Germany: Hunting association calls for bow hunting

Bow hunting as a new method

The Hunting Association of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is urging the responsible Ministry of the Environment to permit hobby hunting with bow and arrow.

“Hunting is changing, and it is increasingly necessary to hunt in areas where the use of firearms can pose a not inconsiderable risk,” the hunting association stated in the course of discussions on the amendment of the state hunting law. This applies in particular to areas where people and wild animals come into closer contact, such as in tourist-developed regions.

However, in the association's view, it is not only bystanders who could be exposed to lesser danger through the use of bow and arrow. With an eye on the expansion of renewable energies, solar parks are also cited as potential hunting grounds where firearms are unsuitable. The risk potential of bow hunting is to be assessed as considerably lower in certain hunting situations, partly due to the shorter range, according to the hobby hunters.

Animal welfare concerns

The association sees only a minor risk of unnecessary suffering for the animals. According to international studies, the effect of hunting arrows and bows on the animal body is said to be on a par with the use of firearms. Were Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to permit this form of hunting, it would moreover not be alone: according to the information provided, 19 European countries have already authorised bow hunting.

From the hunting association's perspective, invasive animal species in particular would be considered as targets for this hunting method: these include raccoons, nutria, raccoon dogs and Egyptian geese. The hobby hunters are, however, raising for discussion whether wild boar and foxes might also be hunted in this manner, as these species, according to the hobby hunters, are increasingly causing conflicts. More on the subject of animal welfare issues.

Generally speaking, the average success rate of bow hunters in America is around 10%.Bow Hunting Studies America