Fair Chase: Technical Aids Under Scrutiny

The Glarus cantonal government responds to the interpellation submitted by regional councillor Karl Stadler of Schwändi,«Technical Aids in the Practice of Hunting».

The matter concerns the use of technical aids in recreational hunting and the question of the extent to which these are compatible with the principle of fair and ethical hunting conduct.

Technical Aids in Recreational Hunting

The following technical aids are used in recreational hunting in addition to mobile phones, etc.:

• Camera traps: Camera traps are cameras in which the shutter is triggered by motion. They store photos and videos on memory cards and/or transmit them directly to a recipient. Camera traps have been used for years to monitor and assess wildlife populations. They show hunters the presence of game and, depending on the model, in real time whether game is currently in the area. This additional information allows hunters to adapt their hunting strategy accordingly and increase their chances of success.
• Drones: Drones are unmanned, remotely controlled aircraft that can also be equipped with cameras. They can be purchased without any special requirements. In hunting, they can be used to locate game that is in difficult-to-survey or inaccessible terrain and is therefore hard or impossible to spot from the ground. It is conceivable that a skilled drone pilot could also use the device to flush out game.
• Night vision and thermal imaging devices: One type of device uses residual light amplifiers, allowing animals to be observed at night in low-light conditions. Another type uses heat sensors to produce a thermal image of the surroundings. Such devices are available for purchase on the open market today. The animals are thus made visible at night or in fog by emitting their body heat. When hunting, these devices help to detect animals at night when they are not perceptible to the human eye. They can also be helpful when searching for shot animals. There are rifle scopes with built-in night vision or thermal imaging devices, or these devices can be mounted onto rifle scopes using adapters. Such night vision aiming devices, which enable shots to be fired even in darkness, are prohibited.

How does the cantonal government assess the compatibility of these developments with the required ethical hunting conduct?

Response of the Cantonal Government

New technical aids do not necessarily have to violate the principles of ethical hunting conduct. Camera traps provide valuable information on the occurrence of wildlife outside of the hunting season. For instance, wolf images have been submitted to the hunting authority on several occasions by private individuals. Night vision and especially thermal imaging devices can also help calm the habitat prior to hunting, as hunters can observe animals from a great distance without having to enter their resting areas. In addition, thermal imaging can support the work of tracking dog handlers during searches for wounded game. Both camera traps and night vision and thermal imaging devices can contribute to more efficient hunting. If this increase in efficiency means that the necessary kills can be made in a shorter period of time, this would result in a shorter hunting season and thus less disturbance for wildlife. This would be welcomed from the perspective of ethical hunting conduct. Drones, on the other hand, directly disturb wildlife and can be used as “beaters from the air.” The cantonal government considers this to be contrary to ethical hunting conduct.

Is the cantonal government prepared to review the hunting regulations and, if necessary, to prohibit or restrict the use of new technical aids such as camera traps, drones, or thermal imaging devices during hunting?

Cantonal Differences in Regulation

The canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden prohibits camera traps. The canton of Graubünden prohibits carrying camera traps, drones, and residual light amplifiers during hunting. Carrying thermal imaging devices is permitted. The canton of Nidwalden prohibits camera traps and surveillance cameras (or requires a permit for them) as well as aircraft, including drones. The canton of Obwalden also has a drone ban for hunting purposes, and camera traps require a permit. The canton of St. Gallen also prohibits drones for hunting. There are no restrictions on the use of aids during hunting in the cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden, Bern, Glarus, Schwyz, Uri, Valais, and Zug.

The following aids and methods may not be used for hunting pursuant to Art. 2 of the Federal Hunting Ordinance :

• a. Traps, except box traps for live capture, provided these are checked daily;
• b. Snares, wire cables, nets, lime sticks, and hooks;
• c. for earth hunting: gassing and smoking out animal dens, digging out badgers, the use of tongs and drills, firing drive shots, and simultaneously using more than one dog per den;
• d. live animals used as bait;
• e. electronic sound playback devices for luring animals, electric shock devices, artificial light sources, mirrors or other dazzling devices, as well as laser sighting devices, night-vision sighting devices, and device combinations with comparable functions;
• f. Explosives, pyrotechnic articles, poison, narcotics, and poisoned or narcotic baits;
• g. Crossbows, longbows, slings, spears, lances, knives, air rifles, and air pistols;
• h. Semi-automatic weapons with a magazine of more than two cartridges, shotguns with a calibre of more than 18.2 mm (calibre 12), automatic firearms, and handguns;
• i. Firearms: 1. whose barrel is shorter than 45 cm, 2. whose stock is foldable, telescopically extendable, or not firmly connected to the action, 3. whose barrel can be unscrewed, 4. which are equipped with an integrated or attachable silencer;
• j. shooting from motorboats whose output exceeds 6 kW, except to prevent damage to deployed fishing gear in the course of commercial fishing;
• k. shooting from moving motor vehicles, aerial cableways, funicular railways, chairlifts and ski lifts, as well as railways and aircraft;
• l. for waterfowl hunting: lead shot.

The IG Wild beim Wild is firmly convinced that technical aids should only be in the hands of well-trained wildlife wardens, as is the case in the Canton of Geneva!