Is recreational hunting to blame for species decline?

Ground-nesting birds and hares are disappearing in Switzerland. The intensification of agriculture and the pointless recreational hunting of predators are contributing significantly to this.

Wild beim Wild Editorial Team — 25 August 2023

Is hunting to blame for the disappearance of ground-nesting birds and hares?

Since the mid-1990s, millions of hectares of set-aside land have disappeared, countless meadows have been ploughed up for monotonous crops, and the remaining «meadows» have mutated into permanently mown ‘golf-course lawns’, field margins have been ploughed under, and pesticide use has risen significantly.

Ground-nesting birds and hares are suffering

Populations of numerous species are declining sharply in many parts of Europe. The main cause is fairly consistently identified as the intensification of agriculture, in particular the massive use of fertilisers and pesticides as well as intensive machine use. Studies have shown that the cultivation of winter cereals, rapeseed and maize on ever-larger fields has a particularly negative effect. Dwindling field margins, herbaceous and perennial vegetation strips, and a reduction in fallow land by almost three-quarters over the last ten years are significant factors in the population decline.

Are recreational hunters to blame for this? If they are farmers themselves, YES. Is the hunting community to blame for the disappearance of these species? YES! Through negligence. The right to hunt comes with the DUTY to secure and maintain the habitats of wild animals. This is precisely where they have completely failed. Not a peep has been heard from the death-wardens on this matter for decades.

Recreational hunters only demonstrate when it comes to restrictions on weapons and targets. It fits the worldview of the recreational hunter, who also believes that a meaningful contribution to environmental and nature conservation consists of flushing the toilet only once a week.

Rightly, all «huntable» species that are directly affected by the loss of their habitats should actually be removed from hunting law – meaning all ground-nesting birds and hares.

Neither the fox nor the marten, badger, crow or other so-called «predators» are to blame for the decline of these species, and they too should be removed from the shooting list.

The highest density of hares was recorded in 2016 at 17.7/100 ha in the hunting-free canton of Geneva, where professional game wardens take care of wildlife management. This is the first density above 17 hares/100 ha recorded anywhere in Switzerland since 2006. Incidentally, in the canton of Geneva, which is free of recreational hunters, foxes and the like are also not regulated according to hunters' folklore.

Genf Jagdverbot

Natural disaster: recreational hunters

In the chaos in which nature finds itself after decades of recreational hunters' game management and care, the hunters is proportion of threatened species higher than in any other country in the world. For decades, these contract killers have been creating an ecological imbalance in the cultivated landscape, with sometimes dramatic consequences (protective forests, diseases, agricultural damage, and much more). Over a third of plant, Wild animals and fungus species are considered threatened. Switzerland is also at the bottom of the European rankings when it comes to designating protected areas for biodiversity. It is precisely these circles of recreational hunters, with their lobbying, who through politics, the media and legislation must be held responsible for this over decades. It is they who notoriously block modern, ethical improvements in animal welfare and sabotage serious animal and species protection. Recreational hunters regularly oppose more national parks in Switzerland, precisely because it is not nature, biodiversity, species protection or animal welfare that matters to them, but the pursuit of their perverse, bloody hobby.

Did you know…

that in Switzerland innocent young wolves are eliminated?
that recreational hunters lie when it comes to assessing game meat quality, and that, according to the WHO, processed game meat is carcinogenic, just like cigarettes, asbestos or arsenic?
that, according to a study, the lead contamination of golden eagles and bearded vultures is nowhere higher than in the Swiss Alps, because of recreational hunters' ammunition?
that the Fair chase that recreational hunting is diametrically opposed to the animal welfare act, that it's a fata morgana?
that hunting is war, where animal competitors are simply liquidated?
that there are countless illegal and unmarked high seats in our countryside, some so rotten that they pose a danger to children, and that people can be killed?
that year after year countless people are killed or injured by hunters' weapons, sometimes so badly that they end up in a wheelchair or have limbs amputated?
that in Switzerland around 120,000 completely healthy roe deer, red deer, foxes, marmots and chamois are killed every year, mostly senselessly?
that because of recreational hunters it is now hardly possible to live in harmony with wild animals or to see them at all?
that shotgun blasts make hares scream like small children, and that the innards of “shot” roe deer and red deer are torn apart so that they leave a trail for the follow-up search as they flee?
that the recreational hunters' claim that the cruel wild animal massacres are necessary to regulate populations has been scientifically disproved?
that recreational hunters openly admit that hunting is about the “thrill of killing” and “the joy of making a kill”, a pathological passion?
that recreational hunters have no sixth sense, yet regularly claim they only shoot sick and weak animals, which of course is not true in practice?
that recreational hunters travel abroad for trophy hunting, far from any species and hunting protection regulations, and that there are even Swiss hobby-hunter travel operators for such feeble-minded hunting pleasures?
that the vast majority are not legitimate professional hunters but pursue hunting as a hobby, sport and leisure pastime, which is not moral and actually contradicts the animal welfare act?
that 99.07% of civilised people in Switzerland are not recreational hunters, meaning only 0.3% of recreational hunters take pleasure in these bloody activities?
that these wild animal killers do not hunt on the basis of scientific justification?
that protected species should not actually be part of hunting law, because recreational hunters are overwhelmed by species protection and repeatedly shoot animals on the Red List, such as lynx, wolf, European hare, grey partridge, quail, etc., just for fun?
that recreational hunters deliberately decimate certain animal species so as to have no competition for their unnatural behaviour (fox, lynx, wolf, birds of prey, etc.)?
that wild animals dying before the recreational hunter can even fire a single shot is something to be prevented, and that this is presumably the central idea behind wildlife management and hunting planning?
that with wild boar (and foxes) normally only the lead sow has young, but because she is shot, all the female animals within the sounder reproduce, which is one of the reasons we have a wild boar glut?
that grazing animals – red deer, roe deer, etc. – originally lived mainly diurnally in fields and meadows, like goats, sheep, cows, etc., and not in the forest?
that the wolf is vital in the long term for keeping wild ungulates healthy, because, for example, it captures sick or weak animals with incredible precision and is thereby far superior to recreational hunters?
that foxes usually end up in the rubbish after being senselessly hunted?
that foxes are mainly hunted today so that there are more hares, etc., for recreational hunters' frying pans? That the fox, however, does not feed on hares more than 90% of the time, and never catches a healthy hare?
that one cannot combat recreational hunters in animal welfare matters with gentleness, street festivals, prayer chains, etc. alone (a crude block needs a crude wedge)?
that recreational hunters engage in a disrespectful mockery of living beings with their hunters' tall tales?
that it is frowned upon to shoot high game at a feeding site or during mating season, but the recreational hunter has no scruples about doing this to the fox, a competing predator?
that in some cantons recreational hunters go hunting solely for the tender meat of a young animal?
that recreational hunters shoot pregnant mother animals in front of their young, or shoot only young animals during the rearing period (post special hunt)?
that recreational hunters poison the environment, nature, humans and animals with their ammunition?
that bestiality, barbarism, cruelty, bloodshed and pointless suffering cannot be a cultural asset in a civilised society?
that recreational hunters shoot around 10,000 roe deer fawns every year?
that in harsh winters recreational hunters lure starving animals with feed, only to shoot them cowardly and treacherously?
that recreational hunters send riled-up dogs into burrows to eliminate foxes and badgers (earth hunting)?
that recreational hunters lure peaceful creatures into box traps, where they may suffer for days waiting for their killer, or where the animals often endure a hours-long death struggle (trap hunting)?
that recreational hunters cowardly assassinate or injure peaceful wild animals while they are sleeping or sunbathing, using highly modern precision weapons from ambush?
that recreational hunters support awards, fur markets, prize ceremonies for the trophy cult, trophy shows, fur trade, etc.?
that recreational hunters put firearms into the hands of underage schoolchildren and practise killing with them?
that recreational hunters often carry out their agonising deeds in solitude, which promotes animal cruelty?
that recreational hunters only severely injure many wild animals, and the victims often suffer for hours in enormous agony and fear until a blood-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 of killing?
that a hunter's love of animals and nature does not delight in the existence of the beloved object, but rather aims to possess the beloved creature body and soul, culminating in making it prey through the act of killing?
that recreational hunters actually promote browsing damage through hunting pressure, especially on predators such as fox, lynx and wolf?
that recreational hunters open the door to antisocial, unethical and unchristian behaviour?
that recreational hunters deprive the public of normal, natural wildlife observation and interaction?
that there is no bigger, ammunition-contaminated torment product than game meat?
that there is no uniform nationwide regulation regarding eye tests, shooting practice, etc. for recreational hunters?
that there is no psychological character test for recreational hunters?
that there is no alcohol ban for recreational hunters when they shoot at animals with their weapons?
that recreational hunters intrude into school facilities to peddle their hunters' tall tales and violence to children?
that a court in Bellinzona recently confirmed that hunting associations promote practically everything that is cruel, unnecessary and heartless?
that the association «JagdSchweiz» primarily cultivates disrespect and a culture of violence – exactly the opposite of what a cultivated person in our society should strive for.
that in the canton of Grisons alone, over 1,000 complaints and fines are imposed against recreational hunters every year?

Interest Group Wild beim Wild

IG Wild beim Wild is a non-profit interest group committed to the sustainable and non-violent improvement of the human-animal relationship, with the IG also specialising in the legal aspects of wildlife protection. One of our main concerns is to introduce a modern and serious wildlife management system in the cultivated landscape, modelled on the canton of Geneva – without recreational hunters, but with honest game wardens who actually deserve the name and act according to a code of honour. The monopoly on the use of force belongs in the hands of the state. The IG supports scientific methods of immunocontraception for wild animals.

More on the subject of recreational hunting: In the dossier all arguments against recreational hunting we bring together fact checks, analyses and background reports.

Wild beim Wild editorial team

All articles are written by IG Wild beim Wild as well as by external co-authors. Research, structuring and editorial processes may be supported by AI-assisted tools.