Hunters' jargon

Hobby hunters speak fluent nonsense.

Wild beim Wild editorial team — 7 August 2023

To prevent a hobby hunter from being overwhelmed by emotion in the face of animal suffering, the primitive “hunters' language” – or idiot-German, or hunters' jargon – has developed over the course of the past centuries.Jägersprache bzw. das Idiotendeutsch oder Jägerlatein entwickelt.

The aim of this hunters' jargon is to express a profound distance between animal and human, in order to play down the act of killing in hunting.

For example, a female roe deer is «addressed» (assessed in terms of age, sex and health), and the bullet is «offered» to her. A «morsel» (last bite) is placed in the «feeder» (mouth) of the killed game, which is then «broken open» (gutted). Foxes do not have young, but a «litter». Blood is «sweat», a wounded animal is «sweated» and «shot sick». A roe deer with a belly shot and entrails hanging out is a «gut-wounded piece of game». The skin of wild animals is called a «blanket». Hobby hunters do not kill animals, but bag a «piece» of game. Corvids, cats etc. are «vermin», and so on and so forth in hunters' Latin.

It is clear to anyone that behind this hunters' jargon lies a degradation and mockery of living beings. Sentient creatures, capable of feeling pain, are thus stripped not only of their lives but also of their last shred of dignity. Hunters' jargon is irrelevant both in everyday use and in a scientific context. It is a disfigurement of the German language.

For thousands of years, humans hunted wild animals mainly during times of climatic hardship. Over time, however, the justification for hunting has changed considerably. Hunting activities once served as a means of obtaining food, clothing, as an economic necessity, for pleasure and as a ritual.

Today, hunting serves the hobby hunter as a way to vent aggression and to unwind in nature.

Today's killing of animals by the modern hobby hunter, by contrast, results mainly from greed, profit-seeking, stupidity, indulgence, indifference, anger, envy, self-importance, ostentation, boastfulness, jealousy, tradition, arrogance, ignorance, avarice, conceit, egoism, resentment and a general disdain for living beings.

In the modern environment, which is largely determined and shaped by humans, it is, according to renowned scientists, researchers, wildlife biologists and case studies, entirely possible and ethically responsible to leave wildlife populations to themselves. The Canton of Geneva has known this modern wildlife management for more than 40 years. What hundreds of hobby hunters used to do badly there is today carried out by a good dozen professional game wardens who intervene regulatorily when necessary and who do not massacre fox, badger, birds and so on according to arbitrary hunting seasons and out of pleasure in killing, inflicting suffering.

Eel stripe: dark stripe on the back of deer species, chamois in summer and on some dogs.
Carrion hunter: a hunter through whose unsportsmanlike hunting practice much game is lost (wasted)
to skin: to remove the hide or pelt, from predatory game and hare-like animals
to drive off: to force the young to leave their habitat, said of furred predatory game
to come down: to leave an elevated place, said of feathered game; to leave a hunting installation such as a high seat or stalking ladder, said of the hunter
to blow off: to end the group hunt with the hunting horn signal "hunt over"
to track: to search the hunting ground for tracks
to dispatch: to kill wounded game with a cold weapon
Reticle (see also: the sight): aiming device in the telescopic sight
to get away: 1. to acquire the target when firing the shot – "I got away well" means the shot went where it was supposed to go; 2. to fall into poor health; gotten away: in poor physical condition; 3. to lose the trail, said of the hunting dog, e.g. during a follow-up search
to fuss over: to praise and stroke a dog for good work
to nod off (see also: to dispatch): to kill injured game after a shot or accident with a bladed weapon (hunting knife = Nicker or Knicker) by a stab into the foramen magnum (nape); for this purpose the head was pressed forward, hence the expression "nodding off"
to fly off: the capercaillie or black grouse flies away
to train: to train the hunting dog
to drive off: to chase away (the old stag "drives off" the younger one, chases him away)[5]
to prepare the trophy: to prepare the hunting trophy, whereby the skull of the game is first exposed, then sawn apart and finally boiled out and bleached.
Kill: number of game according to the kill quota, before and after execution
requiring culling: weak and sick game for the management cull
to flay: to skin wild boar and badger
Reticle: marking in the optics of the telescopic sight (e.g. crosshairs) that enables more precise aiming and estimation of distances
to flush off: to fly away, of feathered game
to train (a bird of prey): to train the bird of prey for hunting[6]
Abtritt: 1. droppings site at the badger's sett; 2. deer sign when the stag cuts off blades of grass with its hooves when stepping
cast antler: the shed antler of cervids (antler-bearing animals)
eight-pointer: a stag with an eight-pointed antler set
to graze: to take in food
feeding mouth: the mouth of most cloven-hoofed game species. The feeding mouth is used to take in browse, i.e. food
browse: refers to the food of cloven-hoofed game, particularly roe deer as well as fallow and red deer, except for wild boar
the ape: the young of the marmot
hind: sexually mature red deer female
to charge: to attack, of game. When a hunter is attacked by a piece of game, one says, "the boar charged me."
to shoulder: to bring the long firearm into the firing position ("to the cheek")
point of impact: 1. the place where the game stood when shot, important for signs of the shot, stalking signs and follow-up search; 2. the entry wound in the body of the game
to identify: to recognise and classify game by species, sex, age and condition. Also applied to plants: to identify a tree = to identify the species and condition of the tree
to position: at a hunt, the positioner assigns the shooters fixed stands
positioner: a hunter familiar with the hunting ground who assigns the hunting guests a fixed place, stand, seat or high seat.
to wait on: the circling of the trained falcon above the falconer or above the dog in anticipation of the quarry
to indicate: the hunting dog shows by its behaviour that it has found something; the pointing dog points
hunter's pack: hunter's rucksack
the Auf: eagle owl
to perch up: to settle or sit down on an elevated place such as a branch, of feathered game and predators; to climb onto one's high seat, of the hunter
to gralloch: to gut, i.e. to cut open the "game brought to the bag" in order to remove the "gralloch"
grallochling break: a break taken during longer driven hunts for reasons of game meat hygiene
gralloch: the entrails as a whole, namely the internal organs located in the large body cavities
to coil up: (also to coil) to gather up the blood-tracking lead in keeping with tradition
opening: the start of the hunting season after the closed season (example: hares are "on" = hares may be hunted)
to break up: to cut open the body of the dead animal
to throw up: suddenly raising the head to locate something, e.g. in response to disturbances, sounds or movements
to eye: to see (with the eye)
brow tine: the lowest tine above the burr on the antlers of deer species
to work out: to follow the track of a wounded animal from the point of impact
to hatch out: to emerge from the egg, in the case of feathered game
to skin out: to skin cloven-hoofed game (exception: wild boar)
to gralloch: to remove the entrails of hares and rabbits
sow: female, sexually mature wild boar
pelt: skin with fur of brown hare (see hare fur) and rabbit, red fox (see red fox fur) and marten, also bird skin
pad marks: deer-related signs from the pads between the cleaves, e.g. dewclaw marks
to bate: the wing-flapping of the flight-eager hunting falcon on the fist or perch
old boar: a strong, old, male wild boar
velvet: highly vascularised protective skin over the antlers or horns during growth
den (the dens): the dwelling of an animal (fox den, badger sett, rabbit warren)
occupied: inhabiting a den (see above). Whether a den is occupied can be recognised by the tracks at the entrance
ears: the ears of a hunting dog with floppy or hanging ears; in these dogs also used to denote age: “in 1st ear” = in the 2nd year of life
falconry (from to bite) or falcon hunting: hunting with the trained bird of prey is one of the oldest forms of hunting, e.g. the falcon kills its prey with a bite to the neck using its falcon tooth
to cover: the mating of all cloven-hoofed game, e.g. of a doe in heat by the stag; the animal that allows itself to be covered “stands” during this process
to confirm (also to locate): determining and identifying game, locations, etc., particularly with red deer by means of deer-related signs
edged (cold) weapons: hunting knife, nicker and similar weapons for hunting
to blow: vocalisation, warning call of the sow (lead sow)
shoulder shot: a shot that hits the shoulder blade of an animal. As it injures the heart, lungs and/or major blood vessels, it leads to immediate death
calling season: mating season of roe deer. The term derives from the lure hunting possible at this time by whistling on a beech leaf or call
call: instrument for calling roe deer
scut: tail of the brown hare and the tip of the brush in the red fox
buck fever or hunting fever: occasional, agitated state of mind of the hunter shortly before and also after the shot at game
bögeln: a hunting dog does not follow the course of a track in a straight line, but in winding lines
brackieren: hunting with far-ranging hounds (Bracken) on at least 1,000 hectares of hunting ground
Brand: anthrax is an infectious disease that occurs mainly in cloven-hoofed animals
brav: 1) brave Bock! is a good, mature buck 2) braver Hund! is praise for good performance
brechen: 1. wild boar root after food; 2. game flees through undergrowth and breaks off branches in the process
Bringsel: a short leather strap on the collar is taken into the mouth by the hunting dog and shows the hunter that a follow-up search was successful
Brocken: bait
Bruch or Gebräch: place where wild boar have dug after feeding
Bruch or Bruchzeichen: information signs used between hunters; these are usually broken-off, leafy or needled branches of particular trees
Brunft or Brunst: mating season for cloven-hoofed game except wild boar
Brunftkugeln: the testicles of cloven-hoofed game, "Steine" in the case of the boar
Brunftrute: the male sexual organ of cloven-hoofed game, except roe deer and wild boar (here "Pinsel")
Büchsenlicht: refers to light conditions sufficient for hunting, i.e. the rear and front sight on the rifle barrel are still recognisable on the target
Bürzel, the: tail of wild boar, badger and bear
Burgfrieden: various animal species live in one burrow, e.g. fox and badger
Burgstall cf. hirschgerechte Zeichen: small elevation in the track
buschieren: type of hunting with dog and shotgun
changieren: the dog changes the trail or track, particularly during a follow-up search, onto a (usually) warmer or healthy trail/track
Chinaseuche: rabbit disease
Chokebohrung: choke boring in the shotgun barrel
Conibearfalle: kill trap made of steel wire
Curée: right of the hounds, that is the portion of the game due to the hounds after the par force hunt, the "Genossenmachen"
Dachrose: special form of a burr on the antlers
Damwild: fallow deer (dama dama)
Decke: hide of cloven-hoofed game (except wild boar = Schwarte)
Deckung: 1. protection from being seen; 2. distribution of the shot in a shotgun blast
dick gehen: pregnant game
Dickung: thicket, provides cover for cloven-hoofed game
docken: winding and unwinding the tracking leash
Dohne, the: snare traps for catching birds
doppeln: unintentional firing of two shots simultaneously from a multi-barrelled weapon, e.g. a drilling
Doublet: 1. Killing two head of game with the same firearm in immediate succession; 2. Shooting two clay pigeons released simultaneously in clay pigeon shooting
to slip through the flags (flag hunting): when game escapes, an expression derived from hunters' jargon
Through-shooter: shooter who runs along with the beaters' line during a drive hunt
Dust shot: very fine shot for bird hunting
Honour leg: the right foreleg of a stag hunted par force. Formerly considered a trophy and presented to the most worthy hunting guest
Acorn mast: The fruits of the oaks (English and sessile oak), which serve as food in particular for wild boar.
to go to earth: Describes the behaviour of burrow-dwelling game species that crawl into their burrow.
Burrow entrance: The entrance to a burrow. It is either in use or not in use.
to alight: The settling of feathered game on the ground, a tree or water.
to die off: Game that dies of natural causes (e.g. illness) without external influence, fallen game.
Run-in: 1. Opening in an enclosure through which game can enter but no longer leave, jump-in; 2. the morning return of the hare into the woods
Jump-in: opening in an enclosure
Stand (area): Resting and retreat area of game (e.g. within thickets, bramble tangles, reed belts, etc.)
Bay antler tine: Tine between the brow tine and the trez tine on the beam of an antler
Tine: branching, point on the antler beam
Duck flight: The waiting of hunters when the ducks fly to the waters in the morning or evening
to kill: To kill a head of game.
Killer: has lawfully taken the game
Vixen: female fox, also of the wolf and all mustelids with the exception of the badger; origin: Middle High German vohe, Old High German voha ‘vixen’
Slot: the “footprints” left on the ground by cloven-hoofed game (cf. “track” and “run”)
Tracking shoe: shoe with cloven hoofs of cloven-hoofed game attached to the underside, used to create an artificial blood trail for training the dog
Colouring: 1) bloody discharge of the bitch when in season (heat) 2) coat change in cloven-hoofed game (except wild boar)
Flag: 1) the long-haired tail of long-haired hunting dogs 2) inner and outer sides of bird feathers
Falconer: a falconer (or hawker) practises falconry with birds of prey such as falcons, sparrowhawks, goshawks or eagles on feathered game (e.g. grey partridge) and small furred game (e.g. rabbit)
Fallbaum: also Hakbaum, on which feathered game perches, e.g. crows during decoy hunting
Fallensteig: prepared path on which a trap is located: smooth passage, good catch
Fallwild: game that has died a natural death, it falls
Fang: 1. the muzzle of predators, also of the dog; 2. the feet (talons) of birds of prey, see: bird's foot
Fangschuss: the shot fired to kill game that has been wounded, i.e. not immediately fatally hit, or struck by a vehicle
Fasch or Fleisch: blood
faschen: to bleed
Fäustling: fist-sized young hare
Federspiel: training device consisting of a cord and a prey dummy used for training birds of prey
Federwild: birds subject to hunting law
fegen: the rubbing off of the "velvet" from the fully formed antlers of red deer and the antlers of roebucks against trees and bushes
Feistzeit: time before the rut, i.e. the time before reproduction – it serves roebucks and red deer to build up fat reserves for the following exhausting period
Feld: age designation for pointing dogs (hunting dogs used in particular for pointing): "im 1. Feld stehen" = being in the 2nd year of life
ferm (also firm): a fully trained hunting dog or also a well-trained hunter
Feuchtblatt: the external female genitalia of cloven-hoofed game
Feuchtglied: the male genital organ in furred predators and the dog
flüchtig: a wild animal that moves away at a walk or trot after being disturbed. Animals fleeing at a gallop are called hochflüchtig.
forkeln: fighting or thrusting of an antler- or horn-bearing animal against a rival, human or dog
frischen: to give birth to piglets
Frischling: newly born wild boar in its first year of life (originally: in its first hunting year)
Fuchsprellen: cruel "hunting amusement" of courtly hunting
führen: 1. a mother animal leads a young one; 2. to use a rifle; 3. to keep a hunting dog; 4. a lead animal leads a herd
Führigkeit, die: the good cooperation between hunting dog and dog handler
Fußgestell: thigh of the goshawk
Gabler: red deer whose antlers show a brow tine in addition to a spike, or roebuck whose antlers each have only one fork
Gebräch, das: ground churned up by wild boar
Gebrech, das: mouth of wild boar
Gefege: the hairy fibres that result after the velvet has been rubbed off.
Geheck (litter): The young born to furred predators, or the hatched young of waterfowl.
Gehöre: the ears of furred predators
Gehörn: the antlers of the roe buck
Geilen, the: rarely used for the testicles of game, e.g. of capercaillie, bustard and wild turkey cocks[23]
Geiß: doe, leading mother animal in roe deer
Geläuf: track of feathered game, except bustard and capercaillie
Geläut, the: baying of hunting dogs, e.g. during driven hunts
genossen machen: 1. to give the hunting dog, 2. to give the falconry bird a reward, especially after the hunt with a piece of meat
Geräusch: lungs, heart, kidneys, windpipe and oesophagus in cloven-hoofed game
Gescheide (in dialect also Geschlinge): entrails of all game; stomach: large Gescheide, intestines: small Gescheide
Geschleif: entrances to a badger, fox or beaver burrow
Geschleppe: bait meat on a line with which a trail is drawn to the shooting or trapping site of the quarry and there secured against removal
Geschmeiß: droppings of birds of prey
Gestell: a ride-like cleared strip of woodland, originally for setting up the hunting gear (nets, flags), today mostly for transporting felled timber (cf. Adlergestell)
Gewaff, also Waffen: canine teeth of the boar (male wild boar); in the lower jaw Gewehre or Hauer (tusks), in the upper jaw Haderer
Geweih: the "head ornament" of male animals belonging to the cervids
Gewicht: Gehörn, the antlers of the roe buck
Grandeln: hunting trophy 1. the upper canine teeth of ruminants (usually of red deer); 2. the first feathers from the wing bend of the capercaillie
Grashirsch: red deer stag that has eaten only grass until the oats reach milk ripeness (June)[26], later Feisthirsch (fat stag), then Brunfthirsch (rutting stag)
Grind: head of the animal
Haar, the: in furred game, except hare and rabbit (wool) and wild boar (bristles)
Haarwild: mammals subject to hunting law (game)
Haderer, the: canine teeth in the upper jaw of the boar, part of the Gewaff
Haken, the: canine teeth in the jaw of the sow
Halali, the: is both a greeting and a hunting call, part of hunting tradition
Halsung: collar for the hunting dog
Häsin: term for the female hare and for the female rabbit
Hasenklage (also Hasenquäke): calling instrument for furred predators
Hassen: behaviour of various bird species which is exploited for decoy hunting
Hatz: historical, today prohibited form of hunting in which heavy dogs are set on heavy, living game (wild boar, bears) to bring it to bay and seize it
Hauer (tusks): also called Gewehre, the canine teeth in the lower jaw of a wild boar
Haupt: head of cloven-hoofed game, except for wild boar, where it is called Kopf
Hetze: if necessary, the chasing and bringing to bay of wounded game at the end of a follow-up search
Hetzjagd (coursing): with greyhounds on light game, with catch dogs on heavy game; today banned in Germany
Hexenringe (witches' rings): tracks left in grain fields by the rutting roebuck and the in-heat doe or young doe
Himmelszeichen, cf. Hirschgerechte Zeichen: traces of the red deer's antlers, left on branches and leaves at antler height when passing through, also brushed-off snow can be such a sign
Hirsch: Cervus elaphus, cf. red deer
Hirschruf: instrument for imitating the red deer's call, e.g. a triton shell
Hitze: time of ovulation in the female hunting dog
hitzig: 1. in heat; 2. a hunter who shoots too hastily out of greed for the kill
hochflüchtig: a wild animal that, after being severely disturbed or chased, flees at a gallop.
Hochwild: today all cloven-hoofed game except roe deer, as well as capercaillie and golden and white-tailed eagles
holzen: moving from branch to branch or tree to tree, e.g. the marten
Horrido: used by hunters as a greeting, but also as a hunting call to express honour
hudern: sand-bathing by feathered game to clean themselves and remove mites and the like
Hüttenjagd: decoy hunting of crows and birds of prey using a (formerly) live owl
im Feld stehen: age of the pointing dog
im Feuer liegen: shot game collapses on the spot at the shot
Inbesitznahmebruch: a broken twig indicating the lawful possession of a piece of shot game at the place of the kill
innehaben: pregnancy in hares, rabbits and small fur predators
Insiegel: track sign that is created when game passes through soft loamy ground or snow. Residues of loam or snow only later fall out of the hooves of cloven-hoofed game. Insiegel is a deer-fitting sign
Jagdbetrieb: all activities of practical hunting
Jagdbezirk: both private hunting grounds and communal hunting grounds are Jagdbezirke
Jagdeignungsprüfung (JEP): suitability test for the hunting dog
Jagdfieber: a stress reaction that affects some hunters at the sight of game and prevents an accurate shot
Jägerlatein (hunter's Latin): the more or less truthful tales told by hunters, who often exaggerate the number and especially the size of the animals they have killed
Jagdgenossenschaft: association of all landowners of a municipality with less land than is required to constitute a private hunting ground
Hunting firearms: 1. Shotguns for shot rounds 2. Rifles for bullet rounds 3. Combination guns, e.g. drilling
Jagdherr (hunt master): owner or lessee of a hunting ground
Hunting year: unlike the calendar year, the hunting year begins on 1 April and ends on 31 March of the following year. Hunting licence: permit to practise hunting
Hunting calls: sequences of notes or pieces of music played on hunting horns
Hunting retinue: the entourage of a hunt, particularly in a historical context
Hunting gear: equipment used for carrying out a hunt
Kahlwild (antlerless deer): female red and fallow deer. They do not bear antlers.
Calf: young of red deer, elk and fallow deer from birth until St Martin's Day or 31 March of the year following birth
Cold track: a track that has stood for several hours, e.g. overnight, before the follow-up search
Cold (or: bladed) weapons: knives (e.g. hunting blade) and similar weapons (e.g. boar spear) used for hunting
Combing: aggressive sweeping of the falconry bird across the lure, the pelt or the quarry
Chamber: chest cavity of furred game
Kanzel: high seat
Capital: large or strong, e.g. a capital stag with strong antler growth
Katz, the (cat): 1. female marmot; 2. female wildcat (queen)[31]
Boar: mature male wild boar
Kern: “bare” carcass of smaller furred game (in particular predatory game) after skinning (see also pelt)
Kessel:
the main chamber of an animal burrow, e.g. in a red fox den
the resting place of a wild boar sounder and of the sow with her piglets
in a driven hunt, a ring formed by hunters and beaters, into and out of which the game is driven
place where a covey of grey partridges has brooded or rested
Covey: family group of grey partridges
Break-action firearm: hunting gun with a tilting barrel, usually shotguns, but also rifles or combination guns, e.g. drilling
Kirrung: laying out of bait to attract wild boar
Kid/fawn: young of roe deer, chamois or ibex
Claws: 1. nails of furred predatory game, of dogs and of birds of prey; 2. biological term for the hooves of cloven-hoofed game
Lesser hunter's right: traditional right whereby the offal belongs to the person who has gralloched the animal
Lesser hunting right: right of the landowner to carry out (trap) hunting of rabbits and stone martens on his property within a pacified district.
Kloben: clamp trap for catching birds
Klötze: the testicles of the male wild boar
knautschen: bad trait of a hunting dog that crushes retrieved game
kneten: the cramp-like contraction of the talons in grip-killing raptors triggered by movements or sounds
Knieper: two-year-old fallow buck
Knödelbogen: southern German term for Schüsseltreiben (hunters' meal gathering)
Knopfbock, also Knöpfler: poor roe buck with stunted antler development, e.g. as buttons or short spikes
Kolbenhirsch: stag in velvet
kollern: vocalisation of the black grouse cock
Kompanieschuss: two shooters fire simultaneously at one piece of game
krank: condition of a piece of game that has been shot at or struck by a vehicle
Kranz: see kränzen
kränzen: red deer tracks left in hard ground by the outer edges of the hooves, the kranz
Krebsschere: O-shaped, undesirable notch in the fallow deer's palm
Krellschuss: shot that, instead of killing the game, only hits the spinous process of a vertebra
Krickel: the horn of the chamois
Krone: 1. all tines above the middle tine (except the wolf tine) on the antlers of a red deer; 2. on a roe buck, the entire antler set; 3. ornamental feathers on the head of some birds; 4. tip of the grandel teeth
Krucke: the horn of the ibex
Krumme, der: jocular term for brown hare
Kuder, der: male of the lynx or wildcat
kudern: the "growling" of the black grouse cock, also the hunter's imitation of the black grouse cock (probably no longer in use)
Kugelfang, natural: terrain features that can safely catch bullets passing through the target or going astray during hunting; on flat terrain this is ensured by the elevated position on a high seat, driven hunt stand and the like, which makes it possible to shoot relatively steeply into the ground
Kugelschlag: sound of the bullet striking the game's body, see Schusszeichen
Kuhle: sleeping hollow or resting place of cloven-hoofed game
Kurzwildbret: penis and testicles of red, roe and wild boar game
Lager: 1. resting place of the game; 2. cartridge chamber; 3. site for a trap
lahnen: the begging (calling) for food by a mis-imprinted falconry bird at the sight of the falconer (mostly observed only in the first year of life)
Lampe, Meister: name of the hare in fables
Lauerjagd: solitary ambush hunting as opposed to coursing
Läufe: legs of four-footed game
Laut: barking of hunting dogs; they give voice or become vocal: hunting cry, trailing cry, earth cry, baying cry, chase cry
Flag hunting: cords with flags are stretched around a drive; the game does – normally – not pass under the flags and can thus be driven in a targeted manner
Lecker: tongue of cloven-hoofed game
Mentor: instructor of a trainee hunter in training
Ladder: high seat ladder
Light: eye of cloven-hoofed game
Decoy hunting: type of hunting in which the game to be hunted is attracted by various means
Spoons: ears of the hare or rabbit
loesen: 1. animals defecate: relieve themselves; 2. to take out or renew the hunting licence
Relief area: a place where the hunting dog can relieve itself, i.e. pass droppings and urine
Droppings: deposited excrement
Bait carrion: dead game or parts thereof, e.g. gralloch, used as bait for predatory game
Bait site: place where carrion bait is laid out
Brush: tail of the red fox
Luser, Loser: ears
mahnen: short nasal call used as contact sound by red deer
Rubbing tree: tree against which game rubs itself, e.g. wild boar
mantling: the bird of prey, e.g. the falconry bird, covers its prey with its wings
marking: behaviour of certain game species to mark their territory
Mast: the fruits of certain trees (mast trees) which serve as food for game, e.g. acorns, beechnuts
Mauser: 1. moult of feathered game; 2. drake in moult; 3. German weapons manufacturer
mousing: predatory game catching mice
Mouse mound: bait site for hunting the red fox
maeuseln: imitating the sound of a mouse for decoy hunting
bleating: sound of the snipe in stooping flight
Master Bruin or Petz: brown bear
calling: vocalisation of cervids during the rut
Pack: nowadays used for a group of hunting dogs on the hunt
Milk ripeness: cereal grains before they begin to harden, particularly attractive to game with the result of crop damage
Middle tine: end situated in the middle of the antler below the crown
swinging through (also swinging along or following through): following the moving target with the gun shouldered in order to shoot at the right moment
Foot rot: infectious disease in which the hooves or cloves rot away
Hummel: antlerless stag
Follow-up search: searching for wounded game with the blood-tracking dog
needling: capercaillie feeds in the conifer tree
nailing: imprints of the claws of individual prints in the track of predatory game
naessen: passing urine
Nestling: young bird of prey in the nest
Fresh snow: newly fallen snow that helps with tracking
Low hunt or small game hunt: hunting of, and hunting district in which only small game occurs
niedertun: cloven-hoofed game settling or lying down, wild boar bedding in
time of need: period when wildlife cannot find enough natural forage
Nuss: female genitalia in dogs and furred predators
utility game: game with hunting-economic use, e.g. game meat
orgeln: the sustained roaring of the red deer during the rut
pair partridges: parent birds in grey partridge that later form a covey with their brood
paired track: tracks of weasel and marten
rumen: one of the three forestomachs of ruminants, large storage stomach
par force hunt: hunt on horseback behind the pack of hounds
pass: game trail of small game other than roe deer
licence hunting: licence-based hunt as opposed to territorial hunting
pearls: small bumps on antler beams
wig buck: pathological alteration of the antlers in the roe buck
seal: breakage point on the cast antler in cervids (deer family)
plätzen: scraping leaves aside with the forelegs
planting season: time for planting out forestry plants
flat-head or monk: red deer stag without trophy
brush: term for the longer tuft of hair on the penis of cloven-hoofed game
stalking: solitary hunting, in which the hunter cautiously and quietly stalks or creeps through the hunting ground against the wind in order to get as close as possible to the game unnoticed. This requires good knowledge of the area. Likewise tidy stalking paths
stalking signs: blood, bone splinters, pieces of flesh etc. from wounded game
top stag: “ruler” over the rutting herd (hinds)
Pürzel: tail of the badger and wild boar
puitzen: call of the woodcock during display flight
quäke, the (hare call): luring instrument for fox hunting
quarter hare: one to two month old hare
tassel, the: tip of the tail of wild boar and ermine
side-by-side shotgun: double-barrelled shotgun with barrels lying next to each other
ricochet: incorrectly used for deflected shot
cross search: the broad searching back and forth to the right and left by the hunting dog in front of the hunter
quittieren: a piece of game that has been shot quittiert (acknowledges) the shot, it shows signs
quorren: vocalisation of the displaying woodcock
rutting wool: tufts of hair from hares and wild rabbits during the rut
Ranz, the: sexually active period of predatory game
Ratz: polecat
predatory game: predators, carnivores
vermin: predators not subject to hunting law, including straying, roaming or poaching dogs or cats
rausche: mating season of wild boar
rut synchronisation: mating synchronisation of wild boar is an assumption that has not been proven so far
roe or roe deer: collective term for roe deer
Reif or Reifel: the trail left by a red deer,[46] such that when the front and hind legs step into one another a small strip of earth is formed
reifen (hanging): game is hung in the cold store for a short time, up to a few days
Reihzeit: mating season in waterfowl
Revier: hunting ground
revieren: systematic searching of the terrain by the hunting dog
revidieren: daily checking of the traps
Ricke: female roe deer, also called doe
Riegel: game trail in the mountains
Riegeln, Riegeljagd: drive hunt with few beaters, in which sections of woodland are blocked off at the Riegel (barriers)
rinnen: swimming in furred game
ringeln: 1. new, hygienic method of gralloching[47]; 2. ring-barking by squirrels[48]
ringholen: the ability of many birds of prey to circle upwards in a thermal almost without beating their wings
rollieren, radschlagen: the (occasional) somersaulting of fleeing game after being hit by a bullet or shot
Rose: 1. wreath-shaped base at the foot of the beams of the antlers of multi-year-old deer; 2. bare patches of skin on the head of grouse, e.g. courtship roses on the black grouse
Rosenstock: bony pedicel on the forehead on which the antler beam sits
Rote Arbeit (red work): gralloching or eviscerating
Rotte: 1. group of several wild boars; 2. also used for wolves (rarely)
Rotwild: red deer
Rudel: group of several animals of a cloven-hoofed game species, except wild boar, and of wolves
rudeln: 1. gathering of the animals that form a herd; 2. vocalisation of the black grouse
Rute: 1. tail of dogs and all furred predators, except fox (Lunte), badger and bear (Bürzel); 2. penis in cloven-hoofed game (rutting rod), predators and dogs (Feucht- or Fruchtglied), hare, rabbit and marmot (rutting rod)
Salzlecke: a device that provides game with salt as a mineral supplement; usually near game feeding grounds
Sasse: form (resting place) of the hare
Sau: a wild boar (as a species — specifically for the female animal see: Bache)
Saufänger: a blade for dispatching (stabbing) wild boar, e.g. during a drive hunt
Saufang: live-catch trap for wild boars
Saufeder: a long, double-edged blade mounted on a hardwood shaft up to two metres long, used to dispatch charging wild boar
Schadhirsch: also called murder stag, because as a usually older, displaced red deer with beams lacking developed tines, it can gore (stab) other stags
true to skull: antlers or horns that were not shed (cast antlers) but were firmly attached to the skull bone when the animal was killed
Schachtel: old, female animals of roe deer, chamois or red deer that no longer have young. The term "old hag" (Alte Schachtel) is derived from this.
Schale: the cloven hooves of ruminant hairy game and the wild boar
cloven-hoofed game: game species with cloven hooves, i.e. ruminant hairy game and wild boars
shear trap: a formerly common trapping device built from cudgels and particularly suitable for catching martens
shield: 1. thickening of the hide on the shoulder blades of male wild boars (boars); 2. breast patch on grouse-like birds; 3. further, outdated meanings in Haseder
blind: visual screen at ground level as a hunting structure
Schloss: term for the cartilage in the pelvic floor through which the game's rectum passes. cf. gralloching
slipper type: classification of roe deer and sika deer
yearling roe doe: young, not yet sexually mature female roe deer. It is the fawn from the previous year.
yearling hind: young, not yet sexually mature hind, the calf from the previous year.
Schmalz: fat of the marmot and the badger
Schmalzmann: badger, also Grimbart
mute: droppings of birds of prey
Schnalle: the external female genitalia of dogs, foxes, wolves, etc.
to slip: when the hunting dog is released from the leash
Schnecke: 1. horn of the ram, hunting trophy; 2. shell of the triton snail cf. red deer call
Schneider: 1. small red deer stag or capercaillie/black grouse cock; 2. hunters who return home without quarry
woodcock roding: the courtship flight of the woodcock
cut hair: hair severed when the projectile enters the body of the game
to lope in a straight line: gait of the red fox, wolf or lynx, in which the paws touch the ground one behind the other in a straight line, with the hind paws being placed in the tracks of the front paws on the same side of the body, in contrast to straddling
to draw water: game and feathered game draw water when they drink
straddle width cf. red deer characteristics: the lateral distance of the tracks of the right pair of legs from the left in the walking trail
to straddle: the placing of the legs side by side, deviating from the straight line ("straddling")
apron: in female roe deer, a light tuft of hair above the female genitalia (vulva)
hunter's bough: a sprig of an appropriate species of wood, presented by the master of the hunt to the person who has killed a piece of game
Schusseltrieb or -treiben: sociable gathering after the end of a group hunt, usually for a meal
shot-steady: hunting dog that does not startle when a shot is fired
shot-hot: hunting dog that wants to pursue or follow up game immediately after a shot is fired, without command
shot signs: indications showing whether and where the game was hit, e.g. how it reacts
hide: the thick, hairy skin of the badger and wild boar
black coat: hunting term for wild boar
black game: hunting umbrella term for wild boars
soaring: flight euphoria in raptors; escaping the falconer's control at great heights
pig sun: full moon whose light is particularly favourable for night-time wait hunting for wild boars
blood: the blood of game and of the hunting dog, as soon as it exits the body
blood tracking dog: hunting dog specialised in searching for, finding and bringing to bay sick (wounded), bleeding cloven-hoofed game during a follow-up search
seers: eyes of furred predatory game such as the fox, as well as of hare, rabbit and marmot[57]
to secure: 1. in game: checking the surroundings with all sensory organs; 2. on the weapon: engaging or disengaging the safety on the loaded firearm
mirror: the light-coloured patch of fur on the rear of cervids (deer-like animals), e.g. kidney-shaped on the male roe deer, heart-shaped on the female roe deer with additional light hair above the vulva, also called the apron
play: the entirety of the tail feathers of the black grouse
spiker: young roebuck or red deer with antlers that have not yet branched
to flush: to drive game out of the fox or rabbit burrow using an earth dog or ferret
challenge call: battle cry of a dominant stag to drive away rivals
sprinz: male sparrowhawk; in all other raptors the male bird is called tiercel
sprung: a group of roe deer in winter. In summer, roe deer are solitary (bucks and yearling does) or in small family groups (doe with fawn)
tine or point: a branch or end on an antler beam
jump: the hind leg of the brown hare
track: footprint of all furred game species except cloven-hoofed game
track-vocal, cf. trail-vocal: describes a hunting dog that gives voice, i.e. barks, while pursuing game on the track or trail
standers: the legs and bird's foot of feathered game
standard, or brush: the tail of the fox and the wolf
Standwild: game which, in contrast to roaming game, remains permanently in one territory
Stange: 1. antler beam; 2. quillon on edged weapons; 3. sear bar
Steine: testicles of the boar (rare); also: particularly large pearls on antlers
stellen: 1. the dog bays the game when it brings it to a stand, e.g. during a chase after a follow-up search; 2. a falconry bird alights; 3. to set a trap ready to catch
Stern: the iris of game
stöbern: systematic searching by the flushing dog outside the handler's control[59]
Stoß: the entirety of the tail feathers of a bird of prey
Strecke, Jagdstrecke: all animals killed in a (group) hunt, laid out in rows according to a set order ("laying the bag", "bringing to bag")
Strich: regularly maintained flight path of birds ("feathered game") to and from resting or feeding places, or during courtship, e.g. woodcock flight
Stück: general numerical classifier for things and animals (without plural, e.g. two head of roe deer), particularly because in hunting one does not say "the roe deer" or "the animal" but speaks of "a head".
Schusszeichen: indications when the bullet strikes the body of the game
Sulze: see salt lick
Teckel: hunting term for dachshund
Teller: ears of wild boar
Terzel: male bird of prey (exception: Sprinz for the male sparrowhawk)
Tier: female red deer; depending on the species, the full term is Rottier or Damtier, also an age designation as Schmaltier
Tirass, the: covering net for catching feathered game
totverbellen: giving tongue upon finding a dead piece of cloven-hoofed game until the hunter arrives, said of the dog
Totverbeller: dog which, upon finding a dead piece of cloven-hoofed game, gives tongue and stays with the animal until the hunter arrives
Totverblasen, Totsignal: individual hunting horn signals for all species of animals bagged during a group hunt
Tracht: uterus of hair game, also the embryo
Träger: the neck of cloven-hoofed game except wild boar
Treiben: section being hunted within a larger-scale driven hunt
Tropfbett: accumulation of dripped blood from a wounded but still standing animal that has sought cover at this spot
Tritt: single footprint of cloven-hoofed game (several footprints form a track)
Trosch: feather tuft on the falcon's hood
überfallen: cloven-hoofed game überfällt obstacles, i.e. jumps over them
übergehen: 1. To overlook, e.g. a track or stalking sign; 2. e.g. to walk past a hare crouched in cover; 3. a female head of cloven-hoofed game is not covered (mated), so that the following year it does not have offspring
Overprotection: leads to increased population and game damage
überjagen: a hunting dog leaves the district to be hunted or hunts beyond the boundary of the hunting ground
Überläufer: young wild boar between 12 and 24 months of age (originally: in the hunting year following birth)
überrollen: in earth hunting, when a fox or badger gets out into the open past the dog in front
unterladen: loaded repeater rifle, but no cartridge in the chamber
Urhahn: capercaillie
Urian, der: old, strong boar
verbeißen, with browsing damage as a result: feeding marks on trees and shrubs
verblasen: to indicate by a horn signal that a head of game has been killed
verblatten: to scare off a roebuck during call hunting
verenden: game dies in a violent manner. Natural dying is called 'fallen'[61]
vergrämen or Vergrämung: intentional or unintentional driving away of game
verhitzen: the suffocating ripening (spoilage) of shot game through heat build-up in the carcass when it is not gralloched in good time
verhoffen: the halting of moving or grazing game, e.g. to look at a 'suspicious' object or to locate a sound
Verlorenbringer: a hunting dog that follows the wound trail of an injured hare/fox, catches it, dispatches it and retrieves it
verludern: the spoilage of wounded game that was not found in good time
vernehmen: to hear
verprellen: to drive game away through carelessness or clumsiness
Vorsuche: locating the spot where the shot was struck by the hunting dog for further follow-up search
Pointing dogs: hunting dog breeds that strongly display the trait of 'pointing', i.e. they indicate discovered game to the hunter by 'pointing'
Waidgerechtigkeit (or Weidgerechtigkeit[1]): ethical rules according to which an experienced and ethical hunter should act and hunt
Waidloch (or Weidloch): anus or rectum of game or of the hunting dog
Waidmann (or Weidmann): hunter
Waidmannsdank! (or Weidmannsdank): reply to a 'Waidmannsheil!' offered as a congratulation
Waidmannsheil! (or Weidmannsheil!): traditional formula of greeting, farewell or congratulation among hunters
waidwund (or weidwund): shot in the entrails (gut)
Wechselwild (transient game): hoofed game that is not present as resident game in a particular hunting ground or area, but moves in for specific reasons such as rut or food supply, and soon leaves the ground or area again
Wedel: tail of deer-like animals (cervids)
Welpe (pup): young of predators, in principle also of cats, but usually of canids
Wild (game): wild animals defined as such in the Federal Hunting Act
Wildbret (game meat): the meat of killed game intended for consumption
Wildfolge: agreement to follow up sick or wounded game across the boundary of a hunting ground
Game damage
Wildwechsel (game trail): a path regularly used by hoofed game
Wimpelschlagen, a sky sign: the scattering of ant heaps caused by red deer with their antlers; the damage is also referred to as Wimpel damage
winden: to perceive something by sense of smell, to scent; used for game and dog
Windfang: nose of hoofed game, except wild boar
Witterung (scent): sense of smell or odour (“picking up a scent”, sniffing)
wölfen (also werfen): giving birth in wolf, fox and dog
Wolfsspross: additional tine on the antler between the middle tine and the crown
worgen: (also wörgen, würgen, kröpfen) creaking or gagging sounds made by a capercaillie cock when it has perched (is sitting) on its (roosting) tree
Wundbett (wound bed): place where an injured piece of hoofed game lies down
Zain, der oder das: archaic for 1) the tail of the badger (today Bürzel); 2) the rutting penis of the red deer stag
Zeichnen: reaction of the game to the shot through movement and vocalisation
Cementum zone method: method for age determination in red deer
zerwirken: to break down game into game meat or kitchen-ready cuts, see Auslösen
ziehen: 1. to move along quietly, of hoofed game; 2) to fly, of birds
Zielwasser: alcohol intended to help aim with a steady hand
Ziemer or Zimmer: saddle/back roast of game meat from broken-down red, fallow, roe and wild boar, further divided into Wedel- or Blumenziemer, Mittelziemer and Vorder- or Blattziemer
Zukunftsbock or -hirsch (future buck or stag): young, well-disposed cervids
zusammenbrechen: to collapse, of hoofed game after the shot
Zwang (cf. Hirschgerechte Zeichen): the earth or snow compressed in the track
Zwangswechsel: a path the game is forced to use due to local conditions (terrain, obstacles, etc.)