapt regionally excessive game populations so that the forest can rejuvenate without significant technical wildlife protection measures,” explained a ministry spokesman, but also cited culinary motives. Venison is a “particularly valuable because it is completely natural and low in fat”.

Hunting association rejected strong deer control

The state hunting association rejected the strong fight against red deer. “With this more than dubious approach, an attempt was made to get supposedly massive damage to game under control solely through increased shooting and the resulting minimal decimation of red deer and thus to advance climate-friendly forest conversion.” However, the massive damage caused by hoofed game, which is repeatedly cited, is “little credible and currently not proven”.

The hunters are also critical of the Federal Ministry of the Interior’s planned violation of firearms rights and the ban on knives. The protected status of wolves and the release of lynxes into the wild in the Western Ore Mountains are met with dissatisfaction.

Hunters demand effective wolf population management

“Reducing the protection status of the wolf can only be the beginning and a first small step. “That is by no means sufficient,” said Wißmann. Legally secure regulations are also needed in Saxony in order to be able to carry out effective inventory management. “Hunting is an essential part of this management here – especially since the wolf was included in Saxon hunting law in 2012.”

In addition, the state hunting association complains about the lack of support for hunting by the Free State of Saxony and sees local hunters at a disadvantage as a result. An example is the hunting support program “InfraWild” in Baden-Württemberg, through which hunters in many areas receive state subsidies.