Schwyz: Large-scale inspection of recreational hunters causes outrage
Cantonal police of Schwyz and wildlife wardens check licences, hunting times and weapons. Further unannounced checks are planned.
«Who checks whom»
On Friday, 4 September 2026, the cantonal police of Schwyz carried out extensive hunting inspections together with the wildlife wardens.
Checks were carried out in the Muotathal area as well as, on the same day, in Einsiedeln and Ausserschwyz.
According to police spokesperson Roman Gisler, the focus was on compliance with hunting and wildlife protection legislation. Among other things, the validity of licences, adherence to hunting times, kill quotas and the vehicles of recreational hunters were checked. The correct handling of weapons was also a focus.
A recreational hunter with over 50 years of experience criticised the approach in an interview with the «Bote der Urschweiz». He stated that he had been «searched like a serious criminal» by three police officers, and described the check as harassment.
The cantonal police told the «Bote» that it understood the frustration. However, the legal requirements apply to everyone. Such checks are carried out regularly and unannounced in various areas; further operations are planned.
No public information has yet been released on the results of the large-scale inspection, such as the number of people checked, complaints, or possible charges.
The canton of Schwyz has long been documented as a focal point of hunting policy. For background on poaching, prohibited hunting methods and criminally prosecuted offences, see Canton of Schwyz: An Eldorado for hunting crime. A more in-depth analysis is offered by the article The psychology of recreational hunting in the canton of Schwyz. On the expansion of recreational hunting and the involvement of recreational hunters in the regulation of predators, see Schwyz revises hunting ordinance and Canton of Schwyz: Poisoned golden eagles, shot llamas, illegal wolf traps.
More on the subject of recreational hunting: In the dossier Poaching and hunting crime in Switzerland we document cases, legal questions and recurring patterns. The scientific evidence is presented in the overview Studies on the Effects of Recreational Hunting.
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.
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.
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