Austria: 1’100 hares killed daily
Popular initiative calls for suspension of hunting in flood-affected areas and demands an ecological hunting reform
In Austria, more than 100’000 hares are shot every year, primarily during driven hunts, despite the species' sharp decline over recent decades.
During the three-month hunting season — starting 1 or 16 October depending on the federal state — more than 1’100 hares are shot per day on average. In the past hunting year, 104’250 hares were killed, nearly 50’000 of them in Lower Austria, 28’000 in Upper Austria and 20’000 in Burgenland. In addition, this hobby hunting pollutes the environment with tonnes of toxic lead. The popular initiative «For a Federal Hunting Law» demands a fundamental hunting reform in the direction of animal and nature protection.
This year, the situation for hares has deteriorated further due to the consequences of the flooding. Many animals fell victim to the floodwaters, placing additional strain on an already precarious situation. – Prof. Dr. Rudolf Winkelmayer, authorized representative of the popular initiative «For a Federal Hunting Law»
Decades of decline
The European hare has been in decline across Europe for decades. Causes of the decline include intensive agriculture, the use of chemicals, loss and fragmentation of habitats, and increasing road traffic. Hobby hunting as population control further exacerbates the situation.
Recreational hunters themselves lament the sharp decline of species in the agricultural landscape, including the grey partridge and the European hare. The hare could even “disappear from our landscape,” warned the Lower Austrian State Hunting Association, among others. In stark contradiction to this, 104’250 hares were killed in the last hunting year — 17% more than in 2021/22.
«It is commendable that the recreational hunters verbally acknowledge that the European hare urgently needs protection. It is absolutely incomprehensible that they then take up their lead-shot shotguns to go on driven hunts, taking the lives of more than 100’000 hares», says hunting expert Winkelmayer.
Cruel Driven Hunts
The hunting season runs from October to December, and recreational hunting is mostly carried out through driven hunts with human beaters and dogs. The hares are first frightened and then, while fleeing, are very often only poorly hit. Many animals are merely wounded and suffer until they are seized by “hunting dogs” and brought to the hobby hunters. Hares that are still alive at that point are beaten to death.
And it is not only the hares that suffer from the hobby hunters’ desire for large kill counts. In order to shoot as many long-ears as possible in autumn, animals (such as foxes) that include hares in their prey spectrum are relentlessly persecuted throughout the entire year — without any closed seasons and even with traps. The animal welfare problem of recreational hunting is particularly evident here.
In light of the current situation, the initiative behind the citizens’ petition “For a Federal Hunting Act” is urgently calling for the suspension of driven hunts on European hares this year.
The citizens’ petition has formulated 14 principles to be enshrined in a Federal Hunting Act. Declarations of support for the petition can be submitted by all persons eligible to vote in Austria at any district or municipal office, as well as online around the clock using ID Austria.
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