Hunting Statistics 2022: 74’124 Wild Animals Killed
Approximately 14'000 hobby hunters in Switzerland officially killed 74'124 wild animals in the 2022/23 hunting year. An overview of kill figures and trends.
74’124 wild animals killed in the main hunting season
The hunting year runs in most cantons from 1 April to 31 March of the following year.
Approximately 14’000 hobby hunters in Switzerland killed, according to statistics, officially 74’124 huntable ungulates during the main hunting season.
In addition, around 10’000 hobby hunters shot 18’943 predators for sport during the small game season, including pine martens, stone martens, badgers and red foxes.
Fox hunting violates the Animal Welfare Act
Every fox hunt in Switzerland is a clear violation of the Animal Welfare Act, due to the absence of a reasonable justification. For more than 30 years, at least 18 wildlife biology studies have proven: fox hunting does not regulate populations and is also ineffective as a means of disease control.
Brown hares, though endangered, were shot in numbers of 1’600. The Alpine snow grouse is listed as a protected species and is considered potentially endangered in Switzerland. Nevertheless, hobby hunters shot 319 snow grouse.
Wildlife wardens versus hobby hunters
In the canton of Geneva, where the population introduced a progressive wildlife management system as early as 1974, 207 wild boar and 21 roe deer were shot. In addition, 4 badgers and 10 red foxes.
Before the hunting ban for hobby hunters in Geneva was introduced, over 400 hunting licences were sold per year. Today, 3 full-time positions are required for regulation and prevention, representing an enormous gain for biodiversity, which is both scientifically documented and visible. Overall, the canton of Geneva must raise around one million francs per year, including wildlife damage costs, for wildlife management — equivalent to a cup of coffee per resident.
Comparing the cantons of Schaffhausen and Geneva, a far bloodier picture emerges with the 805 male hobby hunters: 109 badgers and 175 red foxes among the predators, and 1’772 kills of huntable ungulates. The damage figures for wild boar in the canton of Geneva are comparable to those of Schaffhausen in the long-term average, even though hobby hunting is permitted in Schaffhausen.
