Hunting President Lorenz Hess Is Wrong

PETA is calling for a systemic change in Switzerland following hunting accidents. Hunting President Lorenz Hess defends recreational hunting with absurd arguments.

Editorial team Wild beim Wild — 2 October 2021

After a recreational hunter in Muotathal shot a llama instead of a stag, PETA also called for a systemic change in Switzerland.

The animal rights organisation PETA strongly condemns this incident, especially since just days earlier in Graubünden a recreational hunter shot a horse instead of a roe deer.PETA wants a ban on “recreational hunting", as they call it. This is long overdue in Switzerland, they say.

The errant shot fired by the recreational hunter at the llama is unforgivable and a clear offence — that goes without saying, says the president of the Bernese recreational hunters’ association, Lorenz Hess. However, the Centre Party member of the National Council from Stettlen believes that the demands of PETA and animal rights advocates are "completely off the mark" and absurd, writes the Jungfrau Zeitung.

In Switzerland there are no “recreational hunters” and therefore this term does not exist in Switzerland. For one thing, hunters must complete a demanding two-year training programme. I know of no other leisure activity that one is only permitted to pursue after such an intensive training course.
Lorenz Hess, Jungfrau Zeitung, 28.9.2021

The only thing Lorenz Hess and his ilk are truly professional at is: lying.

The recreational hunter

According to Wikipedia, a hobby is a leisure activity that the practitioner pursues voluntarily and regularly, which serves their own pleasure or relaxation and contributes to their self-image — that is, it forms part of their identity.

No matter how you look at it, recreational hunting takes place mainly in leisure time in German-speaking countries. This is not an invention of absurd animal rights activists, but simply a matter of common sense. Recreational hunters will always remain amateurs, because they are simply not professional hunters or professional wildlife wardens.

It would occur to no one to attribute a higher quality standard to a recreational tournament with hobby football players than to the Champions League with professional footballers. It is crystal clear that professional wildlife wardens bring a completely different level of quality to replace the recreational hunters. Benefiting from this are the wild animals through reduced animal suffering, as well as the general public, nature, and the environment.

The Geneva Model as a Blueprint

These state nature conservationists also carry out a wide range of other tasks, such as: monitoring fisheries, overseeing nature reserves, preventing wildlife damage, and performing special duties related to forests and agriculture. The best example is the Canton of Geneva.

In today's world, largely shaped and defined by humans, it is — according to renowned scientists, researchers, and wildlife biologists, as well as numerous case studies — entirely possible and ethically responsible to leave wildlife populations to manage themselves. The Canton of Geneva has been practicing this modern wildlife management for over 40 years. What hundreds of recreational hunters once did poorly is today handled by a good dozen professional wildlife wardens, who intervene regulatorily when necessary — rather than massacring foxes, badgers, birds, and the like out of arbitrary hunting seasons and sheer joy of killing, causing needless suffering.

Psychological Aptitude Test Demanded

Killing for fun cannot and must never be a hobby — it is a matter for psychiatry.

For years, the IG Wild beim Wild has been demanding that recreational hunters regularly undergo medical and psychological aptitude tests, as is the case in Poland or the Netherlands. The monopoly on the use of force belongs in the hands of the state and must not be delegated to gangs of recreational hunters who, for the fun of it, torment wild animals.

Recreational Hunters: A Natural Disaster

In the chaos in which nature finds itself after decades of so-called stewardship by hobby hunters, the share of endangered species is nowhere in the world as high as in Switzerland. These contract killers have been creating an ecological imbalance in the cultivated landscape for decades, with sometimes dramatic consequences (protective forests, diseases, agricultural damage, and much more). Over a third of plant, wildlife and fungal species are considered endangered. Switzerland also ranks last in Europe when it comes to designating protected areas for biodiversity. It is precisely these circles of recreational hunters, through their lobbying efforts in politics, media, and legislation, who have been responsible for this for decades. They are the ones who notoriously block contemporary, ethical improvements in animal welfare and sabotage serious animal and species protection. Recreational hunters regularly oppose more national parks in Switzerland because their concern is not nature, biodiversity, species protection, or animal welfare, but rather indulging their perverted, bloody hobby.

Did you know …

that in Switzerland innocent young wolves are being liquidated?
that recreational hunters lie about the assessment of game meat quality and that processed game meat, according to the WHO, is carcinogenic — like cigarettes, asbestos, or arsenic?
that according to a study, nowhere is the lead contamination of golden eagles and bearded vultures higher than in the Swiss Alps, due to the ammunition used by recreational hunters?
that the fair chase ethics of recreational hunters are diametrically at odds with the Animal Welfare Act and are nothing but a mirage?
that hunting is war, where animal competitors are simply eliminated?
that there are countless illegal and unmarked hunting blinds in our countryside, some so rotten that they pose a danger to children and could cause people to fall to their deaths?
that year after year, countless people are killed or injured by hunters' firearms, some so severely that they end up in wheelchairs or have limbs amputated?
that in Switzerland, around 120,000 perfectly healthy roe deer, red deer, foxes, marmots, and chamois are senselessly killed every year?
that because of recreational hunters, it has become nearly impossible to live in harmony with wildlife or even to see wildlife at all?
that shotgun blasts make hares scream like small children, and that “shot” roe deer and red deer have their entrails torn apart so that they leave a trail of blood during their flight for hunters to follow?
that the claims made by recreational hunters that the cruel wildlife massacres are necessary to regulate animal populations have been scientifically refuted?
that recreational hunters openly admit that hunting is about the “lust for killing” and “the joy of making a kill” — a pathological passion?
that recreational hunters have no sixth sense and yet regularly claim they only shoot sick and weak animals, which of course does not hold true in practice?
that recreational hunters travel abroad for trophy hunting, far beyond any species protection and hunting regulations, and that there are even Swiss recreational hunter travel agencies offering such mindless hunting pleasures?
that the vast majority are not licensed professional hunters, but pursue hunting as a hobby, sport, and leisure activity, which is morally wrong and in fact contradicts the Animal Welfare Act?
that 99.07% of civilized people in Switzerland are not recreational hunters, meaning only 0.3% of recreational hunters take pleasure in these bloody activities?
that these wildlife killers do not hunt on the basis of scientific justifications?
that protected species do not actually belong under hunting law, because recreational hunters are overwhelmed by species conservation responsibilities and repeatedly shoot animals listed on the Red List — such as lynx, wolf, brown hare, partridge, quail, etc. — for fun?
that recreational hunters deliberately decimate certain animal species to eliminate competition for their unnatural behavior — such as fox, lynx, wolf, birds of prey, etc.?
that wildlife dies before the recreational hunter can even fire a single shot, that preventing this is the goal, and that this is arguably the central idea behind wildlife stewardship, care, and hunting management plans?
that with wild boar (and foxes), normally only the lead sow produces young, but that as a result of her being shot, all female animals within the sounder begin to reproduce, and that this is one of the reasons we have a wild boar population explosion?
that grazing animals — deer, roe deer, etc. — originally lived predominantly as diurnal animals in fields and meadows, like goats, sheep, and cows, and not in forests?
that the wolf is vitally important for the long-term health of wild ungulates, because it preys on sick or weak animals with remarkable precision, for example, and is therefore far superior to recreational hunters?
that foxes, after being senselessly hunted, usually end up in the rubbish?
that foxes are hunted today primarily so that there are more hares, etc. for recreational hunters to put in the frying pan? That the fox, however, feeds on hares in less than 10% of cases and would never catch a healthy hare?
that in animal welfare, you cannot take on recreational hunters with gentleness alone, street festivals, prayer chains, etc. (you need to fight fire with fire)?
that recreational hunters, with their hunter's tall tales, engage in a disrespectful mockery of living beings?
that it is frowned upon to shoot big game at feeding stations or during mating season, yet recreational hunters have no scruples about doing exactly this to their competitor the fox?
that in some cantons, recreational hunters go hunting solely for the tender meat of a young animal?
that recreational hunters shoot pregnant mothers in front of their young, or target only young animals during the rearing season (post-special hunt)?
that recreational hunters poison the environment, nature, humans, and animals with their ammunition?
that bestiality, barbarism, cruelty, bloodshed, and senseless suffering cannot be considered cultural heritage in a civilised society?
that recreational hunters shoot approximately 10’000 roe deer fawns every year?
that in harsh winters, recreational hunters lure starving animals with food only to shoot them in a cowardly and treacherous manner?
that recreational hunters send trained dogs into burrows to eliminate foxes and badgers (den hunting)?
that recreational hunters lure peaceful creatures into box traps, where they may suffer for days awaiting their killer, or subject animals to an agonising death struggle lasting hours (trap hunting)?
that recreational hunters cowardly ambush and shoot or injure peaceful wild animals while they sleep or bask in the sun, using state-of-the-art precision weapons?
that recreational hunters support awards, fur markets, prize ceremonies for the trophy cult, trophy shows, the fur trade, and so on?
that recreational hunters place firearms into the hands of underage schoolchildren and practise killing with them?
that recreational hunters often carry out their cruel acts in seclusion, which encourages animal cruelty?
that recreational hunters frequently only seriously injure wild animals, and the victims often suffer for hours in tremendous pain and fear until a tracking dog finds them and they are shot?
that recreational hunters (apart from vivisection) inflict the most suffering and abuse on animals, including through the manner in which they kill?
that hunters' love of animals and nature is not delighted by the existence of the beloved object, but rather aims to possess the beloved creature body and soul, culminating in turning it into prey through the act of killing?
that recreational hunters actively promote browsing damage through hunting pressure, particularly on predators such as foxes, lynx, and wolves?
that recreational hunters open the door to antisocial, unethical, and unchristian behavior?
that recreational hunters deprive the public of normal, natural wildlife observations and interactions?
that there is no greater product of cruelty and ammunition contamination than venison?
that there is no uniform regulation across Switzerland regarding vision tests, shooting practice, and so on for recreational hunters?
that there is no psychological aptitude test for recreational hunters?
that there is no alcohol ban for recreational hunters when they are shooting at animals with their weapons?
that recreational hunters intrude into educational institutions to push their hunters' tall tales and their culture of violence on children?
that a court in Bellinzona recently confirmed that hunting clubs promote practically everything that is cruel, unnecessary, and heartless?
that the association «Jagd Schweiz» cultivates above all disrespect and a culture of violence — the exact opposite of what a civilized person in our society should aspire to.
that in the canton of Grisons alone, more than 1’000 reports and fines are issued against recreational hunters every year?

More on the subject of recreational hunting: In our dossiers on the criticism of recreational hunting gather fact-checks, analyses and background reports. What the research says about this is shown by Hunting fact-checked: the state of research.

The position of IG Wild beim Wild: IG Wild beim Wild rejects recreational hunting. Our model is the canton of Geneva, which has managed without recreational hunting since 1974: without hunting seasons, without hunting dogs, without driven hunts, without high seats, without the animal cruelty and crime that go hand in hand with hunting season elsewhere. What has worked there for over fifty years disproves every position paper by JagdSchweiz. An association that bases its policy on claims it refutes in its own documents is not a professional organisation, but a factory for misinformation.