8 April 2026, 08:11

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Crime & Hunting

Hobby hunter fired at soldiers during military exercise

German and Austrian soldiers from the Jagdkommando were training in the forest when they encountered a 68-year-old hobby hunter.

Editorial Wild beim Wild — 11 September 2024

Feeling threatened by individuals in camouflage clothing, a 68-year-old hobby hunter fired a shot from her rifle over the weekend in a forest near Friesach in Austria.

The reason for the perceived threat turned out, on closer inspection, to be harmless: the individuals in question were soldiers of the German Bundeswehr conducting a military exercise.

Weapons ban imposed

Police had been called to the forest. The 68-year-old had fired a live round — whether she had aimed in the direction of the military personnel or fired into the air had not yet been established and was the subject of an ongoing investigation. In any case, a provisional weapons ban was imposed on the hobby hunter.

The exercise has been taking place in the St. Veit district since last week, with soldiers from the Austrian Armed Forces participating alongside members of the German Bundeswehr. The exercise had already been conducted in Carinthia on several previous occasions and had, as required, been duly registered with the district authority of St. Veit by the Armed Forces.

More on the topic of hobby hunting: In our Dossier on Hunting we compile fact-checks, analyses and background reports.

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