Stop fox hunting – write to the Glarus cantonal council

In June 2026, the canton of Glarus rejected the petition for a scientific review of fox hunting – citing federal competence, without naming a single study. The response from Landammann Dr Markus Heer comprises three paragraphs. The open letter from IG Wild beim Wild, containing seven specific questions and a two-week deadline, received no reply. Cantonal council elections took place on 14 June 2026; the new list of members for 2026–2030 will be published in the coming weeks.

Important: Please do not write to everyone at once. Choose 1–2 people who represent you as a resident, and write to them personally from your own email program.

Template letter – copy this text into your email program

Subject: Fox hunting in Glarus – please take action

Dear Ms [Name] / Dear Mr [Name]

I am writing to you directly as a citizen, because the practice of fox hunting in our canton concerns me.

In June 2026, the Glarus government council rejected the petition for a scientific review of fox hunting in three paragraphs, without citing a single study. The reference to federal law answers the wrong question: no federal act compels the canton of Glarus to shoot foxes. The petition did not ask whether it is permitted, but whether it is necessary and expedient.

The research is unambiguous: compensation effects quickly offset the kills – higher birth rates, immigration (Baker & Harris 2006; Rushton et al. 2006; Kämmerle et al. 2019). The canton of Lucerne, the only canton to collect disease data from killed foxes, shows that of 2,217 foxes killed, only 39 had a disease finding – over 98 percent were healthy. In the case of the fox tapeworm, hunting is even counterproductive: a French study (Comte et al. 2017) showed that intensive hunting raised the prevalence from 44 to 55 percent. In Luxembourg, it fell from around 40 to below 20 percent after the hunting ban in 2015.

Foxes also protect against tick-borne diseases: they regulate rodents that serve as Lyme disease reservoirs. Anyone who shoots foxes weakens this protective barrier. The Swiss National Park has been hunting-free since 1914 – over a hundred years, no population explosion, no epidemic problems. The canton of Geneva has managed without hobby hunting since 1974, with wildlife management costing around one million francs per year.

The canton of Zug was the only canton to commission an independent study from SWILD in 2025. The result (May 2026): fox hunting regulates nothing, does not improve disease control, and non-lethal methods are superior. Glarus could take the same path.

The canton of Geneva has managed without hobby hunting since 1974 – and thus effectively also without fox hunting: only state game wardens are permitted to intervene there, with not a single regulatory kill in the last two years.

I ask you to advocate in the cantonal council for a scientifically grounded review of fox hunting – instead of pointing to federal competence when the federal government itself leaves room for action.

Kind regards
[Your name]
[Your place of residence]

What was decided in the canton of Glarus

Landammann Dr Markus Heer responded in June 2026 to Pascal Wolf's petition with three paragraphs. The core message: the federal government permits hunting, so everything is in order. Scientific studies were not mentioned. The IG Wild beim Wild then sent an open letter with seven specific questions to Landammann Heer and set a deadline of two weeks. No reply was received.

The canton of Zug used the same room for action and commissioned an independent study. The result: fox hunting cannot be scientifically justified. Glarus did not take this path – and remains silent when asked.

The seven questions to the Glarus cantonal government

The open letter from the IG Wild beim Wild to Landammann Heer posed the following questions, to which no answer was given:

1. «No indications» – but no source: On what data is the finding based that fox hunting does not contradict sustainability? Has the canton ever reviewed the scientific literature?

2. «May» is not «must»: Federal law permits fox hunting. It does not require it. Why does the cantonal government answer a question that no one asked – and leave the question that was asked unanswered?

3. The scientific evidence: Compensation effects in fox hunting have been documented for decades. Lucerne shows: over 98 per cent of the foxes killed were healthy. Luxembourg: fox tapeworm prevalence fell from 40 to 25 per cent after a ban. Was the cantonal government aware of this evidence?

4. Hunting-free areas as a practical test: Canton of Geneva – without hobby hunting since 1974, one million francs per year, none of the predicted problems. Swiss National Park – hunting-free since 1914, documented over more than a hundred years. Did the cantonal government take these experiences into account?

5. Voices from within the hunting community: Zurich hobby hunter Franz Balmer: «We harm the reputation of hunting more than we benefit it.» Wildlife biologist Sandra Gloor: shooting a fox achieves «absolutely nothing». Former president of the Grisons hunting community Robert Brunold: «Low hunting is not necessary.» On what does the Glarus cantonal government base its contrary certainty?

6. Animal Welfare Act: Art. 4 para. 2 of the Animal Welfare Act prohibits inflicting unjustified suffering on animals. How does the canton justify the annual killing of foxes when it expressly refuses to examine its usefulness?

7. Health risk: Foxes regulate rodents as tick reservoirs and thus protect against Lyme disease. Intensive fox hunting increases the prevalence of the fox tapeworm, according to research. Rabies was defeated by vaccine bait, not by hunting. So anyone who claims that fox hunting serves to protect health must explain why the same hunting could not contain rabies, whereas the vaccine bait did.

The full letter in its original wording: Open letter to the Glarus Landammann

What science says

Population regulation: Compensation effects quickly offset kills (Baker et al. 2002; Kämmerle et al. 2019; Rushton et al. 2006). Even killing three quarters of a population is offset the following year.

Rabies: It was not hunting but vaccine-bait programmes from 1978 onwards that defeated rabies. Lethal methods can intensify epidemics.

Fox tapeworm: Intensive hunting increases prevalence (Comte et al. 2017). In Luxembourg it fell from 40 to under 20 per cent after the ban in 2015.

Lyme disease: Foxes regulate rodents as tick reservoirs. In areas with higher predator activity, 10–20 per cent fewer tick-carrying rodents occur (Hofmeester et al., Proc. Royal Soc. B).

National Park / Geneva: Hunting-free since 1914 and 1974 respectively – no population explosions, no worse disease situation.

Full overview of studies: Studies: The impact of hobby hunting on wild animals

Members of the Glarus Landrat – contacts

The Glarus Landrat does not publish e-mail addresses in the official members' list. Current contact details (2026–2030 legislative term) at gl.ch/parlament/landrat.

SP

Grünenfelder Priska – Kistler Benjamin – Steinmann Sabine – Zingg Samuel – Küng Sarah – Kälin Werner – Isenegger Rahel Nassim

Greens / Young Greens

Weibel Kaj – Grossenbacher Marius – Keller Regula N. – Keller Sven – Schriber Cinia – Zopfi Mathias

GLP

Müller Wahl Priska – Landolt Franz – Landolt Rüegg Nadine – Schwitter Ruedi – Birkeland Nils

Die Mitte

Schrepfer-Landolt Liliane – Stüssi Dominique – Gallati Bruno – Noser Beat – Rimini Luca – Schwitter Cyrill – Schubiger Hans – Leuzinger Pedro – Luchsinger Andreas – Trummer Andrea – Elmer Euphemia – Vögeli Andreas

FDP

Meier Jud Gabriela – Heer Albert – Laager Michael – Haller Philippe – Goethe Remo – Goethe Roland – Jenny Hans – Jenny Jacqueline – Hug Rafaela – Zopfi Martin – Muggli Stephan

SVP

Staub-Tremp Fridolin – Küng Emil (President) – Hager Adrian – Krieg Kaspar – Rothlin Peter – Schnyder Stefan – Carrara Yvonne – Koller Edwin – Zehnder Roman – Schnyder Matthias – Blumer Rolf – Freuler Franz – Schnyder Markus – Glarner Reto – Gisler Toni – Baumgartner Martin – Vögeli Barbara – Rhyner Barbara

Source: gl.ch/parlament/landrat, as of June 2026. The new cantonal council list 2026–2030 will be published after the constituent session.