Göschenen: Recreational hunter convicted of threatening a hunting warden

A recreational hunter from the canton of Uri allegedly pointed his rifle at a game warden for several seconds in September 2025, in the Lochstafel area of Göschenen. The Uri public prosecutor issued a penalty order against him. The man lodged an objection, and on Monday, 5 October 2026, he appeared before the Uri Cantonal Court in Altdorf. This was reported by the Urner Zeitung.

What the penalty order alleges

According to the penalty order, the game warden observed the recreational hunter and his companion on a Friday morning in mid-September 2025 from the Göscheneralpstrasse, at a distance of around 340 metres. When he noticed that the recreational hunter had pointed the rifle at him, he reportedly took cover behind a car in fear and remained there for around 20 minutes. During that time, he was no longer able to keep watch over the hunting party.

The public prosecutor classified this as violence and threats against authorities and officials under Art. 285 of the Swiss Criminal Code. It imposed a suspended fine of 3,000 francs and a fine of 750 francs, plus procedural costs of 900 francs. Because the recreational hunter did not accept the penalty order, the case went to the Cantonal Court.

Recreational hunter denies the accusation

In court, the man said that during that hunt he had only aimed at a red deer, with the rifle resting on his backpack. He added: «Well, sometimes you do a bit of target practice.» But he said he had never aimed at the game warden.

The game warden was not present at the hearing. According to the sole judge, he had stated in interviews that the recreational hunter had been irritated. The defendant disputed this and suspects personal resentment: during an earlier police check involving a breathalyser test, he had said that such a test should rather be carried out on the game warden. In addition, his hunting group had been successful in red deer hunting, which could provoke envy.

His lawyer described the warden's statements as vague. He had been unable to recall the distinctive silencer on the weapon. Moreover, the warden had checked the group several times without raising any objections, and had therefore “homed in” on them. The lawyer requested an acquittal and that all costs be borne by the canton.

Since 1 February 2025, silencers are no longer listed as a prohibited hunting aid at federal level. Acquisition and possession still require authorisation under weapons law, and cantonal restrictions remain possible.

The verdict: guilty of threatening public officials

The Uri cantonal court has found the recreational hunter guilty. This is reported by the Bote der Urschweiz on 13 October 2026. The court sentences him to a suspended fine for threatening public officials under Art. 285 of the Swiss Criminal Code. The presumption of innocence applies until the ruling becomes final.

Context: weapon handling and hunting oversight

The court did not follow the defendant's account. His statement about occasional “target practice” nevertheless remains noteworthy. It leaves open what targets he was aiming at and under what safety conditions this took place.

Regardless of the specific accusation, a basic safety rule applies when handling firearms: a weapon is never pointed at anything one does not intend to hit. This rule is no mere formality, particularly for recreational hunters carrying loaded weapons in open terrain.

The defence's criticism of repeated inspections also calls for a clear distinction between facts and assumptions. Carrying out inspections is part of a hunting warden's job, and inspections that result in no complaint do not in themselves demonstrate personal ill will. By returning a guilty verdict, the court did not accept the argument of a personal grudge.

Further reading: How hunting oversight is organised in the Pfäffikersee bird reserve. Further cases can be found in the section Crime & hunting.