Swiss Hunting Statistics 2024: What the Federal Figures Show
The Federal Hunting Statistics document the reported kills and animals found dead of numerous wild mammal and bird species in Switzerland. For 2024 they record 137’595 wild animals killed, 4’711 more in the "kill" category than the previous year. This dossier is part of Wild beim Wild's annual analysis; method, background and demands are set out in the 2025 hunting statistics dossier.
Those who want to dig deeper will find the most comprehensive body of material in our dossier overview.
What awaits you here
- The balance sheet: Wild animals killed in 2024 compared with 2023.
- Endangered species: Which Red List species were shot.
- Fox and badger: The differences between the cantons.
- Geneva: Animals found dead and wild boar damage in the canton without recreational hunting.
- Bird hunting: Crows, pigeons, ducks and jays.
- Wounded and perished: Animals with gunshot injuries.
- Protected species: Special kills of protected species.
- Data gaps: What the federal statistics do not explain.
- What would need to change: The key demands.
- Arguments and quick links: Answers to common claims, further articles and the other years.
137’595 wild animals killed: the 2024 balance sheet
In 2024 the federal statistics recorded 129’225 wild animals in the "kill" category (2023: 124’514) and 8’370 as "special kill" (2023: 8’354). A further 39’764 animals were found dead as fallen game. The reported number of active hunters was 29’392.
| Species | Kill 2024 | Special kill 2024 | Fallen game 2024 | Kill 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roe deer | 42’404 | 406 | 15’509 | 43’545 |
| Red fox | 19’797 | 1’690 | 12’799 | 16’714 |
| Red deer | 13’627 | 252 | 1’398 | 13’208 |
| Wild boar | 11’515 | 1’451 | 802 | 8’574 |
| Chamois | 9’780 | 83 | 1’388 | 10’193 |
| Marmot | 4’593 | 1’300 | 76 | 5’093 |
| Badger | 2’887 | 740 | 4’195 | 2’997 |
Endangered species in the crosshairs
| Species | CH status | Killed 2024 | Main cantons | Killed 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodcock | vulnerable (VU) | 2’120 | TI 1’864, VD 67, NE 65 | 1’157 |
| European hare | vulnerable (VU) | 1’420 | GR 920, VS 384, AG 29 | 1’645 |
| Mountain hare | near threatened (NT) | 828 | GR 644, VS 86, TI 58 | 837 |
| Black grouse | NT, national priority | 445 | VS 188, TI 166, GR 85 | 350 |
| Rock ptarmigan | NT, national priority | 282 | GR 203, VS 45, UR 34 | 244 |
| Eurasian teal | vulnerable (VU) | 67 | FR 30, SG 24, TG 5 | 79 |
| Tufted duck | vulnerable (VU) | 65 | OW 18, BE 16, UR 10 | 52 |
| Common pochard | endangered (EN) | 46 | AG 13, BE 11, TG 11 | 21 |
| Great crested grebe | NT, national priority | 30 | OW 14, SG 10, NW 4 | 33 |
| Gadwall | vulnerable (VU) | 8 | TG 4, SG 2, AG 1 | 5 |
| Northern shoveler | vulnerable (VU) | 3 | LU 2, TG 1 | 0 |
"Killed" comprises "kill" and "special kill". For the woodcock, 1’864 of the 2’120 kills come from Ticino. For the brown hare, 920 of 1’420 are in Grisons. For birds, the classifications refer to Swiss breeding populations; the statistics do not allow us to determine what share of the kills involves migratory or wintering birds. Background: dossiers on Woodcock, on the European hare, on the mountain hare, on the Rock ptarmigan and on the waterfowl.
Fox and badger: large differences between the cantons
| Canton | Foxes killed | Special kill | Total per 100 km² | Fallen game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bern | 2’499 | 459 | 49,6 | 3’542 |
| Lucerne | 2’239 | 44 | 152,9 | 531 |
| Grisons | 2’018 | 113 | 30,0 | 681 |
| Aargau | 1’986 | 0 | 141,5 | 1’359 |
| Appenzell Outer Rhodes | 388 | 14 | 165,4 | 129 |
| Geneva | 0 | 0 | 0,0 | 209 |
| Ticino | 90 | 78 | 6,0 | 69 |
The most foxes per area were killed in Appenzell Outer Rhodes (165.4 per 100 km²), roughly 27 times as many as in Ticino (6.0). Why Ticino hardly shoots any foxes is explained in the 2025 dossier. For badgers, Bern reported 1’187 animals as fallen game, while 437 were killed. Background: Fox dossier and Badger dossier.
Geneva: no recreational hunting since 1974
In Geneva, 209 foxes were found dead in 2024, 74.1 per 100 km². By comparison: Aargau 96.8, Bern 59.4, Thurgau 71.7, Zurich 82.1. Fallen game also depends on traffic; the reported figures do not substantiate a "fox plague" in Geneva.
For wild boar damage, Geneva reported 128,000 francs, Vaud 648,235 and Aargau 615,674. Per km² of cantonal area, Geneva came second out of 19 cantons reporting damage, at 454 francs; Basel-Landschaft topped the list with 773 francs. These comparisons describe reported figures and, taken alone, do not prove that hunting has any effect. More: Geneva and the hunting ban.
Bird hunting: crows, pigeons, ducks and jays
In 2024, 22,982 birds of huntable species were killed (2023: 23,149).
| Species | Killed 2024 | Cantons of note |
|---|---|---|
| Carrion crow | 7’024 | ZH 1,321, AG 1,127, BE 757 |
| Mallard | 3’838 | BE 616, SG 499, VD 442 |
| Feral pigeon | 3’798 | ZH 1,854, BS 280, LU 244 |
| Woodcock | 2’120 | TI 1’864, VD 67, NE 65 |
| Cormorant | 1’755 | BE 223, SG 176, JU 159 |
| Jay | 1’125 | TI 422, GR 212, VS 129 |
| Wood pigeon | 962 | JU 194, BL 133, NE 123 |
| Magpie | 674 | BE 141, AG 67, GR 61 |
In the case of the Eurasian jay, a bird that is not endangered but is important for dispersing tree seeds, 422 kills were recorded in Ticino. More in the dossiers on Jay, on corvids and on the pigeons.
Shot and died
For the mammal species analysed, the 2024 statistics list 333 animals with "gunshot wounds" as the cause of death: roe deer 124, red fox 87, wild boar 65, red deer 29, chamois 21, badger 7. Only animals that were found are recorded.
Protected species in the special kill
In 2024, the cantons reported special kills of protected species, including 21 mute swans, 18 beavers, 13 grey herons, 2 greylag geese and 1 yellow-legged gull. For wolf, lynx and bear, the public database query returns no results. Wolf kills are documented by the wolf counter.
Data gaps: what the federal statistics do not explain
Whether a zero conceals a missing report cannot be determined from the query alone. The following need explaining:
- Valais: The federal statistics record no fallen game for the fox, as in every year since 2016.
- Basel-Landschaft and Vaud: No figure given for the number of hunters.
- Ticino: zero brown hares killed, compared with 51 before and 33 after.
- Zurich: zero collared doves killed (2023: 50).
The method of the analysis is described in the 2025 dossier.
What needs to change
- No recreational hunting of endangered species: Woodcock, brown hare, mountain hare, black grouse, rock ptarmigan and endangered duck species must be removed from the list of huntable species.
- Complete and uniform reporting: All cantons must report kills, special kills and fallen game without gaps, and publicly explain any gaps.
- Professional wildlife management: Where interventions are necessary, trained game wardens should carry them out. The full demands can be found in the 2025 dossier.
Talking points
“Endangered species are only hunted in moderation.” In 2024, 2,120 woodcocks and 1,420 brown hares were killed; both species are classed as vulnerable in Switzerland.
“Without fox hunting, there would be a fox plague.” In Geneva, where hunting has been banned since 1974, 74.1 foxes per 100 km² were found dead in 2024. In Aargau and Zurich, where hundreds to thousands of foxes are shot every year, the figure was higher.
“Wounded animals are isolated cases.” The animals found with gunshot wounds in 2024 alone add up to 333. Animals that die undiscovered appear in no statistic.
Quick links
Editions of the hunting statistics:
- Swiss Hunting Statistics 2025
- Swiss Hunting Statistics 2023
- Swiss Hunting Statistics 2022
- Swiss Hunting Statistics 2021
Related dossiers:
- Hunting in Switzerland: figures, systems and myths
- Fox Switzerland: the most hunted predator without a lobby
- Woodcock Switzerland: Endangered, hunted and ignored
- Brown hare Switzerland: Endangered, hunted and ignored
- Geneva and the hunting ban
- What recreational hunting really costs Switzerland
- Hunting Fact Check
sources
- FOEN, Swiss Federal Hunting Statistics, 2023 and 2024 editions, queried on 21.10.2026 (jagdstatistik.ch)
- FOEN/info fauna: Red List of Mammals, 2022 (bafu.admin.ch)
- FOEN/Swiss Ornithological Institute: Red List of Breeding Birds, 2021 (bafu.admin.ch)
- Federal Statistical Office: Areas of the cantons
Our Standard
IG Wild beim Wild analyses the Swiss Federal Hunting Statistics in full every year and compares the annual editions with one another. Behind every number stands a non-human animal that was killed, wounded by a shot or run over. This dossier will be updated when the federal government supplies or corrects figures for 2024.
More on the topic of recreational hunting: in our hunting dossier we bring together fact checks, analyses and background reports.