Hunting in Germany

Like many people in the whole world I like to go out hunting. But hunting in German is much different from hunting in e.g. the U.SA. or many other countries.

Final ceremony with horn blowers of a hunting event in the state forest 

Getting a hunting license

First it´s not easy at all to get a hunting license in Germany. You only get one if you have an absolutely clean criminal record. That mainly comes from German authorties beeing very timid of firearms in citizen's hand. Furthermore you have to attend a long course and pass a difficult test. With the testemony of the passed test you finally can apply for your first hunting license.

A young boar tracked down by the hound

But with a German hunting license you still can't get out and hunt. You first need what we call a „hunting occasion“ that means a place where you can hunt. In Germany hunting isn't free to all licence owners like in countries where they have a license system.

Hunting grounds

In Germany the right to hunt belongs to the ownership of real estate. Estates of a certain size form a hunting ground where the landlord can hunt if he has a license. Otherwise he can have a person with a license hire the right to hunt. Estates which are to small too be hunting grounds of their own are put together to common hunting grounds which the owners of the parts collectively let to one or more hunters and share the proceeds.

Hunting for boar in the cornfields in summer

So you normally become a gamekeeper if you rent a hunting ground from the owners of the real estate or have an estate of your own which is big enough to form a hunting ground of its own. But beeing a gamekeeper in Germany not only means to have the right to hunt in your hunting ground but also that you are responsible for your game too. You have to manage the wildlife stock which means that your are responsible that there is neither to much nor to few game.

In most cases you are responsible for damage done to agriculture and forest by certain game like boar and (roe)deer too. If you can't prevent the damage by shooting enough you have to pay for the damage. There are also shooting plans set up for three years which you have to fullfill.

Hunting occasions 

To be allowed to hire a hunting ground you need to have had a license for at least three years. As long as you dont had, ou need a gamekeeper who allows you to hunt on his hunting ground. Hence running a hunting ground means a lot of work, it's in most cases not to difficult to find such a hunting occasion.

Tracking down wounded game with the hound

In rural areas like the one where I live it is common that hunters who help a gamekeeper with his hunting ground are allowed to hunt for free. These hunters are not allowed to keep the game they shoot because it becomes property of the gamekeeper. If they want it for their own they have to buy it it from him. 

I got one!

In hunting grounds with more interesting game like red deer you usually have to pay for your hunting occassion as well as in the surroundings of big cities and congested urban areas where there are more hunters than hunting grounds.

Hunting in the state forest

Since the right to hunt belongs to the owner of the real estate the state has the right to hunt in the state forests. Therefore hunting is part of the duty of the German forest rangers. Normally a forest ranger is responsible for the silvicultural things in his district as well as for the gamekeeping. He is allowed to and frequentl does invite hunters to help him with the hunting. There are bigger and smaller hunting events to with the forest rangers invite private hunters and colleagues as well. These huntings are held especially in fall and winter and always end up in a nearby inn as hhunting in Germany often does.

Three pieces of female roedeer: A buddy of meine got them within a bit more than half an hour at the edge of a rape field 

Nowadays it has become common that the forest authority also has private hunters hire hunting grounds because they rather get money for having the hunting done than to pay the forest rangers for doing it although the time the forest rangers spent on hunting doesnt count as working time. U can also have pay-for-hunting-occassion in the state which are like the hunting occassions in private hunting grounds. This is cheeper than hiring a hunting ground but you has to deliver th game you shoot or buy it per weight.